The Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team, representing the University of Delaware, has had 29 players drafted into the National Football League (NFL) since the league began holding drafts in 1936. This includes one player taken in the first round, Joe Flacco in the 2008 NFL draft. The Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders franchise has drafted the most Fightin' Blue Hens with five. Fifteen NFL teams have drafted at least one player from Delaware. Two former Blue Hens have been selected to Pro Bowls: Rich Gannon, who earned four selections as a member of the Raiders after being selected in the fourth round of the 1987 NFL draft by the New England Patriots, and Mike Adams, who earned two selections as a member of the Indianapolis Colts after going undrafted in 2004.. First team all-American offensive guard Jeff Rosen signed with the Washington Redskins after the 1986 draft and made the team roster but sustained a career ending injury in the practices before the game in week 1 of the regular season
Each NFL franchise seeks to add new players through the annual NFL draft. The draft rules were last updated in 2009. 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).
Before the 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.
Key B BackIn American and Canadian football, a back is a player who is lined up behind the linemen, the players who line up closest to the line of scrimmage. K Kicker NT Nose tackle C Center LB Linebacker FB Fullback DB Defensive back P Punter HB Halfback DE Defensive end QB Quarterback WR Wide receiver DT Defensive tackle RB Running back G Guard E End T Offensive tackle TE Tight end
† Selected to an all-star game ‡ Won a league championship ♦ Selected to an all-star game and won a league championship
Selections
American Football League
1960N/AN/AOakland RaidersLB—
National Football League
194332300Washington RedskinsG—194721187Boston YanksB—30278Pittsburgh SteelersT—195511131Chicago BearsE—196215206Detroit LionsE—196410140Chicago BearsB—196711274New York JetsG—19716141Washington RedskinsG—8200New York GiantsDE—15389Dallas CowboysDE—197310243New York JetsDE—13337Washington RedskinsDT—197617481Oakland RaidersFB—19799231Detroit LionsQB—19806145New York GiantsQB—198112332Oakland RaidersTE—19836157St. Louis CardinalsDB—19855135Los Angeles RaidersRB—1987498New England PatriotsQBPro Bowl (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003)12311Buffalo BillsDT—20025203Chicago BearsWRWon Super Bowl XXXVIII20046166Oakland RaidersDE—6185Philadelphia EaglesQB—20077215Arizona CardinalsTE—2008118Baltimore RavensQBWon Super Bowl XLVII2012498Baltimore RavensCWon Super Bowl XLVII20155171Baltimore RavensTE—20185145Chicago BearsDT—2019260Los Angeles ChargersDB—
Notable undrafted players Note: No drafts held before 1920 Debut year Player name Position Debut NFL/AFL team Notes 1976 C Buffalo Bills — 1979 S Los Angeles Rams — 1986 LB Washington Redskins — OG Washington Redskins — 1987 TE Tampa Bay Buccaneers — 1993 DB Cleveland Browns — 2003 RB/CB Green Bay Packers — 2004 S San Francisco 49ers — 2009 DE Green Bay Packers — 2011 QB Miami Dolphins — S Chicago Bears — 2013 CB Jacksonville Jaguars — LB Atlanta Falcons — 2014 DT Indianapolis Colts — 2019 LB Los Angeles Rams — TE Baltimore Ravens — 2023 QB Baltimore Ravens — 2025 CB Green Bay Packers —
Notes
References General
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