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NFL player selection From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1974 NFL draft took place at the Americana Hotel in New York City, New York, on January 29–30, 1974.[1][2] Each of the 26 NFL teams were granted 17 selections for a total of 442 picks.[3]
1974 NFL draft | |
---|---|
General information | |
Date(s) | January 29–30, 1974 |
Time | 10:00am EST |
Location | Americana Hotel in New York City, NY |
Network(s) | no television coverage |
Overview | |
442 total selections in 17 rounds | |
League | NFL |
First selection | Ed "Too Tall" Jones, DE Dallas Cowboys |
Mr. Irrelevant | Ken Dickerson, DB Miami Dolphins |
Most selections (25) | Baltimore Colts |
Fewest selections (10) | Houston Oilers |
Hall of Famers | |
Many experts consider the Pittsburgh Steelers to have had the best draft class in NFL history as they selected four players later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth, and Mike Webster). A fifth Hall of Famer, Donnie Shell, was signed by Pittsburgh after going unselected in the draft.[4] The closest any other team has come to this success in a draft is the Dallas Cowboys' 1964 draft, when three Hall of Famers were taken (Roger Staubach, Mel Renfro, and Bob Hayes.[5] The Green Bay Packers also selected three Hall of Famers in 1958 (Jim Taylor, Ray Nitschke, and Jerry Kramer).
The Houston Oilers had the first pick in the 1974 draft based on their one-win record in 1973, but they traded the first overall pick—as well as the first pick of the third round, #53 overall—to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for defensive end Tody Smith and wide receiver Billy Parks.[6] Dallas used the two picks to select two future Pro Bowlers, defensive end Ed "Too Tall" Jones and quarterback Danny White.
This was the first NFL draft since 1938 to not have any quarterbacks taken in the first round, and one of only five. Along with 1988, it is the only draft where no quarterback was taken in the first two rounds, and 1974 is generally regarded as one of the worst quarterback draft classes of all time, with only Danny White (the first quarterback taken, with the first pick in the third round) and fourth round pick Mike Boryla reaching the Pro Bowl, and even Boryla was out of the NFL by 1978.[7]
In the seventeenth round, the Green Bay Packers selected wide receiver Randy Woodfield of Portland State (428th overall). Cut in training camp, he later became a convicted serial killer, known as the 'I-5 killer'.[8]
The last remaining active player in the NFL from the 1974 draft class was center Mike Webster, who retired after the 1990 season.
Pro Bowler [9] | Hall of Famer |
|
|
Pick # | NFL team | Player | Position | College |
---|---|---|---|---|
313 | Houston Oilers | Dan Dixon | Guard | Boise State |
314 | San Diego Chargers | Brian Vertefeuille | Tackle | Idaho State |
315 | New York Giants | Dennis Colvin | Tackle | Southwest Texas State |
316 | Chicago Bears | Joe Barnes | Quarterback | Texas Tech |
317 | Baltimore Colts | Randy Hall | Defensive back | Idaho |
318 | New York Jets | John Tate | Linebacker | Jackson State |
319 | St. Louis Cardinals | Jimmy Poulos | Running back | Georgia |
320 | New Orleans Saints | Mike Truax | Linebacker | Tulane |
321 | New England Patriots | Phil Bennett | Running back | Boston College |
322 | San Francisco 49ers | Tom Owen | Quarterback | Wichita State |
323 | Philadelphia Eagles | Lars Ditlev | Defensive end | South Dakota Tech |
324 | Green Bay Packers | Emmanuel Armstrong | Linebacker | San Jose State |
325 | Detroit Lions | Fred Rothwell | Center | Kansas State |
326 | Denver Broncos | John Clerkley | Defensive tackle | Fort Valley State |
327 | Cleveland Browns | Mike Seifert | Defensive end | Wisconsin |
328 | Kansas City Chiefs | Norm Romagnoli | Linebacker | Kentucky State |
329 | Atlanta Falcons | Ralph Powell | Running back | Nebraska |
330 | Oakland Raiders | Mike Dennery | Linebacker | Southern Mississippi |
331 | Buffalo Bills | Ed Gatewood | Linebacker | Tennessee State |
332 | Washington Redskins | Stu O'Dell | Linebacker | Indiana |
333 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Frank Kolch | Quarterback | Eastern Michigan |
334 | Dallas Cowboys | Fred Lima | Kicker | Colorado |
335 | Cincinnati Bengals | Ted Jornov | Linebacker | Iowa State |
336 | Los Angeles Rams | Pete Solverson | Tackle | Drake |
337 | Minnesota Vikings | Gary Keller | Defensive tackle | Utah |
338 | Miami Dolphins | Clayton Heath | Running back | Wake Forest |
Pick # | NFL team | Player | Position | College |
---|---|---|---|---|
339 | Buffalo Bills | Phil Lamm | Defensive back | North Carolina |
340 | New York Giants | Mike Hayes | Tackle | Virginia State |
341 | San Diego Chargers | Greg Bailey | Defensive back | Long Beach State |
342 | Chicago Bears | Paul Vellano | Defensive tackle | Maryland |
343 | New York Jets | Greg Fountain | Guard | Mississippi State |
344 | Baltimore Colts | Ed Collins | Wide receiver | Rice |
345 | St. Louis Cardinals | Charles Smith | Running back | Yankton |
346 | New England Patriots | Cecil Bowens | Running back | Kentucky |
347 | San Francisco 49ers | Walt Williamson | Defensive end | Michigan |
348 | New Orleans Saints | Kent Marshall | Defensive back | Texas Christian |
349 | Philadelphia Eagles | Dave Smith | Linebacker | Oklahoma |
350 | Green Bay Packers | Andrew Neloms | Defensive tackle | Kentucky State |
351 | Detroit Lions | David Jones | Defensive back | Howard Payne |
352 | Cleveland Browns | Bob Hunt | Running back | Heidelberg |
353 | Kansas City Chiefs | Frank Pomarico | Guard | Notre Dame |
354 | Denver Broncos | Rich Marks | Defensive back | Northern Illinois |
355 | Buffalo Bills | Phil Gurbada | Defensive back | Mayville |
356 | Atlanta Falcons | John Givens | Guard | Villanova |
357 | Oakland Raiders | Don Willingham | Running back | Wisconsin–Milwaukee |
358 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Bruce Henley | Defensive back | Rice |
359 | Dallas Cowboys | Doug Richards | Defensive back | Brigham Young |
360 | Cincinnati Bengals | Mike Phillips | Tackle | Cornell |
361 | Washington Redskins | Don Van Galder | Quarterback | Utah |
362 | Los Angeles Rams | Ananias Carson | Wide receiver | Langston |
363 | Minnesota Vikings | Alan Dixon | Running back | Harding |
364 | Miami Dolphins | Sam Johnson | Linebacker | Arizona State |
Pick # | NFL team | Player | Position | College |
---|---|---|---|---|
365 | Houston Oilers | Billy Johnson | Wide receiver | Widener |
366 | San Diego Chargers | Charles Anthony | Linebacker | USC |
367 | New York Giants | Larry Jones | Wide receiver | N.E. Missouri |
368 | Chicago Bears | Oliver Alexander | Tight end | Grambling |
369 | Baltimore Colts | Pat Kelly | Linebacker | Richmond |
370 | New York Jets | Willie Brister | Tight end | Southern |
371 | St. Louis Cardinals | Vince Ancell | Defensive back | Arkansas State |
372 | San Francisco 49ers | Leonard Gray | Tight end | Long Beach State |
373 | New Orleans Saints | Larry Cipa | Quarterback | Michigan |
374 | New England Patriots | Sam Hunt | Linebacker | Stephen F. Austin |
375 | Philadelphia Eagles | Sid Bond | Tackle | Texas Christian |
376 | Green Bay Packers | Dave Wannstedt | Tackle | Pittsburgh |
377 | Detroit Lions | John Wells | Guard | Kansas State |
378 | Kansas City Chiefs | Lem Burnham | Linebacker | U.S. International |
379 | Denver Broncos | Peil Pennington | Quarterback | Massachusetts |
380 | Cleveland Browns | Ransom Terrell | Linebacker | Arizona |
381 | Atlanta Falcons | Willie Jones | Wide receiver | Iowa State |
382 | Buffalo Bills | Ken Williams | Linebacker | Southwestern Louisiana |
383 | Oakland Raiders | Greg Mathis | Defensive back | Idaho State |
384 | Dallas Cowboys | Bruce Craft | Tackle | Geneva |
385 | Cincinnati Bengals | Isaac Jackson | Running back | Kansas State |
386 | San Diego Chargers | Greg Meczka | Tight end | Bowling Green |
387 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Larry Hunt | Defensive tackle | Iowa State |
388 | Los Angeles Rams | Bob Thomas | Kicker | Notre Dame |
389 | Minnesota Vikings | Kurt Wachtler | Defensive tackle | St. John's |
390 | Miami Dolphins | Larry Gates | Defensive back | Western Michigan |
Pick # | NFL team | Player | Position | College |
---|---|---|---|---|
391 | Houston Oilers | Matthew Williams | Running back | N.E. Louisiana |
392 | New York Giants | Buddy Brown | Guard | Alabama |
393 | San Diego Chargers | Neal Skarin | Defensive end | Arizona State |
394 | Chicago Bears | Randy Geist | Defensive back | Colorado |
395 | New York Jets | Jazz Jackson | Running back | Western Kentucky |
396 | Baltimore Colts | Dave Margavage | Tackle | Kentucky |
397 | St. Louis Cardinals | Alonzo Emery | Running back | Arizona State |
398 | New Orleans Saints | Don Coleman | Linebacker | Michigan |
399 | New England Patriots | Lucious Selmon | Defensive tackle | Oklahoma |
400 | San Francisco 49ers | Jack Conners | Defensive back | Oregon |
401 | Philadelphia Eagles | Jim Smith | Linebacker | Monmouth |
402 | Green Bay Packers | Mark Cooney | Linebacker | Colorado |
403 | Detroit Lions | Myron Wilson | Defensive back | Bowling Green |
404 | Denver Broncos | Darrell Austin | Tackle | South Carolina |
405 | Kansas City Chiefs | Barry Beers | Guard | William & Mary |
406 | Buffalo Bills | Sanford Qvale | Tackle | North Dakota State |
407 | Cleveland Browns | Preston Anderson | Defensive back | Rice |
408 | Atlanta Falcons | Sylvester McGee | Running back | Rhode Island |
409 | Oakland Raiders | Delario Robinson | Wide receiver | Kansas |
410 | Cincinnati Bengals | Darryl Bishop | Defensive back | Kentucky |
411 | Washington Redskins | Nate Anderson | Running back | Eastern Illinois |
412 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Octavus Morgan | Linebacker | Illinois |
413 | Dallas Cowboys | Gene Killian | Guard | Tennessee |
414 | Los Angeles Rams | Dave Ottmar | Punter | Stanford |
415 | Minnesota Vikings | John Goebel | Running back | St. Thomas |
416 | Miami Dolphins | Jessie Wolf | Defensive tackle | Prairie View A&M |
Pick # | NFL team | Player | Position | College |
---|---|---|---|---|
417 | Houston Oilers | Bill Hedge | Tackle | Northeast Missouri |
418 | San Diego Chargers | Charles DeJurnett | Defensive tackle | San Jose State |
419 | New York Giants | Steve Crosby | Running back | Fort Hays State |
420 | Chicago Bears | Craig Holland | Quarterback | Texas-Arlington |
421 | Baltimore Colts | Tim Berra | Wide receiver | Massachusetts |
422 | New York Jets | Doug Lowrey | Guard | Arkansas State |
423 | St. Louis Cardinals | John Moseley | Defensive back | Missouri |
424 | New England Patriots | Gary Hudson | Defensive back | Boston College |
425 | San Francisco 49ers | Levi Stanley | Guard | Hawaii |
426 | New Orleans Saints | Marvin Williams | Wide receiver | Western Illinois |
427 | Philadelphia Eagles | Cliff Brown | Running back | Notre Dame |
428 | Green Bay Packers | Randy Woodfield | Wide receiver | Portland State |
429 | Detroit Lions | Collis Temple | Defensive end | Louisiana State |
430 | Cleveland Browns | Carlton Buchanan | Defensive tackle | SW Oklahoma State |
431 | Kansas City Chiefs | David Langner | Defensive back | Auburn |
432 | Denver Broncos | Boyd Brown | Tight end | Alcorn A&M |
433 | Atlanta Falcons | Al Davis | Guard | Boise State |
434 | Buffalo Bills | Sal Casola | Kicker | Cincinnati |
435 | Oakland Raiders | James Morris | Defensive tackle | Missouri Valley College |
436 | Baltimore Colts | Buzzy Lewis | Defensive back | Florida State |
437 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Larry Moore | Defensive end | Angelo State |
438 | Dallas Cowboys | Lawrie Skolrood | Tackle | North Dakota |
439 | Cincinnati Bengals | Jim Smith | Running back | North Carolina Central |
440 | Los Angeles Rams | Willie Townsend | Wide receiver | Notre Dame |
441 | Minnesota Vikings | Earl Garrett | Defensive back | Boston State College |
442 [12] | Miami Dolphins | Ken Dickerson | Defensive back | Tuskegee |
Pro Bowler [9] | Hall of Famer |
† | Pro Bowler[9] | ‡ | Hall of Famer |
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