# List of NFL drafts

The NFL draft, officially known as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting", is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings; the teams with the worst win–loss records receive the earliest picks. Teams that qualified for the NFL playoffs select after non-qualifiers, and their order depends on how far they advanced, using their regular season record as a tie-breaker. The final two selections in the first round are reserved for the Super Bowl runner-up and champion. Draft picks are tradable and players or other picks can be acquired with them.
In 1936, the league introduced the NFL draft after team owners voted on it in 1935. The intention of the draft is to make the NFL more competitive, as some teams had an advantage in signing players. From 1947 through 1958 the NFL designated the first overall selection as a "bonus" or "lottery pick". The pick was awarded by a random draw and the winner who received the "bonus pick" forfeited its selection in the final round of the draft and became ineligible for future draws. The system was abolished prior to the 1959 NFL draft, as all twelve teams in the league at the time had received a bonus choice.

## List of drafts by year

| Draft | Date | Rds. | Picks | City | First overall selection | Hall of Famers |
| 1936 | February 8, 1936 | 9 | 81 | Philadelphia, PA | Jay Berwanger | 4 |
| 1937 | December 12, 1936 | 10 | 100 | New York, NY | Sam Francis | 2 |
| 1938 | December 12, 1937 | 12 | 110 | Chicago, IL | Corbett Davis | 2 |
| 1939 | December 9, 1938 | 22 | 200 | New York, NY | Ki Aldrich | 1 |
| 1940 | December 9, 1939 | 22 | 200 | Milwaukee, WI | George Cafego | 2 |
| 1941 | December 10, 1940 | 22 | 204 | Washington, DC | Tom Harmon | 1 |
| 1942 | December 22, 1941 | 22 | 200 | Chicago, IL | Bill Dudley | 1 |
| 1943 | April 8, 1943 | 32 | 300 | Chicago, IL | Frank Sinkwich | 0 |
| 1944 | April 19, 1944 | 32 | 330 | Philadelphia, PA | Angelo Bertelli | 3 |
| 1945 | April 8, 1945 | 32 | 330 | New York, NY | Charley Trippi | 5 |
| 1946 | January 14, 1946 | 32 | 300 | New York, NY | Frank Dancewicz | 1 |
| 1947 | December 16, 1946 | 32 | 300 | New York, NY | Bob Fenimore | 2 |
| 1948 | December 19, 1947 | 32 | 300 | Pittsburgh, PA | Harry Gilmer | 3 |
| 1949 | December 21, 1948 | 25 | 251 | Philadelphia, PA | Chuck Bednarik | 4 |
| 1950 | January 20–21, 1950 | 30 | 391 | Philadelphia, PA | Leon Hart | 5 |
| 1951 | January 18–19, 1951 | 30 | 362 | Chicago, IL | Kyle Rote | 8 |
| 1952 | January 17, 1952 | 30 | 360 | New York, NY | Bill Wade | 4 |
| 1953 | January 22, 1953 | 30 | 360 | Philadelphia, PA | Harry Babcock | 8 |
| 1954 | January 28, 1954 | 30 | 360 | Philadelphia, PA | Bobby Garrett | 1 |
| 1955 | January 27–28, 1955 | 30 | 360 | New York, NY | George Shaw | 1 |
| 1956 | November 28, 1955, January 17–18, 1956 | 30 | 360 | Philadelphia, PA Los Angeles, CA | Gary Glick | 4 |
| 1957 | November 26, 1956, January 31, 1957 | 30 | 360 | Philadelphia, PA | Paul Hornung | 9 |
| 1958 | December 2, 1957, January 28, 1958 | 30 | 360 | Philadelphia, PA | King Hill | 4 |
| 1959 | December 1, 1958, January 21, 1959 | 30 | 360 | Philadelphia, PA | Randy Duncan | 1 |
| 1960 | November 30, 1959 | 20 | 240 | Philadelphia, PA | Billy Cannon | 2 |
| 1961 | December 27–28, 1960 | 20 | 280 | Philadelphia, PA | Tommy Mason | 7 |
| 1962 | December 4, 1961 | 20 | 280 | Chicago, IL | Ernie Davis | 2 |
| 1963 | December 3, 1962 | 20 | 280 | Chicago, IL | Terry Baker | 5 |
| 1964 | December 2, 1963 | 20 | 280 | Chicago, IL | Dave Parks | 11 |
| 1965 | November 28, 1964 | 20 | 280 | New York, NY | Tucker Frederickson | 5 |
| 1966 | November 27, 1965 | 20 | 305 | New York, NY | Tommy Nobis | 1 |
| 1967 | March 14–15, 1967 | 17 | 445 | New York, NY | Bubba Smith | 8 |
| 1968 | January 30–31, 1968 | 17 | 462 | New York, NY | Ron Yary | 8 |
| 1969 | January 28–29, 1969 | 17 | 442 | New York, NY | O. J. Simpson | 5 |
| 1970 | January 27–28, 1970 | 17 | 442 | New York, NY | Terry Bradshaw | 2 |
| 1971 | January 28–29, 1971 | 17 | 442 | New York, NY | Jim Plunkett | 4 |
| 1972 | February 1–2, 1972 | 17 | 442 | New York, NY | Walt Patulski | 1 |
| 1973 | January 30–31, 1973 | 17 | 442 | New York, NY | John Matuszak | 4 |
| 1974 | January 29–30, 1974 | 17 | 442 | New York, NY | Ed "Too Tall" Jones | 5 |
| 1975 | January 28–29, 1975 | 17 | 442 | New York, NY | Steve Bartkowski | 3 |
| 1976 | April 8–9, 1976 | 17 | 487 | New York, NY | Lee Roy Selmon | 5 |
| 1977 | May 3–4, 1977 | 12 | 335 | New York, NY | Ricky Bell | 1 |
| 1978 | May 2–3, 1978 | 12 | 334 | New York, NY | Earl Campbell | 3 |
| 1979 | May 3–4, 1979 | 12 | 330 | New York, NY | Tom Cousineau | 3 |
| 1980 | April 29–30, 1980 | 12 | 333 | New York, NY | Billy Sims | 3 |
| 1981 | April 28–29, 1981 | 12 | 332 | New York, NY | George Rogers | 6 |
| 1982 | April 27–28, 1982 | 12 | 334 | New York, NY | Kenneth Sims | 3 |
| 1983 | April 26–27, 1983 | 12 | 335 | New York, NY | John Elway | 7 |
| 1984 | May 1–2, 1984 | 12 | 336 | New York, NY | Irving Fryar | 0 |
| 1985 | April 30 – May 1, 1985 | 12 | 336 | New York, NY | Bruce Smith | 5 |
| 1986 | April 29–30, 1986 | 12 | 333 | New York, NY | Bo Jackson | 1 |
| 1987 | April 28–29, 1987 | 12 | 335 | New York, NY | Vinny Testaverde | 1 |
| 1988 | April 24–25, 1988 | 12 | 333 | New York, NY | Aundray Bruce | 5 |
| 1989 | April 23–24, 1989 | 12 | 335 | New York, NY | Troy Aikman | 4 |
| 1990 | April 22–23, 1990 | 12 | 332 | New York, NY | Jeff George | 4 |
| 1991 | April 21–22, 1991 | 12 | 334 | New York, NY | Russell Maryland | 2 |
| 1992 | April 26–27, 1992 | 12 | 336 | New York, NY | Steve Emtman | 0 |
| 1993 | April 25–26, 1993 | 8 | 224 | New York, NY | Drew Bledsoe | 5 |
| 1994 | April 24–25, 1994 | 7 | 222 | New York, NY | Dan Wilkinson | 5 |
| 1995 | April 22–23, 1995 | 7 | 249 | New York, NY | Ki-Jana Carter | 6 |
| 1996 | April 20–21, 1996 | 7 | 254 | New York, NY | Keyshawn Johnson | 5 |
| 1997 | April 19–20, 1997 | 7 | 240 | New York, NY | Orlando Pace | 4 |
| 1998 | April 18–19, 1998 | 7 | 241 | New York, NY | Peyton Manning | 4 |
| 1999 | April 17–18, 1999 | 7 | 253 | New York, NY | Tim Couch | 2 |
| 2000 | April 15–16, 2000 | 7 | 254 | New York, NY | Courtney Brown | 1 |
| 2001 | April 21–22, 2001 | 7 | 246 | New York, NY | Michael Vick | 3 |
| 2002 | April 20–21, 2002 | 7 | 261 | New York, NY | David Carr | 1 |
| 2003 | April 26–27, 2003 | 7 | 262 | New York, NY | Carson Palmer | 1 |
| 2004 | April 24–25, 2004 | 7 | 255 | New York, NY | Eli Manning | 0 |
| 2005 | April 23–24, 2005 | 7 | 255 | New York, NY | Alex Smith | 0 |
| 2006 | April 29–30, 2006 | 7 | 255 | New York, NY | Mario Williams | 0 |
| 2007 | April 28–29, 2007 | 7 | 255 | New York, NY | JaMarcus Russell | 4 |
| 2008 | April 26–27, 2008 | 7 | 252 | New York, NY | Jake Long | 0 |
| 2009 | April 25–26, 2009 | 7 | 256 | New York, NY | Matthew Stafford | 0 |
| 2010 | April 22–24, 2010 | 7 | 255 | New York, NY | Sam Bradford | 0 |
| 2011 | April 28–30, 2011 | 7 | 254 | New York, NY | Cam Newton | 0 |
| 2012 | April 26–28, 2012 | 7 | 253 | New York, NY | Andrew Luck | 0 |
| 2013 | April 25–27, 2013 | 7 | 254 | New York, NY | Eric Fisher | 0 |
| 2014 | May 8–10, 2014 | 7 | 256 | New York, NY | Jadeveon Clowney | 0 |
| 2015 | April 30 – May 2, 2015 | 7 | 256 | Chicago, IL | Jameis Winston | 0 |
| 2016 | April 28–30, 2016 | 7 | 253 | Chicago, IL | Jared Goff | 0 |
| 2017 | April 27–29, 2017 | 7 | 253 | Philadelphia, PA | Myles Garrett | 0 |
| 2018 | April 26–28, 2018 | 7 | 256 | Arlington, TX | Baker Mayfield | 0 |
| 2019 | April 25–27, 2019 | 7 | 254 | Nashville, TN | Kyler Murray | 0 |
| 2020 | April 23–25, 2020 | 7 | 255 | Various | Joe Burrow | 0 |
| 2021 | April 29 – May 1, 2021 | 7 | 259 | Cleveland, OH | Trevor Lawrence | 0 |
| 2022 | April 28–30, 2022 | 7 | 262 | Paradise, NV | Travon Walker | 0 |
| 2023 | April 27–29, 2023 | 7 | 259 | Kansas City, MO | Bryce Young | 0 |
| 2024 | April 25–27, 2024 | 7 | 257 | Detroit, MI | Caleb Williams | 0 |
| 2025 | April 24–26, 2025 | 7 | — | Green Bay, WI | — | 0 |