1997 NFL draft
The 1997 NFL draft was the 62nd annual player selection meeting held by the National Football League (NFL) franchises to select eligible American football players from colleges and other sources.[1] It took place over two days, April 19–20, 1997, in New York City.[1] The event consisted of seven rounds in which 240 players were chosen overall.[1] The St. Louis Rams, who acquired the first overall selection via trade, chose offensive tackle Orlando Pace from Ohio State University.[1] Pace, a future Hall of Famer, anchored the Rams' offensive line for over a decade and contributed to their Super Bowl XXXIV victory.[2] Other early first-round picks included defensive tackle Darrell Russell (second overall, Oakland Raiders, University of Southern California) and cornerback Shawn Springs (third overall, Seattle Seahawks, Ohio State University).[2] Regarded as one of the most talented drafts in NFL history, the 1997 class produced five Hall of Famers: Pace, offensive tackle Walter Jones (sixth overall, Seattle Seahawks, Florida State), tight end Tony Gonzalez (13th overall, Kansas City Chiefs, California), cornerback Ronde Barber (66th overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Virginia)—a third-round pick the Buccaneers later celebrated as one that 'changed Tampa Bay forever'[3]—and defensive end Jason Taylor (73rd overall, Miami Dolphins, Akron).[1][4] Additional standout selections included linebacker Peter Boulware (fourth overall, Baltimore Ravens, Florida State) and running back Warrick Dunn (12th overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Florida State), the latter named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year,[5] a three-time Pro Bowler,[6] and the 2004 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.[7][2][8]Background
Overview
The 1997 NFL draft took place over two days, April 19 and 20, at the Paramount Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City.[9] The event featured seven rounds and a total of 240 selections made by the league's 30 teams, with no players chosen in the supplemental draft.[10] Broadcast coverage was provided by ESPN, marking a continuation of the network's role in televising the annual player selection meeting since 1980.[11] The draft's structure allowed for varying numbers of picks per team due to trades, resulting in the Miami Dolphins receiving the most selections with 14, while the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers had the fewest at three each.[12][13] With the first overall pick, acquired via trade from the New York Jets, the St. Louis Rams selected offensive tackle Orlando Pace from Ohio State, addressing a key need on their offensive line.[1] The final selection of the draft, known as Mr. Irrelevant, went to quarterback Ronnie McAda from Army, chosen 240th overall by the Green Bay Packers, confirming a total of 240 draft picks.[14] Overall, the 1997 draft class was particularly strong along the offensive line and at running back, providing teams with high-quality talent in those positions.[2]Pre-draft expectations
The buildup to the 1997 NFL draft featured several key scouting events that highlighted emerging talents. The NFL Scouting Combine, held in late February in Indianapolis, showcased the athletic prowess of top prospects, with Ohio State offensive tackle Orlando Pace standing out due to his rare combination of size (6-foot-6, 325 pounds) and agility; he recorded 24 repetitions on the 225-pound bench press and a 30-inch vertical leap, solidifying his status as a premier blocker.[15] The Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, and the East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg, Florida, provided additional platforms for underclassmen and seniors to demonstrate skills against elite competition, drawing attention to defensive standouts and versatile linemen amid evaluations by NFL scouts and coaches.[16] Consensus rankings positioned offensive tackles as the draft's crown jewels, with Pace widely regarded as the top overall prospect for his pass-blocking dominance and run-game versatility, followed closely by Florida State's Walter Jones for his explosive footwork and power. Defensive talents like USC's Darrell Russell, projected as a disruptive end with exceptional quickness off the edge, ranked highly among edge rushers, while running backs such as Florida State's Warrick Dunn (noted for his elusiveness and vision) and Ohio State's Eddie George (noted for his power) were seen as dynamic threats in a backfield-needy class.[17][18][19] Expansion franchise Baltimore Ravens, entering their second season after a 3-13 debut in 1996, prioritized building a foundational defense and line to accelerate their roster growth, targeting pass rushers and interior protectors to support a young secondary. Rebuilding teams like the St. Louis Rams, who had struggled with quarterback protection in 1996, focused on bolstering their offensive line to shield sophomore signal-caller Tony Banks from pressure, viewing elite tackles as essential for stabilizing a porous front.[18][20] Mock drafts overwhelmingly projected Pace as the No. 1 overall selection, with outlets anticipating a rush on offensive linemen early due to the class's depth at the position, while quarterback prospects like Virginia Tech's Jim Druckenmiller were viewed as late first-round values amid a thin pool; wide receivers, including Miami's Yatil Green for his speed, were expected to see a moderate early run to complement evolving aerial attacks. This reflected broader NFL trends in the late 1990s, where rule changes since 1994—such as allowing offensive linemen extended arms in pass protection and curbing defensive contact on receivers—had amplified passing offenses, heightening demand for athletic blockers to enable quarterbacks like Banks and sustain league-wide scoring surges.[17][18][21][22]Draft Proceedings
Key trades
The 1997 NFL draft featured several significant pre-draft trades that reshaped the top of the first round, with teams maneuvering to secure premium talent. On April 17, 1997, the St. Louis Rams acquired the New York Jets' No. 1 overall pick in exchange for their No. 6 overall selection, a third-round pick (No. 67), a fourth-round pick (No. 104), a seventh-round pick (No. 242), and running back Rueben Mayes.[23] Earlier, on April 1, 1997, the Oakland Raiders obtained the New Orleans Saints' No. 2 overall pick and a sixth-round selection (No. 166) from the Saints in return for their No. 4 overall pick, wide receiver Daryl Hobbs, and a 1998 second-round pick.[24] Additionally, on March 28, 1997, the Seattle Seahawks traded with the Atlanta Falcons to acquire the No. 3 overall pick and a third-round selection (No. 63) in exchange for their No. 11 overall pick (acquired from the Chicago Bears), second-round pick (No. 41), third-round pick (No. 70), and fourth-round pick (No. 100).[25] These high-stakes exchanges were part of a broader pattern, including 12 trades that involved first-round assets overall. Other notable deals occurred later in the draft, such as the Miami Dolphins' multiple swaps to adjust their positioning; for instance, on April 19, 1997, the Dolphins traded their second-round pick (No. 53) to the Chicago Bears for the Bears' second-round pick (No. 47).[26] The Dolphins executed several similar maneuvers throughout rounds two through seven, often exchanging mid-round picks to target specific players or gain flexibility.[27] The Rams pursued the top pick with urgency to draft an elite offensive tackle to bolster protection for their quarterback, reflecting their need to stabilize the offensive line after a 5-11 season.[28] Similarly, the Raiders, under owner Al Davis, aimed to rebuild their defensive line by targeting a disruptive pass rusher, prioritizing immediate impact on their front seven.[29] The Seahawks sought to address secondary and offensive line needs by climbing into the top three, leveraging their assets to secure high-value selections.[30] These transactions significantly altered the draft's flow, cascading picks downward and allowing teams like the Baltimore Ravens to select higher than anticipated at No. 4 after the chain of deals vacated the upper slots originally held by trading teams.[2] The reshuffling created opportunities for non-trading teams to access top prospects unexpectedly, while the Jets, Saints, and Falcons received additional picks to build depth across multiple rounds.[31]First-round selections
The first round of the 1997 NFL Draft, conducted on April 19, 1997, at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, consisted of 30 selections. Notably, no quarterbacks were chosen in the top 10—a surprising deviation from typical draft trends, as the class lacked a consensus elite signal-caller, with the first QB, Jim Druckenmiller, not selected until the 26th pick by the San Francisco 49ers. Teams emphasized offensive and defensive linemen early, reflecting needs to fortify trenches amid a league-wide focus on physical play, while a mid-round cluster of defensive backs addressed secondary vulnerabilities following inconsistent 1996 performances for several clubs. Several trades, including the Rams' move up for the top pick, influenced the order, but the selections prioritized immediate roster gaps over long-term projections. The following table lists all first-round selections, including pick number, team, player, position, and college:
The St. Louis Rams, fresh off a 5-11 campaign hampered by a porous offensive line that allowed 52 sacks, traded up to select Orlando Pace, a 6'6", 325-pound offensive tackle from Ohio State. Pace earned consensus All-American honors in 1996, won the Outland Trophy as the nation's top lineman, and finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting as an offensive player—the highest ever for a lineman at that time.[32][1]
With the second pick, the Oakland Raiders addressed their defensive front by drafting Darrell Russell, a 6'5", 310-pound defensive end from USC known for his explosive quickness. Russell, who ran a 4.8-second 40-yard dash despite his size, had recorded 10.5 sacks over his final two college seasons, filling a need for pass-rush help after the Raiders' defense ranked 22nd in sacks the prior year.[33][1]
The Seattle Seahawks, coming off a 7-9 season with secondary lapses that contributed to allowing 22 passing touchdowns, picked cornerback Shawn Springs from Ohio State at No. 3. Springs, a 6'0", 194-pound All-Big Ten selection with four interceptions in 1996, impressed at the combine with a 4.45-second 40-yard dash, bolstering a unit that needed shutdown coverage. Later in the round, the Seahawks doubled down on their line by trading up for Walter Jones, a 6'5", 323-pound tackle from Florida State who anchored a Seminoles offense allowing just 0.8 sacks per game.[1]
As an expansion franchise in its second year with a 4-12 record, the Baltimore Ravens prioritized building a foundational defense, selecting linebacker Peter Boulware from Florida State at No. 4. Boulware, a Butkus Award finalist with 18 sacks in college, stood 6'4" and 240 pounds, running a 4.76-second 40-yard dash at the combine to highlight his blend of size and speed for edge rushing.[1]
A mini-run on defensive backs ensued from picks 5 through 11, as teams like the Detroit Lions (Bryant Westbrook, CB, Texas; 4.48-second 40-yard dash) and Arizona Cardinals (Tom Knight, CB, Iowa) targeted improved coverage after ranking low in pass defense the previous season. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 13 added tight end Tony Gonzalez from California, a 6'5", 243-pound athletic freak who ran a 4.83-second 40-yard dash and broad jumped 9'8", addressing a receiving threat beyond their aging roster after a 9-7 finish.[1]