The 1976 NFL draft was an annual player selection meeting held April 8–9, 1976, at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, New York.
The draft lasted 17 rounds, with the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks making the first two selections. The Buccaneers were awarded the first overall pick of the draft after winning a draw over the Seahawks, and used that pick to select defensive tackle Lee Roy Selmon. The expansion teams were also given a pair of extra picks at the end of each of rounds 2–5. The 1976 draft was the final NFL draft to last seventeen rounds; it was reduced to twelve rounds in 1977, and it was the first draft to officially have the infamous unofficial award, "Mr. Irrelevant", for the final player selected. Like 1974, the 1976 draft is generally regarded as one of the worst quarterback draft classes of all time. No quarterback from the 1976 draft class ever reached the Pro Bowl, an All-Pro team or a Super Bowl, and according to the estimate of Eldorado this quarterback class was the second-worst after 1996.NFL Draft History: Quarterback Draft Class Facts and Figures Only first round pick Richard Todd, who led the New York Jets to their first postseason appearances since Super Bowl III in 1981 and 1982, was ever a regular starter.
Five teams lost picks as a penalty for illegally signing former World Football League players: the New York Giants and Chicago Bears lost sixth-round picks, the Washington Redskins lost their seventh-round pick, and the Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets lost their tenth-round selections.Wire Services. "Bucs Open Draft By Taking Leroy Selmon". The Sarasota Journal. 8 Apr 1976
The college draft was originally scheduled for February 3–4, but was postponed when the owners of the Seahawks and Buccaneers filed a lawsuit against the players' union with worries that the organization would try to prevent the expansion draft. The court case delayed both the expansion draft and the annual college draft.
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
* = compensatory selection † = Pro Bowler ‡= Hall of FamerPlayers are identified as a Hall of Famer if they have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Round 1–14
Round 15
Pick # NFL team Player Position College404Tampa Bay BuccaneersBob Dzierzak Defensive tackle Utah State405Seattle SeahawksDan Smith Tackle Washington State406New Orleans SaintsSteve Seminoff Defensive tackle Wichita State407San Diego ChargersJack Hoffman Defensive tackle Indiana408Cleveland BrownsLuther Philyaw Defensive back Loyola (CA)409New England PatriotsBernard Coleman Wide receiver Bethune-Cookman410New York JetsRick Faulk Punter San Francisco State411Chicago BearsJerry Meyers Defensive tackle Northern Illinois412Philadelphia EaglesBrett White PunterUCLA413Green Bay PackersJerry Dandridge Linebacker Memphis State414Atlanta FalconsRon Olson Defensive backWashington415Kansas City ChiefsDave Rozumek Linebacker New Hampshire416San Francisco 49ersHoward Stidham Linebacker Tennessee Tech417New York GiantsEddie Morgan Defensive tackle Arkansas State418Denver BroncosWilbur Summers Punter Louisville419Detroit LionsTrent Smock Wide receiver Indiana420St. Louis CardinalsLee Nelson Defensive backFlorida State421Buffalo BillsArnold Robinson Linebacker Bethune-Cookman422Houston OilersBobby Byars Defensive back Cheyney (PA)423Miami DolphinsRon Holmes Running back Utah State424Baltimore ColtsGary Alexander Tackle Clemson425Cincinnati BengalsLynn Hieber Quarterback Indiana (PA)426Washington RedskinsJohn Monroe Running back Bluefield State427Oakland RaidersCarl Hargrave Defensive back Upper Iowa428Minnesota VikingsRon Groce Running backMacalester429Los Angeles RamsMalcolm Campbell Wide receiverCal State-Los Angeles430Dallas CowboysDale Curry Linebacker UCLA431Pittsburgh SteelersMel Davis Defensive end North Texas State
Round 16
Pick # NFL team Player Position College432Seattle SeahawksJeff Urczyk Guard Georgia Tech433Tampa Bay BuccaneersTommy West Linebacker Tennessee434San Diego ChargersJack Harrison Guard California435New Orleans SaintsGene Jones Tackle Bowling Green436New England PatriotsClifford Brown Defensive tackle Tuskegee437New York JetsJames Godwin Running back Fayetteville438Cleveland BrownsChris Lorenzen Defensive tackle Arizona State439Philadelphia EaglesSteve Campassi Running backKentucky440Green Bay PackersMike Timmermans Guard Northern Iowa441Atlanta FalconsPat Curto Linebacker Ohio State442Chicago BearsRonald Parker Tight end Texas Christian443San Francisco 49ersReggie Lewis Defensive end San Diego State444New York GiantsDavid Lawson Kicker Air Force445Kansas City ChiefsDennis Anderson Punter Arizona446Denver BroncosJohn Huddleston Linebacker Utah447Detroit LionsCraig McCurdy Linebacker William & Mary448Buffalo BillsGary Gorrell Linebacker Boise State449 Baltimore ColtsMike Fuhrman Tight end Memphis State450Miami DolphinsMike Green Punter Ohio451 Baltimore ColtsSteve Ludwig Center Miami (FL)452Houston OilersClaude Johnson Linebacker Florida A&M453St. Louis CardinalsCecil Beaird Wide receiver Fisk454Oakland RaidersDoug Hogan Defensive back USC455Cincinnati BengalsGeorge Demopoulis Tackle Miami (FL)456Los Angeles RamsRick Gage Wide receiver Arkansas Tech457Minnesota VikingsRandy Hickel Defensive backMontana State458Dallas CowboysRick Costanzo Tackle Nebraska459Pittsburgh SteelersRandy Butts Running backKearney State
Round 17
Pick # NFL team Player Position College460Tampa Bay BuccaneersJack Berry Quarterback Washington & Lee461Seattle SeahawksChris Rowland Quarterback Washington462New Orleans SaintsScott MacDonald Tight end West Virginia463San Diego ChargersClarence Sanders LinebackerCincinnati464New York JetsDarwin Willie Tight endTulane465Cleveland Browns Tom Fleming Wide receiverDartmouth466New England PatriotsTodd Anderson CenterStanford467Green Bay PackersRay Hall Tight end Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo468Atlanta FalconsTony Green Defensive backTexas Tech469Chicago BearsMike Malham Linebacker Arkansas State470Philadelphia EaglesAnthony Terry Defensive backCalifornia-Davis471New York GiantsSteve Curnutte Defensive backVanderbilt472Kansas City Chiefs Pat McNeil Running back Baylor473San Francisco 49ersDarryl Jenkins Running backSan Jose State474Denver BroncosRandy Cozens Defensive end Pittsburgh475Detroit LionsJim Meeks Defensive backBoise State476Washington RedskinsChuck Wills Defensive backOregon477Buffalo BillsBob Berg Kicker New Mexico478Oakland RaidersBuddy Tate Defensive backTulsa479Houston OilersAllen Misher Wide receiverLouisiana State480Miami DolphinsJeff Grantz Quarterback South Carolina481Oakland RaidersNate Beasley Running backDelaware482Cincinnati BengalsScott Dannelley Guard Ohio State483St. Louis CardinalsDan Myers Defensive backGeorgia Tech484Minnesota VikingsRich Lukowski Defensive tackle West Virginia485Los Angeles RamsGary Shaw Defensive backBrigham Young486Dallas CowboysStan Woodfill Kicker Oregon487This last selection is commonly referred to as Mr. Irrelevant. Pittsburgh SteelersKelvin Kirk Wide receiver Dayton = Pro Bowler = Hall of Famer
Notable undrafted players † = Pro Bowler
Hall of Famers Steve Largent, wide receiver from Tulsa, taken 4th round 117th overall by Houston Oilers Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 1995.List of 1990s Hall of Fame Inductee's at profootballhof.com Lee Roy Selmon, defensive end from Oklahoma, taken 1st round 1st overall by Tampa Bay Buccaneers Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 1995. Mike Haynes, cornerback from Arizona State, taken 1st round 5th overall by New England Patriots Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 1997. Jackie Slater, offensive tackle from Jackson State, taken 3rd round 86th overall by Los Angeles Rams Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2001.List of 2000s Hall of Fame Inductee's at profootballhof.com Harry Carson, linebacker from South Carolina State, taken 4th round 105th overall by New York Giants Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2006.
References
External links NFL.com – 1976 Draft
Pro Football Hall of Fame 1976 NFL Draft Listing at Pro Football Reference