The draft was shown on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2 both days. The draft began with the San Diego Chargers selecting Mississippi quarterback Eli Manning with the first overall selection. Due to his refusal to play for the Chargers, Manning was later traded to the New York Giants for the fourth overall pick Philip Rivers of NC State. There were 32 compensatory selections distributed among 16 teams, with the Eagles, Rams, and Jets each receiving 4 compensatory picks.[4] Seven wide receivers were selected in the first round, a draft record later tied in 2024.[5] Another record set by the draft was the most trades in the first round, with twenty-eight trades. The University of Miami set an NFL record for the most first rounders drafted with six, which would be tied by Alabama in 2021. Ohio State set an NFL draft record having 14 total players selected through all rounds. It was the first draft to have produced two quarterbacks who each won multiple Super Bowls, with Ben Roethlisberger winning his second in 2008 and Eli Manning his second in 2011.
The 255 players chosen in the draft were composed of:
Oakland traded its second-round selection to Houston in exchange for Houston's third- and seventh-round selections (83rd and 262nd) in 2003. Houston then forfeited the pick by selecting RB Tony Hollings in the 2003 supplemental draft
No. 1: San Diego → New York Giants. San Diego traded Manning to the New York Giants in exchange for Philip Rivers and the Giants' third round selection in this draft (#65) and their first- and fifth-round selections in 2005[6]
No. 6: Detroit → Cleveland (D).Detroit traded its first-round selection (6th) to Cleveland in exchange for Cleveland's first- and second-round selections (7th and 37th).
No. 16: San Francisco → Philadelphia (D).San Francisco traded its first-round selection (16th) to Philadelphia in exchange for Philadelphia's first- and second-round selections (28th and 58th).
No. 17: Cincinnati → Denver (D).Cincinnati traded its first-round selection (17th) to Denver in exchange for Denver's first- and fourth-round selections (24th and 117th) and CB Deltha O'Neal.
No. 19: Minnesota → Miami (D).Minnesota traded its first-round selection (19th) to Miami in exchange for Miami's first- and fourth-round selections (20th and 119th).
No. 21: Baltimore → New England (PD).Baltimore traded its second-round selection (41st) in 2003 and this first-round selection (21st) to New England in exchange for New England's first-round selection (19th) in 2003.
No. 22: Dallas → Buffalo (D).Dallas traded its first-round selection (22nd) to Buffalo in exchange for Buffalo's second- and fifth-round selections (43rd and 144th) and first-round selection (20th) in 2005.
No. 24: multiple trades: No. 24: Denver → Cincinnati (D). see No. 17: Cincinnati → Denver. No. 24: Cincinnati → St. Louis (D).Cincinnati traded this first-round selection (24th) to St. Louis in exchange for St. Louis' first- and fourth-round selections (26th and 123rd).
No. 27: Tennessee → Houston (D).Tennessee traded its first- and fifth-round selections (27th and 159th) to Houston in exchange for Houston's second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-round selections (40th, 71st, 103rd and 138th).
No. 28: multiple trades: No. 28: Philadelphia → San Francisco (D). see No. 16: San Francisco → Philadelphia. No. 28: San Francisco → Carolina (D).San Francisco traded this first-round selection (28th) to Carolina in exchange for Carolina's first- and fourth-round selections (31st and 127th).
No. 29: Indianapolis → Atlanta (D).Indianapolis traded its first- and third-round selections (29th and 90th) to Atlanta in exchange for Atlanta's second-, third- and fourth-round selections (38th, 69th and 125th).
No. 30: Kansas City → Detroit (D).Kansas City traded its first-round selection (30th) to Detroit in exchange for Detroit's second- and fourth-round selections (36th and 105th) and fifth-round selection (147th) in 2005.
No. 38: multiple trades: No. 38: Atlanta → Indianapolis (D). see No. 29: Atlanta → Indianapolis. No. 38: Indianapolis → Pittsburgh (D).Indianapolis traded this second-round selection (38th) to Pittsburgh in exchange for Pittsburgh's second- and fourth-round selections (44th and 107th).
No. 45: Tampa Bay → Oakland (PD).Tampa Bay traded its first- and second-round selections (21st and 53rd) in 2002, first-round selection (32st) in 2003 and this second-round selection (45th) to Oakland as compensation for signing Raiders' head coach Jon Gruden.
No. 48: New Orleans → Minnesota (D).New Orleans traded its second-round selection (48th) to Minnesota in exchange for Minnesota's second- and fifth-round selections (60th and 151st).
No. 55: Green Bay → Jacksonville (D).Green Bay Packers traded its second-round selection (55th) to Jacksonville in exchange for Jacksonville's third- and fourth-round selections (70th and 102nd).
No. 56: multiple trades: No. 56: Miami → New England (PD).Miami traded its second-round selection (56th) to New England in exchange for New England's third-round selection (78th) in 2003. No. 56: New England → Cincinnati (PD).New England traded this second-round selection (56th) to Cincinnati in exchange for RB Corey Dillon.
No. 59: Indianapolis → Cleveland (D).Indianapolis traded its second- and fifth-round selections (59th and 161st) to Cleveland in exchange for Cleveland's third-, fifth- and sixth-round selections (68th, 141st and 173rd).
No. 65: N.Y. Giants → San Diego (D).The New York Giants traded QB Philip Rivers, this third-round selection (65th) and first- and fifth-round selections (12th and 144th) in 2005 in exchange for QB Eli Manning.
No. 72: multiple trades: No. 72: Washington → Jacksonville (PD).Washington traded its third-round selection (72nd) to Jacksonville in exchange for QB Mark Brunell. No. 72: Jacksonville → Green Bay (D).Jacksonville traded this third-round selection (72nd) to Green Bay in exchange for Green Bay's third- and fourth-round selections (86th and 118th).
No. 81: New Orleans → Washington (D).New Orleans traded its third- and fifth-round selections (81st and 151st) to Washington in exchange for Washington's fifth-round selection (139th) and second-round selection (40th) in 2005.
No. 82: Minnesota → Baltimore (D).Minnesota traded its third-round selection (82nd) to Baltimore in exchange for Baltimore's third- and fifth-round selections (88th and 155th).
No. 87: Miami → Green Bay (D).Miami traded its third-round selection (87th) to Green Bay in exchange for Green Bay's fourth- and fifth-round selections (102nd and 153rd).
No. 104: multiple trades: No. 104: Washington → New England (PD). Washington traded its third-round selection (75th) in 2003 and this fourth-round selection (104th) to New England in exchange for New England's third- and fifth-round selections (81st and 140th) in 2003. No. 104: New England → Chicago (PD).New England traded this fourth-round selection (104th) to Chicago in return for DT Ted Washington. No. 104: Chicago → San Francisco (D).Chicago traded this fourth-round selection (104th) to San Francisco in exchange for San Francisco's fourth- and fifth-round selections (112nd and 147th).
No. 113: New Orleans → New England (PD).New Orleans traded its third- and seventh-round selections (78th and 239th) in 2003 and this fourth-round selection (113th) to New England in exchange for S Tebucky Jones.
No. 122: Indianapolis → Houston (PD).Indianapolis traded its fourth-round selection (122nd) to Houston in exchange for Houston's fifth-round selection (138th) in 2003.
No. 125: multiple trades: No. 125: Philadelphia → Atlanta (PD). Philadelphia traded its sixth-round selection (202nd) in 2003 and its fourth-round selection (125th) to Atlanta in exchange for LB Mark Simoneau. No. 125: Atlanta → Indianapolis (PD). see No. 29: Indianapolis → Atlanta.
No. 153: multiple trades: No. 153: Green Bay → Miami (D). see No. 87: Miami → Green Bay. No. 153: Miami → Baltimore (D).Miami traded this fifth-round selection (153rd) to Baltimore in exchange for Baltimore's fifth- and seventh-round selections (160th and 222nd).
No. 156: Dallas → New Orleans (D).Dallas traded its fifth-round selection (156th) to New Orleans in exchange for Dallas' sixth- and seventh-round selections (182nd and 206th).
No. 160: multiple trades: No. 160: Philadelphia → Baltimore (PD).Philadelphia traded its fifth-round selection to Baltimore in exchange for Baltimore giving up any potential rights it may have had to WR Terrell Owens. No. 160: Baltimore → Miami (D). see No. 153: Miami → Baltimore.
No. 162: Kansas City → Philadelphia (PD).Kansas City traded its fifth-round selection (162nd) and third-round selection (77th) in 2005 to Philadelphia in exchange for OT John Welbourn.
No. 174: Atlanta → Miami (D).Atlanta traded its sixth-round selection (174th) to Miami in exchange for Miami's sixth- and seventh-round selections (186th and 219th).
No. 179: San Francisco → Green Bay (D).San Francisco traded its sixth-round selection (179th) to Green Bay in exchange for Green Bay's sixth- and seventh-round selections (188th and 226th).
No. 182: multiple trades: No. 182: New Orleans → Dallas (D). see No. 156: Dallas → New Orleans. No. 182: Dallas → Oakland (D).Dallas traded this sixth-round selection (182nd) to Oakland in exchange for Oakland's two seventh-round selections (205th and 223rd).
No. 185: Green Bay → Philadelphia (PD).Green Bay traded its sixth-round selection (185th) to Philadelphia in exchange for Philadelphia's seventh-round selection in 2003.
No. 197: New England → Pittsburgh (PD).Pittsburgh were awarded New England's sixth-round selection (197th) as compensation for New England signing Pittsburgh's restricted free agent DE Rodney Bailey.
No. 206: multiple trades: No. 206: Washington → New Orleans (PD).Washington traded its seventh-round selection (206th) to New Orleans in exchange for DT Martin Chase. No. 206: New Orleans → Dallas (D). see No. 156: Dallas → New Orleans. No. 206: Dallas → Tampa Bay (D)Dallas traded this seventh-round selection (206th) to Tampa Bay in exchange for FB Darian Barnes and Tampa Bay's seventh-round selection (216th).