Entry #10 NFL Draft Day

 

The league's primary method for acquiring new players is the NFL Draft, which takes place every year with the first one occurring in 1936. The position of each team in the draft order is determined by its record from the previous year, which is done in reverse order, with the Super Bowl champion being placed last and the bottom-place team being handed the first pick. From here, the team can choose a player to draft or trade this position to an opposing team for another pick, a player or players, or any combination of those things. 

Here is some of the craziest draft day stories:

Before the draft, John Elway, one of the most anticipated quarterbacks in college football history and made it known to the Baltimore Colts that he did not want to play for them. He was chosen by the Colts with the first overall pick despite this. Elway kept his word and declined to play for the team, which prompted a sequence of trades that ultimately sent him to the Denver Broncos.

Laremy Tunsil was regarded as a top prospect for the 2016 NFL draft. However, a video of Tunsil smoking from a gas mask surfaced on social media just moments before the draft started. Tunsil's draft standing fell, and the Miami Dolphins ultimately took him with the 13th overall pick.

Randy Moss was rated as one of the top wide receivers in the 1998 NFL Draft, but many teams passed on him due to his controversial past. He ultimately dropped all the way to the 21st pick, where he was chosen by the Minnesota Vikings. Moss had a hall of fame career after that, proving all the teams wrong who passed on him.

When the NFL Draft was held in 2005, Aaron Rodgers was anticipated to go first overall, but he wound up falling down the draft board and was eventually chosen by the Green Bay Packers with the 24th overall choice. Rodgers has gone on to become one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history and has won multiple MVP awards and a Super Bowl.

The New Orleans Saints shocked the football world when they traded all of their draft picks for the year to the Washington Redskins in exchange for the 5th pick and used this to draft running back Ricky Williams. The move was highly criticized at the time, and Williams did not live up to expectations with the team.

When the Indianapolis Colts earned the first overall pick in 1998, they had to decide between Ryan Leaf and Peyton Manning. While Leaf was regarded as one of the biggest busts in NFL history, Manning went on to have a Hall of Fame career.