1996_NFL_Draft

1996 NFL draft

1996 NFL draft

National Football League Draft

The 1996 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 20–21, 1996, at the Paramount Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.[1][2] No teams chose to claim any players in the supplemental draft that year.

Quick Facts General information, Date(s) ...

On draft day, the St. Louis Rams traded running back Jerome Bettis and a third-round draft pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a second round pick for that year, as well as a fourth round pick the following year. The trade was made immediately after the Rams drafted Nebraska running back Lawrence Phillips. Bettis went on to have a successful career with the Steelers as well as being one of the team's most popular players, while the Rams did not have another feature back until they traded for Marshall Faulk three years later due to Phillips' off-field problems.

The draft also saw one of the longest waits for a player in attendance of the draft, as Leeland McElroy waited until being selected in the second round by the Arizona Cardinals with the 32nd pick. McElroy, who ended up being a draft bust, would set the precedent for later players who have waited while in attendance, including Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers, who unlike McElroy would go on to successful NFL careers.

This draft is considered one of the best draft classes ever for the position of wide receiver.[3] Keyshawn Johnson, Terry Glenn, Eddie Kennison, Marvin Harrison, Eric Moulds, Bobby Engram, Terrell Owens, Muhsin Muhammad, Amani Toomer, Jermaine Lewis, and Joe Horn have all achieved success in the pros, with all except Kennison, Engram, and Toomer having reached the Pro Bowl at least once, and a total of 26 Pro Bowl appearances for the group. In addition to the class having had several successful receivers, none of the five wide receivers drafted in the first round have been busts, as all of them spent at least a reasonable amount of time as starters in the NFL. Combined, 1996 wide receivers (through the end of the 2006 season) have totalled 7,646 receptions for 105,866 yards, eclipsing any other class by more than 1,000 receptions and 10,000 yards.[4]

It was also one of the best draft years for middle linebackers, with Hall of Famers Ray Lewis and Zach Thomas selected. Lewis won Super Bowl XXXV with the Baltimore Ravens and was selected MVP of that game. Lewis also won Super Bowl XLVII in the final game of his career and made 7× First-team All-Pro while Thomas had 5× First-team All-Pro. Other linebackers who made at least one Pro Bowl from this draft are Tedy Bruschi, Kevin Hardy, Simeon Rice, John Mobley, and Donnie Edwards. Randall Godfrey, Earl Holmes, and Carlos Emmons also had solid careers in the league. Ironically, ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper said before the draft that it was one of the weakest for the position, which he would ultimately be proven wrong.

In contrast to its successes at wide receiver and linebacker, the 1996 draft had often been rated as the worst for quarterbacks.[5] None of the eight drafted quarterbacks made the Pro Bowl or an All-Pro team and half did not play. As of 2022, this remains the last draft without a quarterback selected in the first round. Previously, the 1988 draft had been the last with no quarterback selected in the first round.[note 1]

Player selections

* = compensatory selection
¤ = extra selection awarded to expansion team
† = Pro Bowler[note 2]
‡ = Hall of Famer[note 3]
Positions key
C Center CB Cornerback DB Defensive back DE Defensive end
DL Defensive lineman DT Defensive tackle FB Fullback FS Free safety
G Guard[lower-alpha 1] K Kicker[lower-alpha 2] KR Kickoff returner LB Linebacker
LS Long snapper MLB Middle linebacker[lower-alpha 3] OT Offensive tackle OL Offensive lineman
OLB Outside linebacker 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. Also known as offensive guard (OG)
  2. Also known as placekicker (PK)
  3. Also known as inside linebacker (ILB)
Keyshawn Johnson, selected first overall by the Jets, was a three-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion.
Regarded as one of the greatest Linebackers of all time. Ray Lewis, selected 26th-overall by the Ravens, was a 2-time Super Bowl champion, 2-time Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Jonathan Ogden, selected 4th-overall by the Ravens, and the first draft selection ever for the Ravens, was a 11-time Pro Bowler, 9-time All-Pro, and Super Bowl champion.
Marvin Harrison, selected 19th-overall by Indianapolis Colts, led the league in receiving yards and receptions twice, was named to 8 Pro Bowls, and is considered one of the best wide receivers of his generation.
Brian Dawkins, selected 61st overall by Philadelphia, holds the record for most forced fumbles for a safety, and was named to 9 Pro Bowls.
A third-round pick, Terrell Owens, selected 89th overall by San Francisco, broke multiple receiving records and was a fan favorite.
Zach Thomas, selected in the 5th round as the 154th overall selection by Miami, would go on to be selected to 7 Pro Bowls, and 7 1st or 2nd Team All-Pro Selections, during his tenure with the Dolphins
More information Rnd., Pick No. ...

Notable undrafted players

† = Pro Bowler[note 2]
More information Original NFL team, Player ...

Hall of Famers

  • Jonathan Ogden, offensive tackle from UCLA, taken 1st round 4th overall by the Baltimore Ravens.
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2013.
  • Marvin Harrison, wide receiver from Syracuse, taken 1st round 19th overall by the Indianapolis Colts.
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2016.
  • Ray Lewis, linebacker from Miami (FL), taken 1st round 26th overall by the Baltimore Ravens.
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2018.
  • Brian Dawkins, safety from Clemson, taken 2nd round 61st overall by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2018.
  • Terrell Owens, wide receiver from Chattanooga, taken 3rd round 89th overall by the San Francisco 49ers.
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2018.
  • Zach Thomas, linebacker from Texas Tech, taken 5th round 154th overall by the Miami Dolphins.
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2023.

Trades

In the explanations below, (D) denotes trades that took place during the 1994 Draft, while (PD) indicates trades completed pre-draft.

Round one
  1. [R 1]
    No. 6: Washington → St. Louis (PD). Washington traded its first-round selection (6th) to St. Louis in exchange for DT Sean Gilbert.
  2. [R 2]
    No. 9: Houston → Oakland (D). Houston traded its first-round selection (9th) to Oakland in exchange for Oakland's first- second- and fourth-round selections (17th, 48th and 109th)
  3. [R 3]
    No. 13: St. Louis → Chicago (D). St. Louis traded its first-round selection (13th) to Chicago in exchange for Chicago's first-, third- and sixth-round selections (18th, 83rd and 201st)
  4. [R 4]
    No. 14: Seattle → Houston (D). Seattle traded its first-round selection (14th) to Houston in exchange for Houston's first-round selection (17th) and DT Glenn Montgomery
  5. [R 5]
    No. 17: multiple trades:
           No. 17: Oakland → Houston (D). see No. 9: Houston → Oakland.
           No. 17: Houston → Seattle (D). see No. 14: Seattle → Houston.
           No. 17: Seattle → Detroit (D). Seattle traded this first-round selection (17th) to Detroit in exchange for Detroit's first- and third-round selections (21st and 91st).
  6. [R 6]
    No. 18: Chicago → St. Louis (D). see No. 13: St. Louis → Chicago.
  7. [R 7]
    No. 19: Atlanta → Indianapolis (PD). Atlanta traded its first-round selection (19th) and first- and third-round selections (7th and 83rd) in 1994 to Indianapolis in exchange for QB Jeff George
  8. [R 8]
    No. 21: multiple trades:
           No. 21: San Diego → Detroit (PD). San Diego traded its first-round selection (21st) to Detroit in exchange for Detroit's second-round selection in 1995.
           No. 21: Detroit → Seattle (D). see No. 17: Seattle → Detroit.
  9. [R 9]
    No. 22: Indianapolis → Tampa Bay (PD). Indianapolis traded its first-round selection (22nd) to Tampa Bay in exchange for QB Craig Erickson
  10. [R 10]
    No. 26: San Francisco → Baltimore (PD). San Francisco traded its first-round selection (26th) and first-, third- and fourth round selections (30th, 94th and 119th) in 1995 to Cleveland in exchange for Cleveland's first-round selection in 1995 and this pick was then inherited by Baltimore following the Browns' relocation to Baltimore.
  11. [R 11]
    No. 30: Dallas → Washington (D). Dallas traded its first-round selection (30th) to Washington in exchange for Washington's second- and third-round selections (37th and 67th).
Round two
  1. [R 1]
    No. 35: Baltimore → Tampa Bay (PD). Baltimore traded its second-round selection (35th) to Tampa Bay in exchange for TE Harold Bishop
  2. [R 2]
    No. 37: Washington → Dallas (D). see No. 30: Dallas → Washington.
  3. [R 3]
    No. 41: Tampa Bay → San Diego (D). Tampa Bay traded its second-round selection (41st) to San Diego in exchange for San Diego's first-round selection in 1997
  4. [R 4]
    No. 46: Oakland → San Francisco (PD). Oakland traded its second-round selection (46th) to San Francisco in exchange for San Francisco's second- and fourth-round selections (57th and 124th)
  5. [R 5]
    No. 48: multiple trades:
           No. 48: Atlanta → Oakland (PD). Atlanta traded its second-round selection (48th) to Oakland in exchange for S Patrick Bates.
           No. 48: Oakland → Houston (D). see No. 9: Houston → Oakland.
  6. [R 6]
    No. 49: Miami → Dallas (D). Miami traded its second-round selection (49th) to Dallas in exchange for Dallas' second- and fourth-round selections (60th and 99th)
  7. [R 7]
    No. 55: multiple trades:
           No. 55: Detroit → Denver (PD). Detroit traded its second-round selection (55th) to Denver in exchange for RB Glyn Milburn.
           No. 55: Denver → Baltimore (D). Denver traded this second-round selection (55th) to Baltimore in exchange for Baltimore's third-, fourth- and seventh-round selections (65th, 100th and 213rd).
  8. [R 8]
    No. 57: multiple trades:
           No. 57: San Francisco → Oakland (PD). see No. 46: Oakland → San Francisco.
           No. 57: Oakland → New England (PD). Oakland traded this second-round selection (57th) to New England in exchange for OT Pat Harlow.
           No. 57: New England → Oakland (D). New England traded this second-round selection (57th) to Oakland in exchange for Oakland's third-, fourth- and fifth-round selections (76th, 124th and 149th).
  9. [R 9]
    No. 59: Pittsburgh → St. Louis (PD). Pittsburgh traded its second- and fourth-round selections (59th and 121st) to St. Louis in exchange for RB Jerome Bettis and St. Louis' third-round selection (72nd).
  10. [R 10]
    No. 60: multiple trades:
           No. 60: Dallas → Miami (D). see No. 49: Miami → Dallas.
           No. 60: Miami → Jacksonville (D). Miami traded this second-round selection (60th) and its fourth-round selection (99th) to Jacksonville in exchange for Jacksonville's third-, two fourth- and fifth-round selections (79th, 98th, 134th and 150th).
Round three
  1. [R 1]
    No. 65: Baltimore → Denver (D). see No. 55: Denver → Baltimore.
  2. [R 2]
    No. 67: Washington → Dallas (D). see No. 30: Dallas → Washington.
  3. [R 3]
    No. 68: New England → Kansas City (PD). New England traded its third-round selection (68th) to Kansas City in exchange for Kansas City's fourth-round selection (112th) in 1995.
  4. [R 4]
    No. 72: St. Louis → Pittsburgh (PD). see No. 59: Pittsburgh → St. Louis.
  5. [R 5]
    No. 76: multiple trades:
           No. 76: Oakland → New England (D). see No. 57: New England → Oakland.
           No. 76: New England → Detroit (D). New England traded this third-round selection (76th) to Detroit in exchange for Detroit's third-, fourth- and sixth round selections (86th, 119th and 195th).
  6. [R 6]
    No. 79: Jacksonville → Miami (D). see No. 60: Miami → Jacksonville.
  7. [R 7]
    No. 83: Chicago → St. Louis (D). see No. 13: St. Louis → Chicago.
  8. [R 8]
    No. 86: Detroit → New England (D). see No. 76: New England → Detroit.
  9. [R 9]
    No. 91: multiple trades:
           No. 91: Kansas City → Detroit (D). Kansas City traded its third-round selection to Detroit in exchange for S Will White.
           No. 91: Detroit → Seattle (D). see No. 21: Seattle → Detroit.
Round four
  1. [R 1]
    No. 96: N.Y. Jets → Tampa Bay (PD). N.Y. Jets traded its fourth-round selection (96th) to Tampa Bay in exchange for DT Marc Spindler.
  2. [R 2]
    No. 97: Arizona → Minnesota (D). Arizona traded its fourth-round selection (97th) to Minnesota in exchange for Minnesota's fourth- and fifth-round selections (112th and 137th).
  3. [R 3]
    No. 98: multiple trades:
           No. 98: Jacksonville → Miami (D). see No. 60: Miami → Jacksonville.
           No. 98: Miami → Kansas City (D). Miami traded this fourth-round selection and a seventh-round selection (98th and 214th) to Kansas City in exchange for two fourth-round selections (113th and 125th).
  4. [R 4]
    No. 99: multiple trades:
            No. 99: N.Y. Giants → Dallas (PD). Dallas received the Giants' fourth-round selection (99th) as compensation for the Giants signing restricted free agent G Ron Stone.
            No. 99: Dallas → Miami (D). see No. 49: Miami → Dallas.
            No. 99: Miami → Jacksonville (D). see No. 60: Miami → Jacksonville.
           No. 99: Jacksonville → Seattle (D). Jacksonville traded this fourth-round selection to Seattle in exchange for Seattle's fourth- and fifth-round selections (110th and 146th).
  5. [R 5]
    No. 100: Baltimore → Denver (D). see No. 55: Denver → Baltimore.
  6. [R 6]
    No. 109: Oakland → Houston (D). see No. 9: Houston → Oakland.
  7. [R 7]
    No. 110: Seattle → Jacksonville (D). see No. 99: Jacksonville → Seattle.
  8. [R 8]
    No. 111: Denver → Carolina (D). Denver traded its fourth-round selection (111th) to Carolina in exchange for Carolina's fourth-, fifth- and seventh-round selections (122nd, 159th and 235th).
  9. [R 9]
    No. 112: Minnesota → Arizona (D). see No. 97: Arizona → Minnesota.
  10. [R 10]
    No. 113: multiple trades:
           No. 113: Jacksonville → Kansas City (PD). Jacksonville traded this fourth-round selection (113rd) and first-, third- and fourth-round selections (31st, 97th and 134th) in 1995 to Kansas City in exchange for Kansas City's first-round selection (19th) in 1995.
           No. 113: Kansas City → Miami (D). see No. 98: Miami → Kansas City.
  11. [R 11]
    No. 119: Detroit → New England (D). see No. 76: New England → Detroit.
  12. [R 12]
    No. 122: Denver → Carolina (D) see No. 111: Denver → Carolina.
  13. [R 13]
    No. 124: multiple trades:
           No. 124: San Francisco → Oakland (PD). see No. 46: Oakland → San Francisco.
           No. 124: Oakland → New England (D). see No. 57: New England → Oakland.
  14. [R 14]
    No. 125: Kansas City → Miami (D). see No. 98: Miami → Kansas City.
  15. [R 15]
    No. 127: Dallas → Carolina (PD). Dallas traded its fourth- and fifth-round selections (127th and 164th) to Atlanta in exchange for S Roger Harper.
Round five
  1. [R 1]
    No. 134: Jacksonville → Miami (D). see No. 60: Miami → Jacksonville.
  2. [R 2]
    No. 135: Arizona → Kansas City (D). Arizona traded its fifth-round selection (135th) to Kansas City in exchange for Kansas City's two fifth-round selections (161st and 162nd).
  3. [R 3]
    No. 136: Baltimore → New Orleans (PD). Baltimore traded its fifth-round selection (136th) to New Orleans in exchange for CB Reggie Jones.
  4. [R 4]
    No. 137: multiple trades:
           No. 137: N.Y. Giants → Minnesota (PD). N.Y. Giants traded its fifth-round selection (137th) and sixth-round selection (189th) in 1995 to Minnesota in exchange for S Vencie Glenn and Minnesota's sixth-round selection (182nd).
           No. 137: Minnesota → Arizona (D). see No. 97: Arizona → Minnesota.
  5. [R 5]
    No. 146: Seattle → Jacksonville (D). see No. 99: Jacksonville → Seattle.
  6. [R 6]
    No. 147: Denver → Philadelphia (PD). Denver traded its fifth-round selection (147th) to Philadelphia in exchange for CB Ben Smith.
  7. [R 7]
    No. 149: Oakland → New England (D). see No. 57: New England → Oakland.
  8. [R 8]
    No. 150: Jacksonville → Miami (D). see No. 60: Miami → Jacksonville.
  9. [R 9]
    No. 153: Atlanta → Baltimore (PD). Atlanta traded its fifth-round selection (153rd) to Baltimore in exchange for G Gene Williams.
  10. [R 10]
    No. 157: multiple trades:
           No. 157: Philadelphia → Baltimore (PD). Philadelphia traded its fifth-round selection (157th) and fifth-round selection in 1995 to Cleveland in exchange for Cleveland's fourth-round selection in 1995. This pick was inherited by Baltimore when the Browns relocated to Baltimore.
           No. 157: Baltimore → Dallas (D). Baltimore traded this fifth-round selection (157th) to Dallas in exchange for Dallas' fourth-round selection in 1997.
  11. [R 11]
    No. 159: Denver → Carolina (D) see No. 111: Denver → Carolina.
  12. [R 12]
    No. 161: multiple trades:
           No. 161: Green Bay → Kansas City (PD). Green Bay traded its fifth-round selection (161st) to Kansas City in exchange for G Lindsay Knapp.
           No. 161: Kansas City → Arizona (D). see No. 135: Arizona → Kansas City.
  13. [R 13]
    No. 162: Kansas City → Arizona (D) see No. 135: Arizona → Kansas City.
  14. [R 14]
    No. 164: Dallas → Atlanta (PD) see No. 127: Dallas → Atlanta.
Round six
  1. [R 1]
    No. 176: Carolina → Kansas City (PD). Carolina traded its sixth-round selection (176th) to Kansas City in exchange for Carolina's sixth-round selection (191st) in 995.
  2. [R 2]
    No. 186: Jacksonville → Baltimore (PD). Jacksonville traded this sixth-round selection (186th) and its fifth-round selection in 1995 to Cleveland in exchange for Cleveland's fourth-round selection in 1995. This pick was inherited by Baltimore when the Browns relocated to Baltimore.
  3. [R 3]
    No. 192: multiple trades:
           No. 192: Carolina → Pittsburgh (PD). Carolina traded its sixth-round selection (192nd) to Pittsburgh in exchange for RB Barry Foster.
           No. 192: Pittsburgh → San Diego (D). Pittsburgh traded this sixth-round selection (192nd) and seventh-round selection in 1997 to San Diego in exchange for San Diego's fifth-round selection in 1997.
  4. [R 4]
    No. 195: Detroit → New England (D). see No. 76: New England → Detroit.
  5. [R 5]
    No. 197: Green Bay → Philadelphia (PD). Green Bay traded this sixth-round selection (197th) to Philadelphia in exchange for OL Joe Sims.
  6. [R 6]
    No. 199: Philadelphia → Kansas City (PD). Kansas City traded this sixth-round selection (197th) and second-round selection (50th) in 1995 to Philadelphia in exchange for WR Victor Bailey and Philadelphia's fourth-round selection in 1995.
  7. [R 7]
    No. 201: multiple trades:
           No. 201: Dallas → Chicago (PD). Dallas traded its sixth-round selection (201st) to Chicago in exchange for LB Jim Schwantz.
           No. 201: Chicago → St. Louis (D). see No. 13: St. Louis → Chicago.
Round seven
  1. [R 1]
    No. 213: Baltimore → Denver (D). see No. 55: Denver → Baltimore.
  2. [R 2]
    No. 220: New Orleans → Oakland (PD). New Orleans traded its seventh-round selection (220th) to Oakland in exchange for DT Willie Broughton.
  3. [R 3]
    No. 235: Carolina → Denver (D) see No. 111: Denver → Carolina.
  4. [R 4]
    No. 236: Detroit → Denver (PD). see No. 55: Detroit → Denver.
  5. [R 5]
    No. 238: Philadelphia → Baltimore (PD). Philadelphia traded its seventh-round selection (238th) to Baltimore in exchange for DT Ronnie Dixon.

Notes

  1. [N 1]
    The first quarterback in the 1988 draft wasn't selected until the third round.
  2. [N 2]
    Players are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro Bowl at any time in their career.
  3. [N 3]
    Players are identified as a Hall of Famer if they have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

References

  1. [1]
    "NFL Draft Locations". FootballGeography.com. October 2, 2014. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  2. [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. [3]
    Barnwell, Bill (April 11, 2019). "The best (and worst) NFL draft classes at every position: All-time ranking – Wide receiver". ESPN.
  4. [4]
    Football Prospectus 2007, p. 461
  5. [5]
    NFL Draft History: Quarterback Draft Class Facts and Figures
  6. [6]
    "At Trinity, QB Getting His Shot". Chicago Tribune. November 11, 1995. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
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