1974 NFL Draft
The 1974 National Football League Draft took place at the Americana Hotel in New York City on January 29–30, 1974. Each of the 26 NFL teams was granted 17 selections for a total of 442 picks.
Many experts consider the Pittsburgh Steelers as having the best draft in NFL history (or even pro-sports history) as they selected four players later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth, and Mike Webster). The closest any other team has come to this success in a draft were several teams that drafted two Hall of Famers (including the Pittsburgh Steelers themselves in 1970).
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.
Read more about 1974 NFL Draft: Player Selections, Notable Undrafted Players, Hall of Famers
Famous quotes containing the word draft:
“Why not draft executive and management brains to prepare and produce the equipment the $21-a-month draftee must use and forget this dollar-a-year tommyrot? Would we send an army into the field under a dollar-a-year General who had to be home Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays?”
—Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908–1973)