2002 NFL draft
The 2002 NFL Draft was the 67th annual player selection meeting of the National Football League (NFL), in which the league's 32 teams selected amateur college football players; the event took place over two days, April 20 and 21, at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.[1][2] As the first draft for the expansion Houston Texans franchise, which joined the NFL for the 2002 season, the Texans held the No. 1 overall pick and selected quarterback David Carr from Fresno State to anchor their new roster.[3] The team also picked first in each of the draft's seven rounds, a perk of their expansion status, and concluded the event by selecting defensive tackle Ahmad Miller with the final pick (No. 261), earning him the "Mr. Irrelevant" moniker.[4][5] The seven-round draft featured 261 total selections and produced a class rich in defensive talent, including three Pro Football Hall of Famers: defensive end Julius Peppers (No. 2 overall, Carolina Panthers, University of North Carolina), who won Defensive Rookie of the Year honors; defensive end Dwight Freeney (No. 11 overall, Indianapolis Colts, Syracuse University); and safety Ed Reed (No. 24 overall, Baltimore Ravens, University of Miami).[4][3] Other key first-round picks included quarterback Joey Harrington (No. 3, Detroit Lions, University of Oregon), wide receiver Mike Williams (No. 4, Buffalo Bills, University of Texas), and cornerback Quentin Jammer (No. 5, San Diego Chargers, University of Texas).[3] Among the later selections, running back Clinton Portis (No. 51 overall, second round, Denver Broncos, University of Miami) earned Offensive Rookie of the Year accolades after rushing for 1,508 yards in his debut season, while the class as a whole contributed to strong defensive performances across the league, with Peppers anchoring the Panthers' front and Reed bolstering Baltimore's secondary.[3] The draft's emphasis on defensive prospects reflected the era's trends, helping shape contending teams like the Colts and Ravens in subsequent years.[4]Background
Event details
The 2002 NFL draft was held over two days, April 20 and 21, at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.[6][2] This venue served as the site for the league's annual player selection event, accommodating team representatives, media, and fans during the proceedings.[7] The draft consisted of seven rounds, featuring 229 regular selections supplemented by 32 compensatory picks awarded to 18 teams, resulting in a total of 261 picks distributed among the league's 32 teams, including the expansion Houston Texans. Each team was allocated one pick per round based on the prior season's standings, with the Texans receiving the first overall choice in every round due to their status as a new franchise.[3] Coverage of the event was provided by ESPN, which aired the proceedings live on both days, featuring commentary from draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. alongside hosts Chris Berman and others.[8][9] The broadcast highlighted key selections and analysis, drawing significant viewership as the league expanded to 32 teams for the first time.Expansion team impact
The NFL awarded an expansion franchise to Houston, Texas, on October 6, 1999, with the team scheduled to commence operations in the 2002 season as the league's 32nd club.[10] This addition marked the first new team since the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars joined in 1995, prompting a realignment that shifted the Texans into the AFC South division.[11] To facilitate competitiveness, the league granted the Houston Texans the No. 1 overall selection in the 2002 NFL Draft, bypassing the traditional reverse-order assignment based on prior-season records since the franchise had no playing history.[11] This priority pick enabled the Texans to target foundational talent immediately, culminating in their selection of quarterback David Carr from Fresno State to anchor the offense.[12] Preceding the regular draft, the NFL conducted an expansion draft on February 18, 2002, allowing the Texans to claim 19 unprotected players from the 31 existing teams' rosters, with each club able to shield up to 42 players.[13] Notable selections included offensive tackle Tony Boselli and defensive end Gary Walker, which not only built an initial core but also depleted certain positions across the league, subtly altering the pool of veteran free agents and influencing how teams evaluated draft needs for immediate depth.[14] The Texans' guaranteed top choice reshaped draft dynamics league-wide, as other teams anticipated the franchise would prioritize a signal-caller like Carr to establish long-term stability, prompting maneuvers such as trading up to target alternative quarterbacks or premier defensive talents perceived as slipping due to the expansion priority.[14] This strategic layer emphasized quarterback scarcity in a draft class featuring multiple prospects, forcing rebuilding squads to adjust their positioning aggressively to avoid missing out on high-impact starters.Draft process
Selection order determination
The selection order for the 2002 NFL draft was established in reverse order of the teams' regular-season records from the 2001 NFL season, with the poorest-performing teams positioned to pick earliest among the established franchises.[15] Due to their status as the league's newest expansion franchise, the Houston Texans were automatically assigned the first pick in each of the draft's seven rounds (positions 1, 33, 66, 99, 136, 173, and 212 overall) to facilitate rapid roster construction.[3] Additionally, the Texans received seven extra selections at the conclusion of rounds 2 through 7, contributing to an expanded pool of regular picks totaling 229 for the seven rounds across all 32 teams.[16] Ties in win-loss records were resolved through a series of tiebreakers, including head-to-head results, strength of schedule, and conference or divisional records; unresolved ties, particularly those spanning conferences or divisions, were settled by coin flip.[15] The draft included 32 compensatory selections distributed to 18 teams as reimbursement for net free-agent losses from the prior offseason, bringing the total number of picks to 261.[17] Prior to draft day, multiple teams had traded away portions of their allotted picks in previous transactions, which adjusted the preliminary order as selections were swapped for future assets or players.[18]Overall pick structure
The 2002 NFL Draft consisted of seven rounds, providing a structured opportunity for all 32 teams to select amateur players. Round 1 featured exactly 32 picks, one for each franchise, while Rounds 2 through 7 included a base of 32 picks per round augmented by compensatory selections awarded to teams that lost more unrestricted free agents than they signed in the previous offseason. This resulted in the following distribution: Round 2 (33 picks), Round 3 (33 picks), Round 4 (37 picks), Round 5 (37 picks), Round 6 (39 picks), and Round 7 (50 picks).[2][3] In total, 261 players were selected across these rounds, reflecting the addition of 32 compensatory picks that expanded the draft beyond the standard allocation. The selection order within each round was determined by the reverse order of the previous season's standings for Round 1; for subsequent rounds, the order alternates direction to promote competitive balance: odd-numbered rounds (3, 5, 7) follow the reverse standings order (poorest records first), while even-numbered rounds (2, 4, 6) follow the opposite (best records first), giving teams that picked late in the first round earlier opportunities in the second round and vice versa.[3][15] (Note: The 2002 compensatory picks announcement aligns with the total structure.) Although two third-round picks were forfeited—by the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos due to salary cap violations—the overall framework remained intact, with no additional disruptions to the round totals as compensatory selections offset the losses for other teams. This maintained a full allocation of opportunities, ensuring every team participated in each round unless affected by trades or penalties.[18][19]Player selections
First round
The first round of the 2002 NFL Draft, conducted on April 20, 2002, at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, consisted of 32 picks distributed among the league's teams, with the expansion Houston Texans receiving multiple high selections due to their status. The Texans opened the draft by selecting quarterback David Carr from Fresno State with the first overall pick, establishing him as the cornerstone of their new franchise and the face of their inaugural 2002 season; however, Carr set an NFL record by being sacked 76 times as a rookie due to inadequate offensive line protection.[20] Immediately following, the Carolina Panthers chose defensive end Julius Peppers from North Carolina at No. 2, a physically dominant prospect expected to anchor their defensive line and provide edge-rushing prowess from day one. The Detroit Lions, seeking to address their quarterback instability, picked Joey Harrington from Oregon at No. 3, viewing him as a precise passer to inject new energy into their offense.[3] This round emphasized bolstering the lines of scrimmage, with five offensive tackles and seven defensive linemen (including three defensive ends) selected among the top picks, alongside three quarterbacks overall—Carr, Harrington, and Patrick Ramsey (No. 32, Washington Redskins, Oregon State)—highlighting teams' focus on foundational talent. Notable selections included the Buffalo Bills taking offensive tackle Mike Williams from Texas at No. 4 to fortify their protection scheme, the Indianapolis Colts acquiring defensive end Dwight Freeney from Syracuse at No. 11 via trade-up for explosive pass disruption, and the Baltimore Ravens drafting safety Ed Reed from Miami (FL) at No. 24—a selection made after their preferred target, LB Napoleon Harris, was taken earlier[21]—to add a playmaking presence in the secondary. These choices were widely regarded as immediate contributors, with Peppers and Freeney projected to elevate their teams' defensive capabilities right away.[3] The full list of first-round picks is presented below:
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