71st annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible players
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006.[1][2] For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by NFL Network. Having signed a contract with the Houston Texans on the evening before the draft, Mario Williams, a defensive end from North Carolina State, became the draft's first pick.[3] The selection surprised many commentators, who predicted that the Texans would draft Southern California running back Reggie Bush or Texas quarterback Vince Young. Ohio State produced the most first round selections (five), while Southern California produced the most overall selections (eleven). Twenty-seven compensatory and supplemental compensatory selections were distributed amongst seventeen teams; Tampa Bay, Baltimore, and Tennessee each held three compensatory picks. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and before the regular season.
The 255 players chosen in the draft were composed of:
Supplemental draft selections
For each player selected in the Supplemental Draft, the team forfeits its pick in that round in the draft of the following season.
Trades
In the explanations below, (PD) indicates trades completed prior to the start of the draft (i.e. Pre-Draft), while (D) denotes trades that took place during the 2006 draft.
- Round one
- ^ No. 11: St. Louis → Denver (D). The Rams traded their first round pick (11th) to Denver in exchange for their first (15th) and third round (68th) picks.
- ^ No. 12: Cleveland → Baltimore (D). The Browns traded pick their first round pick (12th) to Baltimore in exchange for their first (13th) and sixth round (181st) picks.
- ^ No. 13: Baltimore → Cleveland (D). see No. 12: Cleveland → Baltimore.
- ^ No. 15: multiple trades:
No. 15: Atlanta → Denver (PD). Atlanta traded their first round pick to Denver in exchange for Denver's first (29th) and third (93rd) round picks and fourth round pick in 2007.
No. 15: Denver → St. Louis (D). see No. 11: St. Louis → Denver.
- ^ No. 22: multiple trades:
No. 22: Washington → Denver (PD). Denver traded their first round pick in 2005 to the Redskins in exchange for their third round pick in 2005, their first round pick and their fourth round pick (119th)
No. 22: Denver → San Francisco (PD). Denver traded pick 22 to San Francisco in exchange for their second round (37th) and third round (68th) picks.
- ^ No. 25: NY Giants → Pittsburgh (D). The Giants traded pick #25 to Pittsburgh in exchange for their first round (32nd), third round (96th) and fourth round (129th) picks.
- ^ No. 26: Chicago → Buffalo (D). Chicago traded pick #26 to Buffalo in exchange for their second (42nd) and third (73rd) round picks.
- ^ No. 29: multiple trades:
No. 29: Denver → Atlanta (PD). see No. 15: Atlanta → Denver.
No. 29: Atlanta → NY Jets (PD). The Falcons traded pick #29 to the Jets in exchange for John Abraham.
- ^ No. 32: Pittsburgh → NY Giants (D). see No. 25: NY Giants → Pittsburgh.
- Round two
- ^ No. 34: New Orleans → Cleveland (D). The Saints traded pick #34 to Cleveland in exchange for their second round (43rd) pick and Jeff Faine.
- ^ No. 35: NY Jets → Washington (D). The Jets traded pick #35 to Washington in exchange for their second round (53rd) pick, sixth round (189th) pick and their second round pick in 2007.
- ^ No. 36: Green Bay → New England (D). The Packers traded pick #36 to New England in exchange for their second round (52nd) pick and their third round (75th) pick.
- ^ No. 37: multiple trades:
No. 37: San Francisco → Denver (PD). see No. 22: Denver → San Francisco.
No. 37: Denver → Green Bay (D). The Broncos traded pick #37 to Green Bay in exchange for Javon Walker.
No. 37: Green Bay → Atlanta (D). The Packers traded picks #37 and #139 to Atlanta in exchange for their second round (47th) pick, their third round (93rd) pick and their fifth round (148th) pick.
- ^ No. 39: Tennessee → Philadelphia (D). The Titans traded pick #39 to Philadelphia in exchange for their second round (45th) pick and their fourth round pick (116th).
- ^ No. 42: Buffalo → Chicago (D). see No. 26: Chicago → Buffalo.
- ^ No. 43: Cleveland → New Orleans (D). see No. 34: New Orleans → Cleveland.
- ^ No. 44: Baltimore → NY Giants (D). The Ravens traded pick #44 to the Giants in exchange for their second round (56th) pick and their third round pick (87th).
- ^ No. 45: Philadelphia → Tennessee (D). see No. 39: Tennessee → Philadelphia.
- ^ No. 47: Atlanta → Green Bay (D). see No. 37: Green Bay → Atlanta.
- ^ No. 49: Dallas → NY Jets (D). The Cowboys traded pick #49 to the Jets in exchange for their second round (53rd) pick, sixth round (189th) pick and seventh round (211th) pick.
- ^ No. 51: Miami → Minnesota (PD). The Dolphins traded pick #51 to Minnesota in exchange for Daunte Culpepper.
- ^ No. 52: New England → Green Bay (D). see No. 36: Green Bay → New England.
- ^ No. 53: multiple trades:
No. 53: Washington → NY Jets (D). see No. 35: NY Jets → Washington.
No. 53: NY Jets → Dallas (D). see No. 49: Dallas → NY Jets.
- ^ No. 56: NY Giants → Baltimore (D). see No. 44: Baltimore → NY Giants.
- ^ No. 64: Pittsburgh → Minnesota (D). The Vikings traded picks #83 and #95 to Pittsburgh in exchange for pick #64.
- Round three
- Round four
- Round five
- Round six
- Round seven