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 .[ 1] [ 2]
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.[ 3] 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.[ 4]
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.[ 5]
^ Jump up to: a b May sometimes be referred to as an edge rusher (EDGE)
^ Also known as offensive guard (OG)
^ Also known as placekicker (PK)
^ Also known as inside linebacker (ILB)
Pick #
NFL team
Player
Position
College
376
Seattle Seahawks
Jarvis Blinks
Defensive back
Northwest Louisiana
377
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Carl Roaches
Wide receiver
Texas A&M
378
San Diego Chargers
Ed Jones
Guard
Cincinnati
379
New Orleans Saints
Rich Hucke
Defensive end
Western Montana
380
New York Jets
Al Gluchoski
Center
West Virginia
381
Cleveland Browns
Joe Smalzer
Tight end
Illinois
382
New England Patriots
David Quehl
Wide receiver
Holy Cross
383
Atlanta Falcons
Mark Husfloen
Defensive end
Washington State
384
Chicago Bears
Ron Cuie
Running back
Oregon State
385
Philadelphia Eagles
Melvin Shy
Defensive back
Tennessee State
386
Green Bay Packers
John Henson
Running back
Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo
387
New York Giants
Jerry Mullane
Linebacker
Lehigh
388
Kansas City Chiefs
Rick Thurman
Tackle
Texas
389
San Francisco 49ers
Johnny Miller
Linebacker
Livingstone College
390
Denver Broncos
Larry Evans
Linebacker
Mississippi College
391
Detroit Lions
Leonard Elston
Wide receiver
Kentucky State
392
Buffalo Bills
Tony Williams
Wide receiver
Middle Tennessee State
393
Washington Redskins
Quinn Buckner
Defensive back
Indiana
394
Baltimore Colts
Jeremiah Cummings
Defensive end
Albany State
395
Houston Oilers
John Reimer
Tackle
Wisconsin
396
Miami Dolphins
Bob Gissler
Linebacker
South Dakota State
397
Oakland Raiders
Calvin Young
Running back
Fresno State
398
Cincinnati Bengals
Greg Coleman
Punter
Florida A&M
399
St. Louis Cardinals
Raymond Crosier
Defensive end
Abilene Christian
400
Los Angeles Rams
Al Burleson
Defensive back
Washington
401
Minnesota Vikings
Jeff Stapleton
Tackle
Purdue
402
Dallas Cowboys
Larry Mushinskie
Tight end
Nebraska
403
Pittsburgh Steelers
Wayne Field
Defensive back
Florida
Pick #
NFL team
Player
Position
College
404
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bob Dzierzak
Defensive tackle
Utah State
405
Seattle Seahawks
Dan Smith
Tackle
Washington State
406
New Orleans Saints
Steve Seminoff
Defensive tackle
Wichita State
407
San Diego Chargers
Jack Hoffman
Defensive tackle
Indiana
408
Cleveland Browns
Luther Philyaw
Defensive back
Loyola (CA)
409
New England Patriots
Bernard Coleman
Wide receiver
Bethune-Cookman
410
New York Jets
Rick Faulk
Punter
San Francisco State
411
Chicago Bears
Jerry Meyers
Defensive tackle
Northern Illinois
412
Philadelphia Eagles
Brett White
Punter
UCLA
413
Green Bay Packers
Jerry Dandridge
Linebacker
Memphis State
414
Atlanta Falcons
Ron Olson
Defensive back
Washington
415
Kansas City Chiefs
Dave Rozumek
Linebacker
New Hampshire
416
San Francisco 49ers
Howard Stidham
Linebacker
Tennessee Tech
417
New York Giants
Eddie Morgan
Defensive tackle
Arkansas State
418
Denver Broncos
Wilbur Summers
Punter
Louisville
419
Detroit Lions
Trent Smock
Wide receiver
Indiana
420
St. Louis Cardinals
Lee Nelson
Defensive back
Florida State
421
Buffalo Bills
Arnold Robinson
Linebacker
Bethune-Cookman
422
Houston Oilers
Bobby Byars
Defensive back
Cheyney (PA)
423
Miami Dolphins
Ron Holmes
Running back
Utah State
424
Baltimore Colts
Gary Alexander
Tackle
Clemson
425
Cincinnati Bengals
Lynn Hieber
Quarterback
Indiana (PA)
426
Washington Redskins
John Monroe
Running back
Bluefield State
427
Oakland Raiders
Carl Hargrave
Defensive back
Upper Iowa
428
Minnesota Vikings
Ron Groce
Running back
Macalester
429
Los Angeles Rams
Malcolm Campbell
Wide receiver
Cal State-Los Angeles
430
Dallas Cowboys
Dale Curry
Linebacker
UCLA
431
Pittsburgh Steelers
Mel Davis
Defensive end
North Texas State
Pick #
NFL team
Player
Position
College
432
Seattle Seahawks
Jeff Urczyk
Guard
Georgia Tech
433
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tommy West
Linebacker
Tennessee
434
San Diego Chargers
Jack Harrison
Guard
California
435
New Orleans Saints
Gene Jones
Tackle
Bowling Green
436
New England Patriots
Clifford Brown
Defensive tackle
Tuskegee
437
New York Jets
James Godwin
Running back
Fayetteville
438
Cleveland Browns
Chris Lorenzen
Defensive tackle
Arizona State
439
Philadelphia Eagles
Steve Campassi
Running back
Kentucky
440
Green Bay Packers
Mike Timmermans
Guard
Northern Iowa
441
Atlanta Falcons
Pat Curto
Linebacker
Ohio State
442
Chicago Bears
Ronald Parker
Tight end
Texas Christian
443
San Francisco 49ers
Reggie Lewis
Defensive end
San Diego State
444
New York Giants
David Lawson
Kicker
Air Force
445
Kansas City Chiefs
Dennis Anderson
Punter
Arizona
446
Denver Broncos
John Huddleston
Linebacker
Utah
447
Detroit Lions
Craig McCurdy
Linebacker
William & Mary
448
Buffalo Bills
Gary Gorrell
Linebacker
Boise State
449
Baltimore Colts
Mike Fuhrman
Tight end
Memphis State
450
Miami Dolphins
Mike Green
Punter
Ohio
451
Baltimore Colts
Steve Ludwig
Center
Miami (FL)
452
Houston Oilers
Claude Johnson
Linebacker
Florida A&M
453
St. Louis Cardinals
Cecil Beaird
Wide receiver
Fisk
454
Oakland Raiders
Doug Hogan
Defensive back
USC
455
Cincinnati Bengals
George Demopoulis
Tackle
Miami (FL)
456
Los Angeles Rams
Rick Gage
Wide receiver
Arkansas Tech
457
Minnesota Vikings
Randy Hickel
Defensive back
Montana State
458
Dallas Cowboys
Rick Costanzo
Tackle
Nebraska
459
Pittsburgh Steelers
Randy Butts
Running back
Kearney State
Pick #
NFL team
Player
Position
College
460
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jack Berry
Quarterback
Washington & Lee
461
Seattle Seahawks
Chris Rowland
Quarterback
Washington
462
New Orleans Saints
Scott MacDonald
Tight end
West Virginia
463
San Diego Chargers
Clarence Sanders
Linebacker
Cincinnati
464
New York Jets
Darwin Willie
Tight end
Tulane
465
Cleveland Browns
Tom Fleming
Wide receiver
Dartmouth
466
New England Patriots
Todd Anderson
Center
Stanford
467
Green Bay Packers
Ray Hall
Tight end
Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo
468
Atlanta Falcons
Tony Green
Defensive back
Texas Tech
469
Chicago Bears
Mike Malham
Linebacker
Arkansas State
470
Philadelphia Eagles
Anthony Terry
Defensive back
California-Davis
471
New York Giants
Steve Curnutte
Defensive back
Vanderbilt
472
Kansas City Chiefs
Pat McNeil
Running back
Baylor
473
San Francisco 49ers
Darryl Jenkins
Running back
San Jose State
474
Denver Broncos
Randy Cozens
Defensive end
Pittsburgh
475
Detroit Lions
Jim Meeks
Defensive back
Boise State
476
Washington Redskins
Chuck Wills
Defensive back
Oregon
477
Buffalo Bills
Bob Berg
Kicker
New Mexico
478
Oakland Raiders
Buddy Tate
Defensive back
Tulsa
479
Houston Oilers
Allen Misher
Wide receiver
Louisiana State
480
Miami Dolphins
Jeff Grantz
Quarterback
South Carolina
481
Oakland Raiders
Nate Beasley
Running back
Delaware
482
Cincinnati Bengals
Scott Dannelley
Guard
Ohio State
483
St. Louis Cardinals
Dan Myers
Defensive back
Georgia Tech
484
Minnesota Vikings
Rich Lukowski
Defensive tackle
West Virginia
485
Los Angeles Rams
Gary Shaw
Defensive back
Brigham Young
486
Dallas Cowboys
Stan Woodfill
Kicker
Oregon
487 [ 9]
Pittsburgh Steelers
Kelvin Kirk
Wide receiver
Dayton
= Pro Bowler [ 6]
= Hall of Famer
Notable undrafted players
edit
Steve Largent , wide receiver from Tulsa, taken 4th round 117th overall by Houston Oilers
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 1995.[ 10]
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.[ 10]
Mike Haynes , cornerback from Arizona State, taken 1st round 5th overall by New England Patriots
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 1997.[ 10]
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.[ 11]
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.[ 11]
^ "NFL Draft Locations" . FootballGeography.com . October 2, 2014. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2014 .
^ Salomone, Dan (October 2, 2014). "NFL Draft headed to Chicago in 2015" . Giants.com . New York Giants . Archived from the original on September 30, 2015. Retrieved June 3, 2015 .
^ NFL Draft History: Quarterback Draft Class Facts and Figures
^ Wire Services. "Bucs Open Draft By Taking Leroy Selmon". The Sarasota Journal. 8 Apr 1976
^ "Drafts delayed by Bucs" . St. Petersburg Times. January 14, 1976. Retrieved February 9, 2009 .
^ Jump up to: a b c d Players are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro Bowl at any time in their career.
^ Players are identified as a Hall of Famer if they have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
^ "Heisman Trophy" . Archived from the original on June 15, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2008 .
^ This last selection is commonly referred to as Mr. Irrelevant .
^ Jump up to: a b c List of 1990s Hall of Fame Inductee's at profootballhof.com "Pro Football Hall of Fame" . Archived from the original on July 31, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2008 .
^ Jump up to: a b List of 2000s Hall of Fame Inductee's at profootballhof.com "Pro Football Hall of Fame" . Archived from the original on July 31, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2008 .