The 1946 NFL draft was held on January 14, 1946, at the Commodore Hotel in New York City, New York.
The selections were initially withheld from the public out of fear that the newly formed All-America Football Conference would sign away players selected high. With the first overall pick of the draft, the Boston Yanks selected quarterback Frank Dancewicz. The most notable draft choice in this player selection meeting was made by the Washington Redskins and remains one of the biggest draft blunders of all time. They chose Cal Rossi with the 9th overall pick, but Rossi, a junior at UCLA, was not eligible to be drafted. They chose him again in the 1947 NFL draft, but he never played football professionally.
Player selections = Pro BowlerPlayers are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro Bowl at any time in their career. = Hall of Famer
Round 1–6
Round 7
Pick # NFL team Player Position College51Chicago CardinalsPat LenshanEndTennessee52Boston YanksEd MieszkowskiTackleNotre Dame53Pittsburgh SteelersTom ReinhardtTackleMinnesota54Chicago BearsWendell BeardTackleCalifornia55New York GiantsJim PlylerTackleTexas56Green Bay PackersArt RennerEndMichigan57Philadelphia EaglesGeorge RobothamEndUCLA58Detroit LionsPete BerezneyTackleNotre Dame59Washington RedskinsBob HendrenTackleUSC60Los Angeles RamsDolly KingEndGeorgia
Round 8
Pick # NFL team Player Position College61Chicago CardinalsPhil TinsleyEndAlabama62Boston YanksChet LipkaEndBoston College63Pittsburgh SteelersJoe PonsettoBackMichigan64Chicago BearsJohn ZieglerBackColorado65New York GiantsGene RobertsBackChattanooga66Green Bay PackersBert ColeTackleOklahoma A&M67Detroit LionsKeith DeCourceyBackWashington68Philadelphia EaglesJim LectureGuardNorthwestern69Washington RedskinsGeorge CallananBackUSC70Los Angeles RamsJoe WhislerBackOhio State
Round 9
Pick # NFL team Player Position College71Chicago CardinalsJake ColhouerGuardOklahoma A&M72Boston YanksAl DekdebrunBackCornell73Pittsburgh SteelersBob EvansBackPenn74Chicago BearsWalt DropoEndConnecticut75New York GiantsMike HarrisGuardMississippi State76Green Bay PackersGrant DarnellGuardTexas A&M77Philadelphia EaglesErnie LewisBackColorado78Detroit LionsBill HedgesTackleWest Texas State79Washington RedskinsBob SkoglundEndNotre Dame80Los Angeles RamsMike SchumchykEndArkansas
Round 10
Pick # NFL team Player Position College81Chicago CardinalsTom BarberTackleChattanooga82Boston YanksRex JohnTackleWisconsin83Pittsburgh SteelersMel BonwellBackCentral (IA)84Chicago BearsBill HarrisCenterAuburn85New York GiantsWalt ClayBackColorado86Green Bay PackersJoe McAfeeBackHoly Cross87Detroit LionsThornton DixonTackleOhio State88Philadelphia EaglesAl VandewegheEndWilliam & Mary89Washington RedskinsJake LeichtBackOregon90Los Angeles RamsJoe SignaigoGuardNotre Dame
Round 11
Pick # NFL team Player Position College91Chicago CardinalsDick LoepfeTackleWisconsin92Boston YanksBob WestBackColorado93Pittsburgh SteelersDoc HollowayGuardWilliam & Mary94Chicago BearsEddie AllenBackPenn95New York GiantsWarren AmlingGuardOhio State96Green Bay PackersSteve ConroyBackHoly Cross97Philadelphia EaglesBill IancelliEndFranklin & Marshall98Detroit LionsBob StevensBackOregon State99Washington RedskinsChick MaggioliBackIllinois100Los Angeles RamsTom PhillipsBackOhio State
Round 12
Pick # NFL team Player Position College101Chicago CardinalsVenton YablonskiBackColumbia102Boston YanksMax DodgeEndNevada103Pittsburgh SteelersCarroll OwenBackCatawba104Chicago BearsFrank BaumanEndIllinois105New York GiantsAl BushTackleDuke106Green Bay PackersBill HildebrandEndMississippi State107Detroit LionsPat FarrisTackleTexas Tech108Philadelphia EaglesPat McHughBackGeorgia Tech109Washington RedskinsMonte MoncriefTackleTexas A&M110Los Angeles RamsTed StrojnyTackleHoly Cross
Round 13
Pick # NFL team Player Position College111Chicago CardinalsLee LewisBackWashington112Boston YanksJoe KirklandTackleVirginia113Pittsburgh SteelersGeorge PoppinTackleNew Mexico114Chicago BearsReed NostrumTackleUtah115New York GiantsBob ReimanBackOregon State116Green Bay PackersTom HandCenterIowa117Philadelphia EaglesJohn WingenderBackWashington118Detroit LionsPaul CopoulosBackMarquette119Washington RedskinsJoe TereshinskiEndGeorgia120Los Angeles RamsGeorge StrohmeyerCenterNotre Dame
Round 14
Pick # NFL team Player Position College121Chicago CardinalsBob RussellBackMiami (OH)122Boston YanksRalph VentrescoBackPenn State123Pittsburgh SteelersBob McCainEndOle Miss124Chicago BearsDick ChattertonBackBYU125New York GiantsBob HazelhurstBackDenver126Green Bay PackersGeorge HillsGuardGeorgia Tech127Detroit LionsTy IrbyBackAuburn128Philadelphia EaglesHomer PaineTackleTulsa129Washington RedskinsStan SpragueEndIllinois130Los Angeles RamsBob PalladinoBackNotre Dame
Round 15
Pick # NFL team Player Position College131Chicago CardinalsFred RovaiGuardNotre Dame132Boston YanksJohn FureyTackleBoston College133Pittsburgh SteelersTom TallchiefTackleOklahoma134Chicago BearsJohnny TimkoCenterTemple135New York GiantsStan StapleyTackleUtah136Green Bay PackersJim HoughBackClemson137Philadelphia EaglesJohn KernsTackleOhio138Detroit LionsPat ThrashEndSouth Carolina139Washington RedskinsHarry AdelmanEndUSC140Los Angeles RamsDick LorenzEndOregon State
Round 16
Pick # NFL team Player Position College141Chicago CardinalsRay EvansTackleTexas Western142Boston YanksBill SwiackiEndColumbia143Pittsburgh SteelersAl PerlBackYoungstown State144Chicago BearsTed HazelwoodTackleNorth Carolina145New York GiantsNick TerlizziTackleAlabama146Green Bay PackersDean GainesTackleGeorgia Tech147Detroit LionsKelly MoteEndDuke148Philadelphia EaglesBuddy HubbardBackWilliam & Mary149Washington RedskinsBob ButchofskyBackTexas A&M150Los Angeles RamsLarry BouleyBackGeorgia
Round 17
Pick # NFL team Player Position College151Chicago CardinalsBob LoubieBackMiami (OH)152Boston YanksCharley TiedemanBackBrown153Pittsburgh SteelersRuss LopezCenterWest Virginia154Chicago BearsDick JohnsonCenterBaylor155New York GiantsRay JustakGuardNorthwestern156Green Bay PackersJ. P. MillerGuardGeorgia157Philadelphia EaglesAllen SmithBackTulsa158Detroit LionsBill ScruggBackRice159Washington RedskinsMike PrashawTackleMichigan160Los Angeles RamsGasper UrbanGuardNotre Dame
Round 18
Pick # NFL team Player Position College161Chicago CardinalsFrank IrwinTackleDuke162Boston YanksDon AlverezGuardDartmouth163Pittsburgh SteelersBuck GarrisonGuardWake Forest164Chicago BearsArt BoettcherBackShurtleff165New York GiantsBob MorrisBackUSC166Green Bay PackersBoyd MorseEndArizona167Detroit LionsBen WallBackCentral Michigan168Philadelphia EaglesBernie MillhamEndFordham169Washington RedskinsEd RobnettBackTexas Tech170Los Angeles RamsBob WiseGuardColorado
Round 19
Pick # NFL team Player Position College171Chicago CardinalsPride RatterreeGuardWake Forest172Boston YanksJack BurnsBackTemple173Pittsburgh SteelersBill CloudTackleTemple174Chicago BearsTom GallagherBackIllinois175New York GiantsTom LoflinEndLSU176Green Bay PackersJoe BradfordCenterUSC177Philadelphia EaglesLawrence MaussCenterUtah178Detroit LionsMerlin KispertBackMinnesota179Washington RedskinsLaMar DykstraBackColorado180Los Angeles RamsJerry FordEndNotre Dame
Round 20
Pick # NFL team Player Position College181Chicago CardinalsBill HeywoodBackNotre Dame182Boston YanksFrank RuggerioBackNotre Dame183Pittsburgh SteelersMike GarbinskiBackPenn State184Chicago BearsJohnny AdamsBackDenver185New York GiantsDick KellyBackMinnesota186Green Bay PackersBill DeRosaBackBoston College187Detroit LionsDon MalmbergTackleUCLA188Philadelphia EaglesDave ButcherBackWilliam & Mary189Washington RedskinsBob WardBackSan Jose State190Los Angeles RamsBob AlbrechtBackMarquette
Round 21
Pick # NFL team Player Position College191Chicago CardinalsAl TraughtBackMiami (OH)192Boston YanksJack PriceBackBaylor193Pittsburgh SteelersCharley LoiacanoCenterLafayette194Chicago BearsDean WidsethTackleBemidji State195New York GiantsMel PattonBackSanta Clara196Green Bay PackersRalph GrantBackBucknell197Philadelphia EaglesDon FablingBackColorado198Detroit LionsNed MaloneyEndPurdue199Washington RedskinsJohn PeharTackleUSC200Los Angeles RamsCliff LewisBackDuke
Round 22
Pick # NFL team Player Position College201Chicago CardinalsClem AndrulewiczTackleVillanova202Boston YanksIke IgleheartGuardTulane203Pittsburgh SteelersGeorge JohnsonTacklePittsburgh204Chicago BearsGeorge KochinsTackleBucknell205New York GiantsBill StiersBackUCLA206Green Bay PackersHowie BrownGuardIndiana207Detroit LionsJack SimmonsBackDetroit208Philadelphia EaglesGeorge FeldmanBackTufts209Washington RedskinsRoger RobinsonBackSyracuse210Los Angeles RamsBob RichardsonTackleMarquette
Round 23
Pick # NFL team Player Position College211Chicago CardinalsAdam RakowskiEndPenn212Boston YanksBill LevittCenterMiami (FL)213Pittsburgh SteelersBill LeitheiserGuardDuke214Chicago BearsAl HoischBackStanford215New York GiantsVernon HareBackSanta Clara216Green Bay PackersAndy KosmacCenterLSU217Philadelphia EaglesEd CameronGuardMiami (FL)218Detroit LionsJoe PulteEndDetroit219Washington RedskinsCharley CadenheadCenterMississippi State220Los Angeles RamsDerald LebowBackOklahoma
Round 24
Pick # NFL team Player Position College221Chicago CardinalsJack McKenzieBackNorthwestern222Boston YanksMike KarmazinEndDuke223Pittsburgh SteelersRoger AdamsCenterFlorida224Chicago BearsVisco GrgichEndSanta Clara225New York GiantsNeil ScullyBackDayton226Green Bay PackersMaurice StacyBackWashington227Detroit LionsBob FunderbergBackNorthwestern228Philadelphia EaglesCharley SteedBackArkansas–Monticello229Washington RedskinsBob RadosGuardSanta Clara230Los Angeles RamsBill LippincottBackWashington State
Round 25
Pick # NFL team Player Position College231Chicago CardinalsTom WorthingtonTackleTulsa232Boston YanksChet LatchamGuardDenver233Pittsburgh SteelersBob VerkinsBackTulsa234Chicago BearsAllen RichardsBackCincinnati235New York GiantsGeorge MillerTackleDenver236Green Bay PackersChick DavidsonTackleCornell237Philadelphia EaglesEd GrygielBackDartmouth238Detroit LionsEd StaccoTackleColgate239Washington RedskinsCharlie WebbEndLSU240Los Angeles RamsKay JamisonEndFlorida
Round 26
Pick # NFL team Player Position College241Chicago CardinalsJim VugrinGuardTennessee242Boston YanksGordon BotsfordEndBoston University243Pittsburgh SteelersClarence CastleBackOle Miss244Chicago BearsJess TunstillBackKentucky245New York GiantsBarney WhiteEndTulsa246Green Bay PackersJohn NortonBackWashington247Detroit LionsRoger AndersonGuardOregon State248Philadelphia EaglesBen RaimondiBackIndiana249Washington RedskinsMarion FlanaganBackTexas A&M250Los Angeles RamsD. J. GambrellCenterAlabama
Round 27
Pick # NFL team Player Position College251Chicago CardinalsJesse HerschbargerEndSMU252Boston YanksJohn KauffmanGuardOregon253Pittsburgh SteelersMarchi MarinoTacklePenn State254Chicago BearsKen SmockBackPurdue255New York GiantsButch KalensGuardIllinois256Green Bay PackersEd HoltsingerBackGeorgia Tech257Philadelphia EaglesSam BaileyEndGeorgia258Detroit LionsChuck MurdockEndGeorgia Tech259Washington RedskinsRoland PhillipsTackleGeorgia Tech260Los Angeles RamsJoe Ben DickeyBackColorado
Round 28
Pick # NFL team Player Position College261Chicago CardinalsNewman LedbetterTackleTexas Tech262Boston YanksDon GleasnerEndMaryland263Pittsburgh SteelersBob HansenEndUCLA264Chicago BearsHoward WeldonGuardNorth Carolina265New York GiantsCharlie EllisBackVirginia266Green Bay PackersJoe CampbellEndHoly Cross267Detroit LionsDick Van DuesenCenterMinnesota268Philadelphia EaglesBob LongBackTennessee269Washington RedskinsJim HallmarkBackTexas A&M270Los Angeles RamsMarty GrbovazEndSan Francisco
Round 29