NFL player selection
The 1974 NFL draft took place at the Americana Hotel in New York City , New York , on January 29–30, 1974.[ 1] [ 2] Each of the 26 NFL teams were granted 17 selections for a total of 442 picks.[ 3]
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.[ 4] 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 (Roger Staubach , Mel Renfro , and Bob Hayes .[ 5] 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 .[ 6] 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.[ 7]
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'.[ 8]
The last remaining active player in the NFL from the 1974 draft class was center Mike Webster , who retired after the 1990 season .
^ 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 313 Houston Oilers Dan Dixon Guard Boise State 314 San Diego Chargers Brian Vertefeuille Tackle Idaho State 315 New York Giants Dennis Colvin Tackle Southwest Texas State 316 Chicago Bears Joe Barnes Quarterback Texas Tech 317 Baltimore Colts Randy Hall Defensive back Idaho 318 New York Jets John Tate Linebacker Jackson State 319 St. Louis Cardinals Jimmy Poulos Running back Georgia 320 New Orleans Saints Mike Truax Linebacker Tulane 321 New England Patriots Phil Bennett Running back Boston College 322 San Francisco 49ers Tom Owen Quarterback Wichita State 323 Philadelphia Eagles Lars Ditlev Defensive end South Dakota Tech 324 Green Bay Packers Emmanuel Armstrong Linebacker San Jose State 325 Detroit Lions Fred Rothwell Center Kansas State 326 Denver Broncos John Clerkley Defensive tackle Fort Valley State 327 Cleveland Browns Mike Seifert Defensive end Wisconsin 328 Kansas City Chiefs Norm Romagnoli Linebacker Kentucky State 329 Atlanta Falcons Ralph Powell Running back Nebraska 330 Oakland Raiders Mike Dennery Linebacker Southern Mississippi 331 Buffalo Bills Ed Gatewood Linebacker Tennessee State 332 Washington Redskins Stu O'Dell Linebacker Indiana 333 Pittsburgh Steelers Frank Kolch Quarterback Eastern Michigan 334 Dallas Cowboys Fred Lima Kicker Colorado 335 Cincinnati Bengals Ted Jornov Linebacker Iowa State 336 Los Angeles Rams Pete Solverson Tackle Drake 337 Minnesota Vikings Gary Keller Defensive tackle Utah 338 Miami Dolphins Clayton Heath Running back Wake Forest
Pick # NFL team Player Position College 339 Buffalo Bills Phil Lamm Defensive back North Carolina 340 New York Giants Mike Hayes Tackle Virginia State 341 San Diego Chargers Greg Bailey Defensive back Long Beach State 342 Chicago Bears Paul Vellano Defensive tackle Maryland 343 New York Jets Greg Fountain Guard Mississippi State 344 Baltimore Colts Ed Collins Wide receiver Rice 345 St. Louis Cardinals Charles Smith Running back Yankton 346 New England Patriots Cecil Bowens Running back Kentucky 347 San Francisco 49ers Walt Williamson Defensive end Michigan 348 New Orleans Saints Kent Marshall Defensive back Texas Christian 349 Philadelphia Eagles Dave Smith Linebacker Oklahoma 350 Green Bay Packers Andrew Neloms Defensive tackle Kentucky State 351 Detroit Lions David Jones Defensive back Howard Payne 352 Cleveland Browns Bob Hunt Running back Heidelberg 353 Kansas City Chiefs Frank Pomarico Guard Notre Dame 354 Denver Broncos Rich Marks Defensive back Northern Illinois 355 Buffalo Bills Phil Gurbada Defensive back Mayville 356 Atlanta Falcons John Givens Guard Villanova 357 Oakland Raiders Don Willingham Running back Wisconsin–Milwaukee 358 Pittsburgh Steelers Bruce Henley Defensive back Rice 359 Dallas Cowboys Doug Richards Defensive back Brigham Young 360 Cincinnati Bengals Mike Phillips Tackle Cornell 361 Washington Redskins Don Van Galder Quarterback Utah 362 Los Angeles Rams Ananias Carson Wide receiver Langston 363 Minnesota Vikings Alan Dixon Running back Harding 364 Miami Dolphins Sam Johnson Linebacker Arizona State
Pick # NFL team Player Position College 365 Houston Oilers Billy Johnson Wide receiver Widener 366 San Diego Chargers Charles Anthony Linebacker USC 367 New York Giants Larry Jones Wide receiver N.E. Missouri 368 Chicago Bears Oliver Alexander Tight end Grambling 369 Baltimore Colts Pat Kelly Linebacker Richmond 370 New York Jets Willie Brister Tight end Southern 371 St. Louis Cardinals Vince Ancell Defensive back Arkansas State 372 San Francisco 49ers Leonard Gray Tight end Long Beach State 373 New Orleans Saints Larry Cipa Quarterback Michigan 374 New England Patriots Sam Hunt Linebacker Stephen F. Austin 375 Philadelphia Eagles Sid Bond Tackle Texas Christian 376 Green Bay Packers Dave Wannstedt Tackle Pittsburgh 377 Detroit Lions John Wells Guard Kansas State 378 Kansas City Chiefs Lem Burnham Linebacker U.S. International 379 Denver Broncos Peil Pennington Quarterback Massachusetts 380 Cleveland Browns Ransom Terrell Linebacker Arizona 381 Atlanta Falcons Willie Jones Wide receiver Iowa State 382 Buffalo Bills Ken Williams Linebacker Southwestern Louisiana 383 Oakland Raiders Greg Mathis Defensive back Idaho State 384 Dallas Cowboys Bruce Craft Tackle Geneva 385 Cincinnati Bengals Isaac Jackson Running back Kansas State 386 San Diego Chargers Greg Meczka Tight end Bowling Green 387 Pittsburgh Steelers Larry Hunt Defensive tackle Iowa State 388 Los Angeles Rams Bob Thomas Kicker Notre Dame 389 Minnesota Vikings Kurt Wachtler Defensive tackle St. John's 390 Miami Dolphins Larry Gates Defensive back Western Michigan
Pick # NFL team Player Position College 391 Houston Oilers Matthew Williams Running back N.E. Louisiana 392 New York Giants Buddy Brown Guard Alabama 393 San Diego Chargers Neal Skarin Defensive end Arizona State 394 Chicago Bears Randy Geist Defensive back Colorado 395 New York Jets Jazz Jackson Running back Western Kentucky 396 Baltimore Colts Dave Margavage Tackle Kentucky 397 St. Louis Cardinals Alonzo Emery Running back Arizona State 398 New Orleans Saints Don Coleman Linebacker Michigan 399 New England Patriots Lucious Selmon Defensive tackle Oklahoma 400 San Francisco 49ers Jack Conners Defensive back Oregon 401 Philadelphia Eagles Jim Smith Linebacker Monmouth 402 Green Bay Packers Mark Cooney Linebacker Colorado 403 Detroit Lions Myron Wilson Defensive back Bowling Green 404 Denver Broncos Darrell Austin Tackle South Carolina 405 Kansas City Chiefs Barry Beers Guard William & Mary 406 Buffalo Bills Sanford Qvale Tackle North Dakota State 407 Cleveland Browns Preston Anderson Defensive back Rice 408 Atlanta Falcons Sylvester McGee Running back Rhode Island 409 Oakland Raiders Delario Robinson Wide receiver Kansas 410 Cincinnati Bengals Darryl Bishop Defensive back Kentucky 411 Washington Redskins Nate Anderson Running back Eastern Illinois 412 Pittsburgh Steelers Octavus Morgan Linebacker Illinois 413 Dallas Cowboys Gene Killian Guard Tennessee 414 Los Angeles Rams Dave Ottmar Punter Stanford 415 Minnesota Vikings John Goebel Running back St. Thomas 416 Miami Dolphins Jessie Wolf Defensive tackle Prairie View A&M
Pick # NFL team Player Position College 417 Houston Oilers Bill Hedge Tackle Northeast Missouri 418 San Diego Chargers Charles DeJurnett Defensive tackle San Jose State 419 New York Giants Steve Crosby Running back Fort Hays State 420 Chicago Bears Craig Holland Quarterback Texas-Arlington 421 Baltimore Colts Tim Berra Wide receiver Massachusetts 422 New York Jets Doug Lowrey Guard Arkansas State 423 St. Louis Cardinals John Moseley Defensive back Missouri 424 New England Patriots Gary Hudson Defensive back Boston College 425 San Francisco 49ers Levi Stanley Guard Hawaii 426 New Orleans Saints Marvin Williams Wide receiver Western Illinois 427 Philadelphia Eagles Cliff Brown Running back Notre Dame 428 Green Bay Packers Randy Woodfield Wide receiver Portland State 429 Detroit Lions Collis Temple Defensive end Louisiana State 430 Cleveland Browns Carlton Buchanan Defensive tackle SW Oklahoma State 431 Kansas City Chiefs David Langner Defensive back Auburn 432 Denver Broncos Boyd Brown Tight end Alcorn A&M 433 Atlanta Falcons Al Davis Guard Boise State 434 Buffalo Bills Sal Casola Kicker Cincinnati 435 Oakland Raiders James Morris Defensive tackle Missouri Valley College 436 Baltimore Colts Buzzy Lewis Defensive back Florida State 437 Pittsburgh Steelers Larry Moore Defensive end Angelo State 438 Dallas Cowboys Lawrie Skolrood Tackle North Dakota 439 Cincinnati Bengals Jim Smith Running back North Carolina Central 440 Los Angeles Rams Willie Townsend Wide receiver Notre Dame 441 Minnesota Vikings Earl Garrett Defensive back Boston State College 442 [ 12] Miami Dolphins Ken Dickerson Defensive back Tuskegee
Pro Bowler [ 9] Hall of Famer
Notable undrafted players [ edit ] Jack Lambert , linebacker from Kent State, taken 2nd round 46th overall by Pittsburgh Steelers Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 1990.[ 13] Mike Webster , center from Wisconsin, taken 5th round 125th overall by Pittsburgh Steelers Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 1997.[ 13] Lynn Swann , wide receiver from Southern California, taken 1st round 21st overall by Pittsburgh Steelers Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2001.[ 14] Dave Casper , tight end from Notre Dame, taken 2nd round 45th overall by Oakland Raiders Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2002.[ 14] John Stallworth , wide receiver from Alabama A&M, taken 4th round 82nd overall by Pittsburgh Steelers Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2002.[ 14] Donnie Shell , safety from South Carolina State, undrafted and signed by Pittsburgh Steelers Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2020.[ 14] Randy Gradishar , linebacker from Ohio State, taken 1st round 14th overall by Denver Broncos Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2024.[ 14] ^ "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 . ^ "Noll Seeks First-Round Draft Ace No. 6" . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . January 29, 1974. Retrieved October 25, 2011 . ^ Battista, Judy (January 15, 2020). "Pro Football Hall of Fame Centennial Class thick with NFL history" . NFL.com . Retrieved January 15, 2020 . ^ Archer, Todd (April 25, 2016). "Three Hall of Famers make 1964 Cowboys' best draft class" . ESPN . Retrieved January 27, 2022 . ^ "Dallas Cowboys.com: Cowboys Top 50 List: No. 26 Ed Too Tall Jones" . Archived from the original on July 20, 2009. ^ "NFL Draft History: Quarterback Draft Class Facts/Figures" . ELDORADO . ^ "Randall Woodfield, the I-5 killer, former Green Bay Packer" . ^ 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 November 8, 2011. Retrieved October 25, 2011 . ^ This last selection is commonly referred to as Mr. Irrelevant . ^ a b List of 1990s Hall of Fame Inductee's at profootballhof.com "Pro Football Hall of Fame" . Retrieved October 25, 2011 . ^ a b c d e List of 2000s Hall of Fame Inductee's at profootballhof.com "Pro Football Hall of Fame" . Retrieved October 25, 2011 .