1974 NFL draft

NFL player selection

The 1974 NFL draft took place at the Americana Hotel in New York City, New York, on January 29–30, 1974. Each of the 26 NFL teams were granted 17 selections for a total of 442 picks. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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'.

Pick # NFL team Player Position College261Houston OilersSteve TaylorCenterAuburn262San Diego ChargersDave GrannellTight endArizona State263New York GiantsBobby BrooksDefensive backBishop264Chicago BearsNorm HodginsDefensive backLouisiana State265Baltimore ColtsTim RudnickDefensive backNotre Dame266New York JetsEugene BirdDefensive backSouthern Mississippi267New York JetsWilliam BuckleyWide receiverMississippi State268New England PatriotsArchie GibsonRunning backUtah State269San Francisco 49ersGreg BattleDefensive backColorado State270New Orleans SaintsKent MerrittWide receiverVirginia271Philadelphia EaglesBill BrittainCenterKansas State272Green Bay PackersEric TorkelsonRunning backConnecticut273Detroit LionsT. C. BlairTight endTulsa274Cleveland BrownsTom GoodenKickerHarding College275Kansas City ChiefsBob ThornbladhRunning backMichigan276Denver BroncosSteve BuchananRunning backHoly Cross277Atlanta FalconsEddie WilsonWide receiverAlbany State278Buffalo BillsRod KirbyLinebackerPittsburgh279Oakland RaidersHarold HartRunning backTexas Southern280Dallas CowboysHarvey McGeeWide receiverSouthern Mississippi281Cincinnati BengalsEd KezirianTackleUCLA282Washington RedskinsJoe MillerTackleVillanova283Pittsburgh SteelersDickey MortonRunning backArkansas284Los Angeles RamsRick HayesTackleWashington285Minnesota VikingsDavid BooneDefensive endEastern Michigan286Miami DolphinsGerry RobertsDefensive endUCLA

Pick # NFL team Player Position College287Houston OilersRicky BrowneLinebackerFlorida288New York GiantsJames SimsDefensive backUSC289San Diego ChargersSam WilliamsDefensive backCalifornia290Chicago BearsJeff SevyDefensive tackleCalifornia291New York JetsJohn RiccaDefensive endDuke292Baltimore ColtsDave SimonsonTackleMinnesota293St. Louis CardinalsRoger WallaceWide receiverBowling Green294San Francisco 49ersTom HullLinebackerPenn State295New Orleans SaintsJim BuckmonDefensive endPittsburgh296New England PatriotsEddie FosterTackleOklahoma297Philadelphia EaglesArtimus ParkerDefensive backUSC298Green Bay PackersRandy WalkerKickerN. W. Louisiana299Detroit LionsMark WakefieldWide receiverTampa300Kansas City ChiefsCarl BrownWide receiverWest Texas State301Denver BroncosLarry CameronLinebackerAlcorn A&M302Cleveland BrownsRon McNeilDefensive endNorth Carolina Central303Buffalo BillsDave MeansDefensive endSoutheast Missouri State304Atlanta FalconsVic KoegelLinebackerOhio State305Oakland RaidersNoe GonzalezRunning backSouthwest Texas State306Cincinnati BengalsRudy McClinonDefensive backXavier307Baltimore ColtsBob BobrowskiQuarterbackPurdue308Pittsburgh SteelersHugh LickissLinebackerSimpson309Dallas CowboysKeith BoboQuarterbackSouthern Methodist310Los Angeles RamsRoger FrebergGuardUCLA311Minnesota VikingsRandy PoltlDefensive backStanford312Miami DolphinsJim RevelsDefensive backFlorida

Pick # NFL team Player Position College313Houston OilersDan DixonGuardBoise State314San Diego ChargersBrian VertefeuilleTackleIdaho State315New York GiantsDennis ColvinTackleSouthwest Texas State316Chicago BearsJoe BarnesQuarterbackTexas Tech317Baltimore ColtsRandy HallDefensive backIdaho318New York JetsJohn TateLinebackerJackson State319St. Louis CardinalsJimmy PoulosRunning backGeorgia320New Orleans SaintsMike TruaxLinebackerTulane321New England PatriotsPhil BennettRunning backBoston College322San Francisco 49ersTom OwenQuarterbackWichita State323Philadelphia EaglesLars DitlevDefensive endSouth Dakota Tech324Green Bay PackersEmmanuel ArmstrongLinebackerSan Jose State325Detroit LionsFred RothwellCenterKansas State326Denver BroncosJohn ClerkleyDefensive tackleFort Valley State327Cleveland BrownsMike SeifertDefensive endWisconsin328Kansas City ChiefsNorm RomagnoliLinebackerKentucky State329Atlanta FalconsRalph PowellRunning backNebraska330Oakland RaidersMike DenneryLinebackerSouthern Mississippi331Buffalo BillsEd GatewoodLinebackerTennessee State332Washington RedskinsStu O'DellLinebackerIndiana333Pittsburgh SteelersFrank KolchQuarterbackEastern Michigan334Dallas CowboysFred LimaKickerColorado335Cincinnati BengalsTed JornovLinebackerIowa State336Los Angeles RamsPete SolversonTackleDrake337Minnesota VikingsGary KellerDefensive tackleUtah338Miami DolphinsClayton HeathRunning backWake Forest

Pick # NFL team Player Position College339Buffalo BillsPhil LammDefensive backNorth Carolina340New York GiantsMike HayesTackleVirginia State341San Diego ChargersGreg BaileyDefensive backLong Beach State342Chicago BearsPaul VellanoDefensive tackleMaryland343New York JetsGreg FountainGuardMississippi State344Baltimore ColtsEd CollinsWide receiverRice345St. Louis CardinalsCharles SmithRunning backYankton346New England PatriotsCecil BowensRunning backKentucky347San Francisco 49ersWalt WilliamsonDefensive endMichigan348New Orleans SaintsKent MarshallDefensive backTexas Christian349Philadelphia EaglesDave SmithLinebackerOklahoma350Green Bay PackersAndrew NelomsDefensive tackleKentucky State351Detroit LionsDavid JonesDefensive backHoward Payne352Cleveland BrownsBob HuntRunning backHeidelberg353Kansas City ChiefsFrank PomaricoGuardNotre Dame354Denver BroncosRich MarksDefensive backNorthern Illinois355Buffalo BillsPhil GurbadaDefensive backMayville356Atlanta FalconsJohn GivensGuardVillanova357Oakland RaidersDon WillinghamRunning backWisconsin–Milwaukee358Pittsburgh SteelersBruce HenleyDefensive backRice359Dallas CowboysDoug RichardsDefensive backBrigham Young360Cincinnati BengalsMike PhillipsTackleCornell361Washington RedskinsDon Van GalderQuarterbackUtah362Los Angeles RamsAnanias CarsonWide receiverLangston363Minnesota VikingsAlan DixonRunning backHarding364Miami DolphinsSam JohnsonLinebackerArizona State

Pick # NFL team Player Position College365Houston OilersBilly JohnsonWide receiverWidener366San Diego ChargersCharles AnthonyLinebackerUSC367New York GiantsLarry JonesWide receiverN. E. Missouri368Chicago BearsOliver AlexanderTight endGrambling369Baltimore ColtsPat KellyLinebackerRichmond370New York JetsWillie BristerTight endSouthern371St. Louis CardinalsVince AncellDefensive backArkansas State372San Francisco 49ersLeonard GrayTight endLong Beach State373New Orleans SaintsLarry CipaQuarterbackMichigan374New England PatriotsSam HuntLinebackerStephen F. Austin375Philadelphia EaglesSid BondTackleTexas Christian376Green Bay PackersDave WannstedtTacklePittsburgh377Detroit LionsJohn WellsGuardKansas State378Kansas City ChiefsLem BurnhamLinebackerU. S. International379Denver BroncosPeil PenningtonQuarterbackMassachusetts380Cleveland BrownsRansom TerrellLinebackerArizona381Atlanta FalconsWillie JonesWide receiverIowa State382Buffalo BillsKen WilliamsLinebackerSouthwestern Louisiana383Oakland RaidersGreg MathisDefensive backIdaho State384Dallas CowboysBruce CraftTackleGeneva385Cincinnati BengalsIsaac JacksonRunning backKansas State386San Diego ChargersGreg MeczkaTight endBowling Green387Pittsburgh SteelersLarry HuntDefensive tackleIowa State388Los Angeles RamsBob ThomasKickerNotre Dame389Minnesota VikingsKurt WachtlerDefensive tackleSt. John's390Miami DolphinsLarry GatesDefensive backWestern Michigan

Pick # NFL team Player Position College391Houston OilersMatthew WilliamsRunning backN. E. Louisiana392New York GiantsBuddy BrownGuardAlabama393San Diego ChargersNeal SkarinDefensive endArizona State394Chicago BearsRandy GeistDefensive backColorado395New York JetsJazz JacksonRunning backWestern Kentucky396Baltimore ColtsDave MargavageTackleKentucky397St. Louis CardinalsAlonzo EmeryRunning backArizona State398New Orleans SaintsDon ColemanLinebackerMichigan399New England PatriotsLucious SelmonDefensive tackleOklahoma400San Francisco 49ersJack ConnersDefensive backOregon401Philadelphia EaglesJim SmithLinebackerMonmouth402Green Bay PackersMark CooneyLinebackerColorado403Detroit LionsMyron WilsonDefensive backBowling Green404Denver BroncosDarrell AustinTackleSouth Carolina405Kansas City ChiefsBarry BeersGuardWilliam & Mary406Buffalo BillsSanford QvaleTackleNorth Dakota State407Cleveland BrownsPreston AndersonDefensive backRice408Atlanta FalconsSylvester McGeeRunning backRhode Island409Oakland RaidersDelario RobinsonWide receiverKansas410Cincinnati BengalsDarryl BishopDefensive backKentucky411Washington RedskinsNate AndersonRunning backEastern Illinois412Pittsburgh SteelersOctavus MorganLinebackerIllinois413Dallas CowboysGene KillianGuardTennessee414Los Angeles RamsDave OttmarPunterStanford415Minnesota VikingsJohn GoebelRunning backSt. Thomas416Miami DolphinsJessie WolfDefensive tacklePrairie View A&M