1977 NFL draft
The 1977 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 3–4, 1977, at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, New York. The league also held its first supplemental draft, which took place after the regular draft and before the regular season.
| 1977 NFL Draft | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Date(s) | May 3–4, 1977 |
| Location | Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, NY |
| Overview | |
| 335 total selections in 12 rounds | |
| League | NFL |
| First selection | Ricky Bell, RB Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| Mr. Irrelevant | Jim Kelleher, RB Minnesota Vikings |
| Most selections (18) | Cincinnati Bengals Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Fewest selections (6) | Washington Redskins |
| Hall of Famers | 3
|
This was the first draft in the common draft era (since 1967) to be 12 rounds, five rounds fewer than drafts of 1967–1976. The draft remained at 12 rounds through 1992 before being reduced to seven, where it has remained through 2022.
The draft began with commissioner Pete Rozelle dedicating a moment of silence to California Golden Bears quarterback Joe Roth, one of the most electric passers in college football who was eligible for the 1977 draft. He died in February from skin cancer at the age of 21.
With the first overall pick of the draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected running back Ricky Bell.