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1972 NFL draft
General information
Date(s)February 1–2, 1972
LocationEssex House
in New York City, NY
Overview
442 total selections in 17 rounds
LeagueNFL
First selectionWalt Patulski, DE
Buffalo Bills
Mr. IrrelevantAlphonso Cain, DT
Dallas Cowboys
Most selections (23)New Orleans Saints
Fewest selections (10)Washington Redskins
Hall of Famers
2
← 1971
1973 →

The 1972 NFL draft was the thirty-seventh annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft was held on February 1 and 2 at the Essex House in New York City, New York.[1][2]

With the first overall pick of the draft, the Buffalo Bills selected defensive end Walt Patulski. Patulski would become viewed as a draft bust,[3][4] for the Bills would release him in 1976 — ironically replacing Patuski with second choice Sherman White of California. Twenty-first century NFL historians have frequently described 1972 as one of the league's worst draft classes ever,[5][6][7] especially regarding the failure of the majority of first-round draftees, which has become viewed worse than other notably weak drafts like 2002 and 2009.[8][6] Only seven of thirty first rounders made even one Pro Bowl, and the whole 1972 draft produced just two Hall of Fame members, one of whom, wide receiver Cliff Branch, was inducted posthumously. This is the fewest of any draft class since 1959 had only Dick LeBeau reach Canton.

Player selections

[edit]
= Pro Bowler [note 1] = Hall of Famer
* = compensatory selection
† = Pro Bowler[note 1]
‡ = Hall of Famer[note 2]
Positions key
C Center CB Cornerback DB Defensive back DE Defensive end[a]
DL Defensive lineman DT Defensive tackle FB Fullback FS Free safety
G Guard[b] K Kicker[c] KR Kickoff returner LB Linebacker
LS Long snapper MLB Middle linebacker[d] OT Offensive tackle OL Offensive lineman
OLB Outside linebacker[a] NT Nose tackle P Punter PR Punt returner
QB Quarterback RS Return specialist RB Running back S Safety
SS Strong safety TE Tight end WR Wide receiver
  1. ^ a b May sometimes be referred to as an edge rusher (EDGE)
  2. ^ Also known as offensive guard (OG)
  3. ^ Also known as placekicker (PK)
  4. ^ Also known as inside linebacker (ILB)

Round one

[edit]
Rnd. Pick No. NFL team Player Pos. College Conf. Notes
1 1 Buffalo Bills Walt Patulski  DE Notre Dame Ind.
1 2 Cincinnati Bengals Sherman White  DE California Pac-8
1 3 Chicago Bears Lionel Antoine  OT Southern Illinois Ind.
from N. Y. Giants
1 4 St. Louis Cardinals Bobby Moore † WR Oregon Pac-8
1 5 Denver Broncos Riley Odoms † TE Houston Ind.
1 6 Houston Oilers Greg Sampson  DE Stanford Pac-8
1 7 Green Bay Packers Willie Buchanon † CB San Diego State Big West
1 8 New Orleans Saints Royce Smith  OG Georgia SEC
1 9 New York Jets Jerome Barkum † WR Jackson State SWAC
1 10 Minnesota Vikings Jeff Siemon † LB Stanford Pac-8
1 11 Green Bay Packers Jerry Tagge  QB Nebraska Big Eight
1 12 Chicago Bears Craig Clemons  S Iowa Big Ten
1 13 Pittsburgh Steelers Franco Harris‡† FB Penn State Ind.
1 14 Philadelphia Eagles John Reaves  QB Florida SEC
1 15 Atlanta Falcons Clarence Ellis  S Notre Dame Ind.
1 16 Detroit Lions Herb Orvis  DE Colorado Big Eight
1 17 New York Giants Eldridge Small  DB Texas A&I LSC
from Los Angeles via New England
1 18 Cleveland Browns Thom Darden † S Michigan Big Ten
1 19 San Francisco 49ers Terry Beasley  WR Auburn SEC
1 20 New York Jets Mike Taylor  LB Michigan Big Ten
1 21 Oakland Raiders Mike Siani  WR Villanova Ind.
1 22 Baltimore Colts Tom Drougas  OT Oregon Pac-8
1 23 Kansas City Chiefs Jeff Kinney  RB Nebraska Big Eight
1 24 New York Giants Larry Jacobson  DE Nebraska Big Eight
from Minnesota
1 25 Miami Dolphins Mike Kadish  DT Notre Dame Ind.
1 26 Dallas Cowboys Bill Thomas  RB Boston College Ind. (Univ.)

Round two

[edit]
Rnd. Pick No. NFL team Player Pos. College Conf. Notes
2 27 Buffalo Bills Reggie McKenzie  OG Michigan Big Ten
2 28 San Francisco 49ers Ralph McGill  S Tulsa MVC
from N. Y. Giants
2 29 Cincinnati Bengals Tommy Casanova † S LSU SEC
2 30 Los Angeles Rams Jim Bertelsen † RB Texas SWC
from Denver via San Diego
2 31 New Orleans Saints Willie Hall  LB USC Pac-8
from Houston
2 32 St. Louis Cardinals Mark Arneson  LB Arizona WAC
2 33 Oakland Raiders Kelvin Korver  OT Northwestern (IA) N/A
from New Orleans
2 34 Green Bay Packers Chester Marcol † K Hillsdale Ind. (NAIA)
2 35 Dallas Cowboys Robert Newhouse  RB Houston Ind.
from New England
2 36 San Diego Chargers Pete Lazetich  DE Stanford Pac-8
2 37 Philadelphia Eagles Dan Yochum  OT Syracuse Ind. (Univ.)
from Chicago
2 38 Pittsburgh Steelers Gordon Gravelle  OT BYU WAC
2 39 Dallas Cowboys John Babinecz  LB Villanova Ind.
from N. Y. Jets via Oakland through New Orleans
2 40 Atlanta Falcons Pat Sullivan  QB Auburn SEC
from Philadelphia via Detroit Heisman Trophy winner[9]
2 41 Atlanta Falcons Steve Okoniewski  OT Montana Big Sky
from Detroit
2 42 Atlanta Falcons Rosie Manning  DT Northeastern State OCC
2 43 Oakland Raiders John Vella  OT USC Pac-8
2 44 San Francisco 49ers Jean Barrett  OT Tulsa MVC
2 45 Cleveland Browns Clifford Brooks  CB Tennessee State Ind. (Coll.)
2 46 Baltimore Colts Jack Mildren  S Oklahoma Big Eight
from Oakland
2 47 Baltimore Colts Glenn Doughty  WR Michigan Big Ten
from Washington
2 48 Baltimore Colts Lydell Mitchell † RB Penn State Ind.
2 49 New England Patriots Tom Reynolds  WR San Diego State Big West
from Kansas City
2 50 Minnesota Vikings Ed Marinaro  RB Cornell Ivy
2 51 Cleveland Browns Sims, LesterLester Sims  DE Alabama State SIAC
from Miami
2 52 Dallas Cowboys Charles McKee  WR Arizona WAC

Round three

[edit]
Rnd. Pick No. NFL team Player Pos. College Conf. Notes
3 53 Buffalo Bills Swendson, FredFred Swendson  DE Notre Dame Ind.
3 54 Cincinnati Bengals Jim LeClair † DE North Dakota NCC
3 55 New York Giants John Mendenhall  DT Grambling SWAC
3 56 Houston Oilers Lewis Jolley  RB North Carolina ACC
3 57 St. Louis Cardinals Tom Beckman  DE Michigan Big Ten
3 58 Denver Broncos Phillips, BillBill Phillips  LB Arkansas State Southland
3 59 Minnesota Vikings Bart Buetow  OT Minnesota Big Ten
from Green Bay
3 60 New Orleans Saints Bob Kuziel  C Pittsburgh Ind. (Univ.)
3 61 San Diego Chargers Bill McClard  K Arkansas SWC
3 62 Chicago Bears Johnny Musso  RB Alabama SEC
3 63 Pittsburgh Steelers John McMakin  TE Clemson ACC
3 64 Dallas Cowboys Mike Keller  LB Michigan Big Ten
from New England
3 65 Detroit Lions Ken Sanders  DE Howard Payne LSC
from Philadelphia
3 66 New York Jets Gary Hammond  WR SMU SWC
3 67 Atlanta Falcons Les Goodman  RB Yankton N/A
3 68 Philadelphia Eagles Tom Luken  OG Purdue Big Ten
from Detroit
3 69 New York Giants Mozisek, TomTom Mozisek  RB Houston Ind.
from Los Angeles
3 70 Los Angeles Rams Lawrence McCutcheon † RB Colorado State WAC
3 71 San Francisco 49ers Allen Dunbar  WR Southern SWAC
3 72 Oakland Raiders Mel Lunsford  DT Central State Ind. (NAIA)
3 73 New England Patriots White, JimJim White  DE Colorado State WAC
from Washington via Los Angeles
3 74 New Orleans Saints Tom Myers † S Syracuse Ind. (Univ.)
from Baltimore via Oakland
3 75 Houston Oilers Soloman Freelon  OG Grambling SWAC
from Kansas City
3 76 Philadelphia Eagles Bobby Majors  DB Tennessee SEC
from Minnesota
3 77 Miami Dolphins Gary Kosins  RB Dayton Ind. (Univ.)
3 78 Dallas Cowboys Marv Bateman  P Utah WAC

Round four

[edit]
Rnd. Pick No. NFL team Player Pos. College Conf. Notes
4 79 Buffalo Bills Randy Jackson  RB Wichita State MVC
4 80 Pittsburgh Steelers Brinkley, LorenzoLorenzo Brinkley  DB Missouri Big Eight
from N. Y. Giants
4 81 Cincinnati Bengals Bernard Jackson  CB Washington State Pac-8
4 82 St. Louis Cardinals Jeff Lyman  LB BYU WAC
4 83 Dallas Cowboys Tim Kearney  LB Northern Michigan N/A
from Denver via New Orleans
4 84 St. Louis Cardinals Martin Imhof  DT San Diego State Big West
from Houston
4 85 New Orleans Saints Mike Crangle  DE UT Martin Gulf South
4 86 Green Bay Packers Eric Patton  LB Notre Dame Ind.
4 87 Los Angeles Rams John Saunders  SS Toledo MAC
from Chicago
4 88 Pittsburgh Steelers Ed Bradley  LB Wake Forest ACC
4 89 New York Jets Ed Galigher  DE UCLA Pac-8
4 90 Dallas Cowboys Robert West  WR San Diego State Big West
from New England
4 91 Miami Dolphins Larry Ball  DE Louisville MVC
from San Diego
4 92 Philadelphia Eagles Po James  RB New Mexico State MVC
4 93 Dallas Cowboys Chuck Zapiec  LB Penn State Ind.
from Detroit
4 94 Atlanta Falcons Howard, AndrewAndrew Howard  DT Grambling SWAC
4 95 Los Angeles Rams Eddie Phillips  QB Texas SWC
4 96 San Francisco 49ers Windlan Hall  CB Arizona State WAC
4 97 Kansas City Chiefs Andy Hamilton  WR LSU SEC
from Cleveland
4 98 Oakland Raiders Cliff Branch‡† WR Colorado Big Eight
4 99 New Orleans Saints Joe Federspiel  LB Kentucky SEC
from Washington via Los Angeles through Philadelphia
4 100 Oakland Raiders Dave Dalby † C UCLA Pac-8
from Baltimore
4 101 New Orleans Saints Coleman, MikeMike Coleman  DE Knoxville SIAC
from Kansas City
4 102 Denver Broncos Tom Graham  LB Oregon Pac-8
from Minnesota
4 103 Miami Dolphins Benton, AlAl Benton  OT Ohio MAC
4 104 Baltimore Colts Eric Allen  WR Michigan State Big Ten
from Dallas via New Orleans through Detroit

Round five

[edit]
Rnd. Pick No. NFL team Player Pos. College Conf. Notes
5 105 Buffalo Bills Leon Garror  CB Alcorn A&M SWAC
5 106 Cincinnati Bengals Tom DeLeone † C Ohio State Big Ten
5 107 New York Giants Tom Gatewood  WR Notre Dame Ind.
5 108 Buffalo Bills Bob Penchion  OG Alcorn A&M SWAC
from Denver
5 109 Atlanta Falcons William Taylor  RB Michigan Big Ten
from Houston via Denver through Buffalo
5 110 St. Louis Cardinals Conrad Dobler † OG Wyoming WAC
5 111 New Orleans Saints Bill Butler  RB Kansas State Big Eight
from Green Bay
5 112 New Orleans Saints Carl Johnson  OT Nebraska Big Eight
5 113 Pittsburgh Steelers Steve Furness  DE Rhode Island Yankee
5 114 New York Jets Dickie Harris  DB South Carolina Ind. (Univ.)
5 115 Baltimore Colts Don Croft  DT UTEP WAC
from New England
5 116 San Diego Chargers Bishop, JimJim Bishop  TE Tennessee Tech OVC
5 117 Chicago Bears Bob Parsons  TE Penn State Ind.
5 118 Denver Broncos Jim Krieg  WR Washington Pac-8
from Philadelphia
5 119 Atlanta Falcons Ralph Cindrich  LB Pittsburgh Ind. (Univ.)
5 120 Los Angeles Rams Childs, BobBob Childs  OG Kansas Big Eight
from Detroit
5 121 New York Giants Edwards, LarryLarry Edwards  LB Texas A&I LSC
from Los Angeles via Washington
5 122 Cleveland Browns George Hunt  K Tennessee SEC
5 123 San Francisco 49ers Greene, MikeMike Greene  LB Georgia SEC
5 124 New England Patriots Ron Bolton  CB Norfolk State CIAA
5 125 Los Angeles Rams Bob Christiansen  TE UCLA Pac-8
from Washington
5 126 New Orleans Saints Davies, BobBob Davies  DB South Carolina Ind. (Univ.)
from Baltimore
5 127 Kansas City Chiefs Davis, MiltMilt Davis  DE Texas–Arlington —
5 128 Cleveland Browns Kucera, GregGreg Kucera  RB Northern Colorado RMAC
from Minnesota via Los Angeles
5 129 Miami Dolphins Charlie Babb  S Memphis State MVC
5 130 San Diego Chargers Gooden, HarryHarry Gooden  DE Alcorn A&M SWAC
from Dallas

Round six

[edit]
Rnd. Pick No. NFL team Player Pos. College Conf. Notes
6 131 Oakland Raiders Dan Medlin  DT NC State ACC
from Buffalo
6 132 New York Giants John Hill  C Lehigh MASCAA
6 133 Chicago Bears Bob Pifferini  LB UCLA Pac-8
from Cincinnati
6 134 Houston Oilers Bullard, JoeJoe Bullard  DB Tulane Ind. (Univ.)
6 135 St. Louis Cardinals Don Heater  RB Montana Tech N/A
6 136 Houston Oilers Elmer Allen  LB Ole Miss SEC
from Denver
6 137 New Orleans Saints Dorton, WayneWayne Dorton  OG Arkansas State Southland
6 138 Green Bay Packers Ross, NathanielNathaniel Ross  DB Bethune–Cookman SIAC
6 139 New York Jets Joey Jackson  DE New Mexico State MVC
6 140 Atlanta Falcons Perfetti, MikeMike Perfetti  DB Minnesota Big Ten
from New England via Minnesota
6 141 San Diego Chargers Ward, BruceBruce Ward  OG San Diego State Big West
6 142 Green Bay Packers Dave Pureifory  LB Eastern Michigan Ind.
from Chicago
6 143 Pittsburgh Steelers Dennis Meyer  S Arkansas State Southland
6 144 Philadelphia Eagles Winfield, VernVern Winfield  OG Minnesota Big Ten
6 145 Detroit Lions Potts, CharlesCharles Potts  DB Purdue Big Ten
6 146 Atlanta Falcons Riley, FredFred Riley  WR Idaho Big Sky
6 147 Green Bay Packers Bob Hudson  RB Northeastern State OCC
from Los Angeles
6 148 San Francisco 49ers Jackie Walker  DB Tennessee SEC
6 149 Cleveland Browns Forey, LeonardLeonard Forey  OG Texas A&M SWC
6 150 New Orleans Saints Watson, CurtCurt Watson  RB Tennessee SEC
from Oakland
6 151 Los Angeles Rams Hebert, EdwardEdward Hebert  DT Texas Southern SWAC
from Washington
6 152 Baltimore Colts Bruce Laird † S American International —
6 153 Kansas City Chiefs Kahler, JohnJohn Kahler  DE Long Beach State PCAA
6 154 Minnesota Vikings Anthony Martin  LB Louisville MVC
6 155 Miami Dolphins Ray Nettles  LB Tennessee SEC
6 156 Dallas Cowboys Bolden, CharlesCharles Bolden  DB Iowa Big Ten

Round seven

[edit]
Rnd. Pick No. NFL team Player Pos. College Conf. Notes
7 157 Buffalo Bills Stepaniak, RalphRalph Stepaniak  DB Notre Dame Ind.
7 158 Cincinnati Bengals Conley, SteveSteve Conley  RB Kansas Big Eight
7 159 Pittsburgh Steelers Colquitt, JoeJoe Colquitt  DE Kansas State Big Eight
from N. Y. Giants
7 160 St. Louis Cardinals Council Rudolph  DE Kentucky State Ind. (NAIA)
7 161 Miami Dolphins Bill Adams  OG Holy Cross Yankee
from Denver
7 162 Houston Oilers Hutchinson, EricEric Hutchinson  DB Northwestern Big Ten
7 163 Green Bay Packers Bushong, BillBill Bushong  DT Kentucky SEC
7 164 New Orleans Saints Ernie Jackson  CB Duke ACC
7 165 New England Patriots Clark Hoss  TE Oregon State Pac-8
from Oakland
7 166 New England Patriots John Tarver  RB Colorado Big Eight
from San Diego
7 167 Chicago Bears Jim Fassel  QB Long Beach State PCAA
7 168 Pittsburgh Steelers Kelly, RobertRobert Kelly  DB Jackson State SWAC
7 169 Baltimore Colts John Sykes  RB Morgan State MEAC
from N. Y. Jets via Washington
7 170 Philadelphia Eagles Foster, WillWill Foster  LB Eastern Michigan Ind.
7 171 Atlanta Falcons Moon, LanceLance Moon  RB Wisconsin Big Ten
7 172 Detroit Lions Stoudmire, CharlesCharles Stoudmire  WR Portland State Ind. (Coll.)
from Los Angeles
7 173 Oakland Raiders Jamieson, RayRay Jamieson  RB Memphis State MVC
7 174 Cleveland Browns Wesley, DonDon Wesley  OT Maryland State N/A
7 175 San Francisco 49ers Edgar Hardy  OG Jackson State SWAC
7 176 Oakland Raiders Alonzo "Skip" Thomas  CB USC Pac-8
7 177 New York Giants Zikas, MikeMike Zikas  DT Notre Dame Ind.
from Washington
7 178 Oakland Raiders Pete, DennisDennis Pete  DB San Francisco State FWC
from Baltimore
7 179 Kansas City Chiefs Dean Carlson  QB Iowa State Big Eight
7 180 Miami Dolphins Calvin Harrell  RB Arkansas State Southland
7 181 Minnesota Vikings Slater, BillBill Slater  DE Western Michigan MAC
7 182 Chicago Bears Jim Osborne  DT Southern SWAC
from Dallas

Round eight

[edit]
Rnd. Pick No. NFL team Player Pos. College Conf. Notes
8 183 Buffalo Bills Paul Gibson  WR UTEP WAC
8 184 New York Giants Mabry, TomTom Mabry  OT Arkansas SWC
8 185 Cincinnati Bengals Dan Kratzer  WR Missouri Valley N/A
8 186 Denver Broncos Ron Estay  DT LSU SEC
8 187 Houston Oilers Guy Roberts  LB Maryland ACC
8 188 St. Louis Cardinals Bob Wicks  WR Utah State Ind. (Univ.)
8 189 New Orleans Saints Vinson, RonRon Vinson  WR Abilene Christian Southland
8 190 Green Bay Packers Leland Glass  WR Oregon Pac-8
8 191 Baltimore Colts Qualls, AlAl Qualls  LB Oklahoma Big Eight
from San Diego
8 192 Chicago Bears Wirtz, RalphRalph Wirtz  WR North Dakota State NCC
8 193 Pittsburgh Steelers Vincent, StahleStahle Vincent  RB Rice SWC
8 194 New York Jets Lattimore, MarionMarion Lattimore  OG Kansas State Big Eight
8 195 New England Patriots Beyrle, SteveSteve Beyrle  OG Kansas State Big Eight
8 196 Philadelphia Eagles Ratcliff, LarryLarry Ratcliff  RB Eastern Michigan Ind.
8 197 Detroit Lions Stuckey, HenryHenry Stuckey  DB Missouri Big Eight
8 198 Atlanta Falcons Brandon, HenryHenry Brandon  RB Southern SWAC
8 199 Los Angeles Rams Graham, TomTom Graham  WR Baldwin Wallace OAC
8 200 San Francisco 49ers Tom Wittum † P Northern Illinois Ind. (Univ.)
8 201 Cleveland Browns Hugh McKinnis  RB Arizona State WAC
8 202 Oakland Raiders Brown, JackieJackie Brown  RB Stanford Pac-8
8 203 Washington Redskins Moses Denson  RB Maryland State N/A
8 204 Baltimore Colts Brownson, VanVan Brownson  QB Nebraska Big Eight
8 205 Kansas City Chiefs Mahoney, ScottScott Mahoney  OG Colorado Big Eight
8 206 Minnesota Vikings Calvin Demery  WR Arizona State WAC
8 207 Miami Dolphins Craig Curry  QB Minnesota Big Ten
8 208 Dallas Cowboys Ralph Coleman  LB North Carolina A&T MEAC

Round nine

[edit]
Pick # NFL team Player Position College
209 Buffalo Bills Steve Vogel Linebacker Boise State
210 Cincinnati Bengals Stan Walters Tackle Syracuse
211 New York Giants Ed Richardson Running back Southern
212 Houston Oilers Willie Postler Tackle Montana
213 St. Louis Cardinals Gene Macken Center South Dakota
214 Denver Broncos Floyd Priester Defensive back Boston University
215 Baltimore Colts Gary Hambell Defensive tackle Dayton
216 New Orleans Saints Kent Branstetter Defensive tackle Houston
217 Pittsburgh Steelers Don Kelley Defensive back Clemson
218 New York Jets Jeff Ford Defensive back Georgia Tech
219 Chicago Bears Larry Horton Defensive end Iowa
220 New England Patriots Mike Kelson Tackle Arkansas
221 San Diego Chargers Fran Schmitz Defensive tackle St. Norbert
222 Philadelphia Eagles Pat Gibbs Defensive back Lamar University
223 Atlanta Falcons Bill "Ray" Easterling Defensive back Richmond
224 Detroit Lions Bill McClintock Defensive back Drake
225 Los Angeles Rams Harry Howard Defensive back Ohio State
226 Cleveland Browns Larry McKee Guard Arizona
227 San Francisco 49ers Jerry Brown Defensive back Northwestern
228 Oakland Raiders Dave Bigler Running back Morningside
229 Washington Redskins Steve Boekholder Defensive end Drake
230 Cleveland Browns Billy LeFear Wide receiver Henderson State
231 Kansas City Chiefs Dave Taylor Defensive tackle Weber State
232 Minnesota Vikings Charlie Goodrum Guard Florida A&M
233 Miami Dolphins Greg Johnson Defensive back Wisconsin
234 Dallas Cowboys Roy Bell Running back Oklahoma

Round ten

[edit]
Pick # NFL team Player Position College
235 Buffalo Bills Maurice Tyler Defensive back Morgan State
236 New York Giants John Odom Defensive back Texas Tech
237 Cincinnati Bengals Brian Foster Defensive back Colorado
238 St. Louis Cardinals Eric Washington Defensive back Texas-El Paso
239 Denver Broncos Richard Wilkins Defensive end Maryland State
240 Houston Oilers Rhett Dawson Wide receiver Florida State
241 New Orleans Saints Andy Kupp Guard Idaho
242 Green Bay Packers Keith Wortman Guard Nebraska
243 Pittsburgh Steelers Bob Brown Defensive tackle Tampa
244 New York Jets Harley Turner Defensive back Tennessee-Chattanooga
245 New England Patriots Mel Caraway Defensive back N.E. Oklahoma
246 San Diego Chargers Lon Kolstad Linebacker Whitewater (Wis)
247 Chicago Bears Jack Turnbull Center Oregon State
248 Philadelphia Eagles John Bunting Linebacker North Carolina
249 Detroit Lions Jim Teal Linebacker Purdue
250 St. Louis Cardinals Mike Franks Quarterback Eastern New Mexico
251 Los Angeles Rams Jim Massey Defensive back Linfield
252 San Francisco 49ers Steve Williams Defensive tackle Western Carolina
253 Cleveland Browns Hershal Mosier Defensive tackle N.W. Oklahoma
254 Oakland Raiders Phillip Price Defensive back Idaho State
255 Washington Redskins Mike Oldham Wide receiver Michigan
256 Baltimore Colts Dave Shilling Running back Oregon State
257 Kansas City Chiefs Rich Ruppert Tackle Hawaii
258 Minnesota Vikings Willie Aldridge Running back South Carolina State
259 Houston Oilers Jimmy Butler Tight end Tulsa
260 Dallas Cowboys Richard Amman Defensive tackle Florida State

Round eleven

[edit]
Pick # NFL team Player Position College
261 Cincinnati Bengals Kent Pederson Tight end California-Santa Barbara
262 New York Giants John Robertson Defensive back Kansas State
263 Denver Broncos Larry Brunson Wide receiver Colorado
264 Houston Oilers Ron Evans Tackle Baylor
265 St. Louis Cardinals Ron Jones Linebacker Arkansas
266 Green Bay Packers David Bailey Wide receiver Alabama
267 New Orleans Saints Paul Dongieux Linebacker Mississippi
268 New York Jets Robert Stevenson Linebacker Tennessee State
269 New England Patriots Rodney Cason Tackle Angelo State
270 San Diego Chargers John Turner Tight end Long Beach State
271 Buffalo Bills Bill Light Linebacker Minnesota
272 Chicago Bears Ed Wimberly Defensive back Jackson State
273 Pittsburgh Steelers Joe Gilliam Quarterback Tennessee State
274 Philadelphia Eagles Dennis Sweeney Defensive end Western Michigan
275 Atlanta Falcons Jack Phillips Wide receiver Grambling
276 Detroit Lions Bob Waldron Defensive tackle Tulane
277 Oakland Raiders Joe Carroll Linebacker Pittsburgh
278 Cleveland Browns Mel Long Linebacker Toledo
279 San Francisco 49ers Tom Laputka Defensive end Southern Illinois
280 Los Angeles Rams Albert Schmidt Running back Pittsburg State (KS)
281 Washington Redskins Jeff Welch Defensive back Arkansas Tech
282 Baltimore Colts Fred DeBernardi Defensive end Texas-El Paso
283 Kansas City Chiefs Elbert Walker Tackle Wisconsin
284 Minnesota Vikings Willie McKelton Defensive back Southern
285 Miami Dolphins Ed Jenkins Wide receiver Holy Cross
286 Dallas Cowboys Lonnie Leonard Defensive end North Carolina A&T

Round twelve

[edit]
Pick # NFL team Player Position College
287 Buffalo Bills Jeff Baker Wide receiver U.S. International
288 New York Giants Jay Anderson Defensive tackle Mayville
289 Cincinnati Bengals Frederick Wegis Defensive back Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo
290 Houston Oilers Willie Rodgers Running back Kentucky State
291 St. Louis Cardinals Tommy Gay Defensive tackle Arkansas AM&N
292 Denver Broncos Randy McDougall Defensive back Weber State
293 New Orleans Saints Steve Lockhart Tight end Arkansas State
294 Green Bay Packers Mike Rich Running back Florida
295 San Diego Chargers Sam Key Linebacker Elon
296 New England Patriots Steve Booras Defensive end Mesa Jr. College
297 Chicago Bears Doug Neill Running back Texas A&M
298 Pittsburgh Steelers Ron Curl Tackle Michigan State
299 New York Jets John Bjorklund Running back Princeton
300 Philadelphia Eagles Don Zimmerman Wide receiver N.E. Louisiana
301 Detroit Lions Paul Bradley Wide receiver Southern Methodist
302 Atlanta Falcons Larry Mialik Tight end Wisconsin
303 Los Angeles Rams David Hoot Defensive back Texas A&M
304 San Francisco 49ers Steve Setzler Defensive end St. John's
305 Cleveland Browns Bernard Chapman Defensive back Texas-El Paso
306 Oakland Raiders Kent Gaydos Tight end Florida State
307 Washington Redskins Don Bunce Quarterback Stanford
308 Baltimore Colts Gary Theiler Tight end Tennessee
309 Kansas City Chiefs Mike Williams Defensive tackle Oregon
310 Minnesota Vikings Bob Banaugh Defensive back Montana State
311 Miami Dolphins Ashley Bell Tight end Purdue
312 Dallas Cowboys Jimmy Harris Wide receiver Ohio State

Round thirteen

[edit]
Pick # NFL team Player Position College
313 Buffalo Bills Ed Moss Running back Southeast Missouri State
314 Cincinnati Bengals James Hamilton Quarterback Arkansas State
315 New York Giants Chuck Heard Defensive end Georgia
316 St. Louis Cardinals Tom Campana Defensive back Ohio State
317 Denver Broncos Bob Warner Running back Bloomsburg (PA)
318 Houston Oilers Willie Roberts Defensive back Houston
319 Green Bay Packers Jesse Lakes Running back Central Michigan
320 New Orleans Saints Cephus Weatherspoon Wide receiver Fort Lewis
321 San Diego Chargers Andy Selfridge Linebacker Virginia
322 Chicago Bears Jay Rood Tackle Southern (S.D.)
323 Pittsburgh Steelers Ernie Mesmer Tackle Villanova
324 New York Jets Steve Sullivan Tackle North Texas State
325 New England Patriots Sam Elmore Defensive back Eastern Michigan
326 Philadelphia Eagles Preston Carpenter Defensive end Mississippi
327 Atlanta Falcons Henry Sovio Tight end Hawaii
328 Detroit Lions John Kirschner Tight end Memphis State
329 Los Angeles Rams Jaime Nunez Kicker Weber State
330 Cleveland Browns Brian Sipe Quarterback San Diego State
331 San Francisco 49ers Leon Pettigrew Tackle San Fernando Valley
332 Washington Redskins Frank Grant Wide receiver Southern Colorado
333 Oakland Raiders Ted Covington Wide receiver San Fernando Valley
334 Baltimore Colts Herb Washington Wide receiver Michigan State
335 Kansas City Chiefs Tyler Hellams Defensive back South Carolina
336 Minnesota Vikings Franklin Roberts Running back Alcorn A&M
337 Miami Dolphins Archie Robinson Defensive back Hillsdale
338 Dallas Cowboys Jean Fugett Tight end Amherst

Round fourteen

[edit]
Pick # NFL team Player Position College
339 New York Giants James Evans Linebacker South Carolina State
340 Buffalo Bills Karl Salb Defensive tackle Kansas
341 Cincinnati Bengals Steve Porter Wide receiver Indiana
342 Denver Broncos Jerome Kundich Guard Texas-El Paso
343 Houston Oilers Gary Crockett Center Lamar
344 St. Louis Cardinals Pat McTeer Kicker New Mexico State
345 New Orleans Saints Steve Barrios Wide receiver Tulane
346 Green Bay Packers Larry Hefner Linebacker Clemson
347 Chicago Bears Bob Brown Wide receiver Rice
348 Pittsburgh Steelers Tom Durrance Running back Florida
349 New York Jets Louis Age Guard Southwestern Louisiana
350 New England Patriots Ed Rideout Wide receiver Boston College
351 San Diego Chargers John Van Reenen Defensive end Washington State
352 Philadelphia Eagles Bill Overmyer Linebacker Ashland
353 Detroit Lions Eric Kelley Tackle Whitworth
354 Atlanta Falcons Tom Chandler Linebacker Minnesota
355 Los Angeles Rams Larry Brooks Defensive end Virginia State
356 San Francisco 49ers Eric Guthrie Quarterback Boise State
357 Cleveland Browns Ed Stewart Guard East Central Oklahoma
358 Oakland Raiders Dennis Cambal Running back William & Mary
359 Baltimore Colts John Morris Center Missouri Valley
360 Kansas City Chiefs David Chaney Linebacker San Jose State
361 Minnesota Vikings Marv Owens Running back San Diego State
362 Miami Dolphins Willie Jones Linebacker Tampa
363 Dallas Cowboys Alan Thompson Running back Wisconsin
364 Washington Redskins Mike O'Quinn Guard McNeese State

Round fifteen

[edit]
Pick # NFL team Player Position College
365 Oakland Raiders Charles Hester Running back Central State (OH)
366 Cincinnati Bengals Hosea Minnieweather Defensive tackle Jackson State
367 New York Giants Ken Kavanaugh Jr. Tight end LSU
368 Pittsburgh Steelers John Hulecki Guard Massachusetts
369 St. Louis Cardinals Mark Herman Tight end Yankton
370 Denver Broncos Harold Parmenter Defensive tackle Massachusetts
371 Green Bay Packers Rick Thone Wide receiver Arkansas Tech
372 New Orleans Saints Rusty Lachaussee Quarterback Tulane
373 Pittsburgh Steelers Charles Harrington Guard Wichita State
374 New York Jets Phil Sullivan Defensive back Georgia
375 New England Patriots Joel Klime Tight end Pittsburgh
376 San Diego Chargers Charles Neugent Defensive back Tuskegee
377 Chicago Bears Roger Lawson Running back Western Michigan
378 Philadelphia Eagles Tom Sullivan Running back Miami (FL)
379 Atlanta Falcons Oscar Jenkins Defensive back Virginia Union
380 Detroit Lions Steve Roach Linebacker Kansas
381 Los Angeles Rams Kenny Page Linebacker Kansas
382 Cleveland Browns Jewel McCullar Linebacker Chico State
383 San Francisco 49ers Bob Maddox Defensive end Frostburg State (MD)
384 Oakland Raiders Dave Snesrud Linebacker Hamline
385 Washington Redskins Carl Taibi Defensive end Colorado
386 Baltimore Colts Robin Parkhouse Linebacker Alabama
387 Kansas City Chiefs Larry Marshall Running back Maryland
388 Minnesota Vikings Mike Sivert Guard East Tennessee State
389 Miami Dolphins Bill Davis Defensive tackle William & Mary
390 Dallas Cowboys Carlos Alvarez Wide receiver Florida

Round sixteen

[edit]
Pick # NFL team Player Position College
391 Buffalo Bills Brian Linstrom Quarterback Arizona
392 New York Giants Neovia Greyer Defensive back Wisconsin
393 Cincinnati Bengals John Wiegman Wide receiver Cal Poly-Pomona
394 St. Louis Cardinals Henry Alford Defensive end Pittsburgh
395 Denver Broncos Tom Bougus Running back Boston College
396 Houston Oilers Guy Murdock Center Michigan
397 New Orleans Saints Joe Balthrop Guard Tennessee
398 Green Bay Packers Charles Burrell Defensive tackle Arkansas AM&N
399 New York Jets Gary Kipfmiller Center Nebraska-Omaha
400 New England Patriots Eric Dahl Defensive back San Jose State
401 San Diego Chargers James Shaw Defensive back Tulsa
402 Chicago Bears Bill McKinney Linebacker West Texas State
403 Pittsburgh Steelers Nate Hawkins Wide receiver Nevada-Las Vegas
404 Philadelphia Eagles Steve Bielenberg Linebacker Oregon State
405 Detroit Lions Leon Jenkins Defensive back West Virginia
406 Atlanta Falcons Larry Butler Linebacker Stanford
407 Los Angeles Rams Jim Kirby Wide receiver Long Beach State
408 San Francisco 49ers Ron Davis Guard Virginia State
409 Cleveland Browns Richard Wakefield Wide receiver Ohio State
410 Oakland Raiders Willie Wright Tight end North Carolina A&T
411 Washington Redskins Steve Higginbottom Defensive back Alabama
412 Baltimore Colts Gary Wichard Quarterback C.W. Post
413 Kansas City Chiefs Bob Johnson Defensive end Hanover (Ind)
414 Minnesota Vikings Neil Graff Quarterback Wisconsin
415 Miami Dolphins Al Hannah Wide receiver Wisconsin
416 Dallas Cowboys Gordon Longmire Quarterback Utah

Round seventeen

[edit]
Pick # NFL team Player Position College
417 Buffalo Bills John Shelly Defensive back Oklahoma
418 Cincinnati Bengals David Green Punter Ohio
419 New York Giants John Seyferth Running back Michigan
420 Denver Broncos Lou Harris Running back USC
421 Houston Oilers Kelly Cochrane Quarterback Miami (FL)
422 St. Louis Cardinals Kent Carter Linebacker USC
423 San Diego Chargers Oscar Dragon Running back Arizona State
424 New England Patriots Dick Graham Wide receiver Oklahoma State
425 New England Patriots Junior Ah You Linebacker Arizona State
426 San Diego Chargers Bob Tackett Tackle Texas-El Paso
427 Chicago Bears LaVerne Dickinson Defensive back Southern
428 Pittsburgh Steelers Ron Linehan Linebacker Idaho
429 New York Jets Ken Gamble Kicker Fayetteville
430 Philadelphia Eagles Tom Nash Tackle Georgia
431 Atlanta Falcons Bill Holland Running back USC
432 Detroit Lions Mike Tyler Defensive back Rice
433 Los Angeles Rams Luther Palmer Tight end Virginia Union
434 Cleveland Browns William Portz Running back Sterling (KS)
435 San Francisco 49ers Ted Alexander Running back Langston
436 Los Angeles Rams John McKean Center Oregon
437 Washington Redskins Kevin Clemente Linebacker Boston College
438 Baltimore Colts Stan White Linebacker Ohio State
439 Kansas City Chiefs Ted Washington Linebacker Mississippi Valley
440 Minnesota Vikings Dick Schmalz Wide receiver Auburn
441 Miami Dolphins Vern Brown Defensive back Western Michigan
442[note 3] Dallas Cowboys Alphonso Cain Defensive tackle Bethune-Cookman
= Pro Bowler[note 1] = Hall of Famer

Hall of Famers

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  • Franco Harris, running back from Penn State, taken 1st round 13th overall by Pittsburgh Steelers
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 1990.[10]
  • Cliff Branch, wide receiver from Colorado, taken 4th round 98th overall by Oakland Raiders
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2022 (posthumous).

Notable undrafted players

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† = Pro Bowler[note 1]
Original NFL team Player Pos. College Conf. Notes
Atlanta Falcons John James † P Florida SEC
Atlanta Falcons Ted Fritsch  C St. Norbert Ind. (Coll.)
Atlanta Falcons Jack LeVeck  LB Ohio MAC
Baltimore Colts Nelson Munsey  CB Wyoming WAC
Chicago Bears Steve Kinney  T Utah State Ind. (Univ.)
Dallas Cowboys Benny Barnes  CB Stanford Pac-8
Dallas Cowboys Brian Goodman  OG UCLA Pac-8
Denver Broncos Mike Ernst  QB Cal State Fullerton CCAA
Green Bay Packers Bob Kroll  CB Northern Michigan Ind. (Coll.)
Houston Oilers Ed Fisher  OG Arizona State WAC
Houston Oilers Rich Lewis  LB Portland State Ind. (Coll.)
Miami Dolphins Maulty Moore  DT Bethune–Cookman SIAC
New England Patriots Sam Adams  OG Prairie View A&M SWAC
New England Patriots Dick Blanchard  LB Tulsa MVC
New York Giants Chuck Crist  S Penn State Ind.
Pittsburgh Steelers Barry Pearson  WR Northwestern Big Ten
Washington Redskins Duane Carrell  P Florida State Ind. (Univ.)
Washington Redskins Herb Mul-Key † RB Alabama State SIAC

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d Players are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro Bowl at any time in their career.
  2. ^ Players are identified as a Hall of Famer if they have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
  3. ^ This last selection is commonly referred to as Mr. Irrelevant.

References

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  1. ^ "NFL Draft Locations". FootballGeography.com. October 2, 2014. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  2. ^ Salomone, Dan (October 2, 2014). "NFL Draft headed to Chicago in 2015". Giants.com. New York Giants. Archived from the original on September 30, 2015. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
  3. ^ "Phillips couldn't outrun off-the-field troubles". ESPN.com. April 2, 2008.
  4. ^ Graham, Tim (November 19, 2016). "After 40 Years in the NFL Darkness, Walt Patulski Explains How It All Went Wrong". The Buffalo News.
  5. ^ Holder, Larry (April 23, 2022). "NFL Draft's all-time best and worst classes: No. 1 is clear, but recent classes are climbing". The Athletic.
  6. ^ a b Stuart, Chase (May 17, 2014). "Best and Worst Drafts since 1970". Football Perspective.
  7. ^ Rosa, Elwood (September 28, 2023). "Ranking the 10 Worst NFL Draft Classes of All-Time — The Biggest Busts". Sporting Free.
  8. ^ Kacsmar, Scott (June 3, 2012). "What Was the Worst NFL Draft of the New Millennium?". Bleacher Report.
  9. ^ "Heisman Trophy winner 1971: Pat Sullivan". Archived from the original on December 15, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  10. ^ "Pro Football Hall of Fame: List of 1990s Hall of Fame Inductees". Archived from the original on July 31, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
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