Each NFL
franchise seeks to add new players through the annual
NFL draft. The team with the worst record the previous year picks first, the next-worst team second, and so on. Teams that did not make the playoffs are ordered by their regular-season record, with any remaining ties broken by
strength of schedule.
Playoff participants are sequenced after non-playoff teams, based on their round of elimination (wild card, division, conference, and
Super Bowl).[6]
Before the
AFL–NFL merger agreements in 1966, the
American Football League (AFL) operated in direct competition with the NFL and held a separate
draft. This led to a massive bidding war over top prospects between the two leagues. As part of the merger agreement on June 8, 1966, the two leagues would hold a multiple round "
Common Draft". Once the AFL officially merged with the NFL in 1970, the "common draft" simply became the NFL draft.[1][2]
^Because of the NFL–AFL merger agreement, the history of the AFL is officially recognized by the NFL and therefore this list includes the
AFL draft (1960–1966) and the
Common Draft (1967–1969).[1][2]
^In
American and
Canadianfootball, a back is a player who is lined up behind the linemen, the players who line up closest to the line of scrimmage.
^
abThis is the team that drafted the player, not their most recent team.
^
abLance Alworth was drafted in the 1962 AFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders (9th overall) and in the 1962 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers (8th overall).
^
abPaul Dudley was drafted in the 1961 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers (54th overall) and in the 1962 AFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers (232nd overall).
^
abJim Collier was drafted in the 1961 NFL draft by the New York Giants (95th overall) and in the 1962 AFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills (244th overall).
^
abDann Brabham was drafted in the 1963 AFL Draft by the Houston Oilers (6th overall) and in the 1963 NFL draft by the St. Louis Cardinals (30th overall).
^
abcdDave Adams was drafted three times in the 1963 AFL Draft by the Boston Patriots (100th overall and 215th overall) and by the Kansas City Chiefs (184th overall); Adams was drafted once in the 1963 NFL draft by the Washington Redskins (218th overall).
^
abWes Bryant was drafted in the 1963 AFL Draft by the Boston Patriots (126th overall) and in the 1964 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions (90th overall).
^
abBilly Moody was drafted in the 1963 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams (155th overall) and in the 1963 AFL Draft by the Denver Broncos (181st overall).
^
abJerry Mazzanti was drafted in the 1962 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles (223rd overall) and in the 1963 AFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers (194th overall).
^
abBill Clay was drafted in the 1963 AFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs (216th overall) and in the 1963 NFL draft by the St. Louis Cardinals (269th overall).
^
abJerry Lamb was drafted in the 1964 NFL draft by the St. Louis Cardinals (93rd overall) and in the 1964 AFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs (146th overall).
^
abGordon Quest was drafted in the 1964 AFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders (207th overall) and in the 1964 NFL draft by the Washington Redskins (270th overall).
^
abRonnie Caveness was drafted in the 1965 AFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs (16tth overall) and in the 1965 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams (121st overall).
^
abJim Lindsey was drafted in the 1966 AFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills (17th overall) and in the 1966 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings (27th overall).
^
abBobby Burnett was drafted in the 1966 AFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills (33rd overall) and in the 1966 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears (152nd overall).
^
abMike Bender was drafted in the 1966 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons (141st overall) and in the 1966 AFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins (146th overall).
^
abBobby Crockett was drafted in the 1966 AFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills (91st overall) and in the 1966 NFL draft by the New York Giants (282nd overall).
^
abAlton Baldwin was drafted in the 1946 NFL draft by the Chicago Cardinals (271st overall) and in the 1947 NFL draft by the Boston Yanks (25th overall).
^
abLeon Campbell was drafted in the 1950 NFL draft by the Baltimore Colts (15th overall) and in the 1951 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears (336th overall).
^
abFred Williams was drafted in the 1951 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns (315th overall) and in the 1952 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears (56th overall).
Each NFL
franchise seeks to add new players through the annual
NFL draft. The team with the worst record the previous year picks first, the next-worst team second, and so on. Teams that did not make the playoffs are ordered by their regular-season record, with any remaining ties broken by
strength of schedule.
Playoff participants are sequenced after non-playoff teams, based on their round of elimination (wild card, division, conference, and
Super Bowl).[6]
Before the
AFL–NFL merger agreements in 1966, the
American Football League (AFL) operated in direct competition with the NFL and held a separate
draft. This led to a massive bidding war over top prospects between the two leagues. As part of the merger agreement on June 8, 1966, the two leagues would hold a multiple round "
Common Draft". Once the AFL officially merged with the NFL in 1970, the "common draft" simply became the NFL draft.[1][2]
^Because of the NFL–AFL merger agreement, the history of the AFL is officially recognized by the NFL and therefore this list includes the
AFL draft (1960–1966) and the
Common Draft (1967–1969).[1][2]
^In
American and
Canadianfootball, a back is a player who is lined up behind the linemen, the players who line up closest to the line of scrimmage.
^
abThis is the team that drafted the player, not their most recent team.
^
abLance Alworth was drafted in the 1962 AFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders (9th overall) and in the 1962 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers (8th overall).
^
abPaul Dudley was drafted in the 1961 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers (54th overall) and in the 1962 AFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers (232nd overall).
^
abJim Collier was drafted in the 1961 NFL draft by the New York Giants (95th overall) and in the 1962 AFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills (244th overall).
^
abDann Brabham was drafted in the 1963 AFL Draft by the Houston Oilers (6th overall) and in the 1963 NFL draft by the St. Louis Cardinals (30th overall).
^
abcdDave Adams was drafted three times in the 1963 AFL Draft by the Boston Patriots (100th overall and 215th overall) and by the Kansas City Chiefs (184th overall); Adams was drafted once in the 1963 NFL draft by the Washington Redskins (218th overall).
^
abWes Bryant was drafted in the 1963 AFL Draft by the Boston Patriots (126th overall) and in the 1964 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions (90th overall).
^
abBilly Moody was drafted in the 1963 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams (155th overall) and in the 1963 AFL Draft by the Denver Broncos (181st overall).
^
abJerry Mazzanti was drafted in the 1962 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles (223rd overall) and in the 1963 AFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers (194th overall).
^
abBill Clay was drafted in the 1963 AFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs (216th overall) and in the 1963 NFL draft by the St. Louis Cardinals (269th overall).
^
abJerry Lamb was drafted in the 1964 NFL draft by the St. Louis Cardinals (93rd overall) and in the 1964 AFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs (146th overall).
^
abGordon Quest was drafted in the 1964 AFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders (207th overall) and in the 1964 NFL draft by the Washington Redskins (270th overall).
^
abRonnie Caveness was drafted in the 1965 AFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs (16tth overall) and in the 1965 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams (121st overall).
^
abJim Lindsey was drafted in the 1966 AFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills (17th overall) and in the 1966 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings (27th overall).
^
abBobby Burnett was drafted in the 1966 AFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills (33rd overall) and in the 1966 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears (152nd overall).
^
abMike Bender was drafted in the 1966 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons (141st overall) and in the 1966 AFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins (146th overall).
^
abBobby Crockett was drafted in the 1966 AFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills (91st overall) and in the 1966 NFL draft by the New York Giants (282nd overall).
^
abAlton Baldwin was drafted in the 1946 NFL draft by the Chicago Cardinals (271st overall) and in the 1947 NFL draft by the Boston Yanks (25th overall).
^
abLeon Campbell was drafted in the 1950 NFL draft by the Baltimore Colts (15th overall) and in the 1951 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears (336th overall).
^
abFred Williams was drafted in the 1951 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns (315th overall) and in the 1952 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears (56th overall).