1983 NFL draft
| 1983 NFL draft | |
|---|---|
The former Sheraton Hotel (draft venue), photographed in 2010 | |
| General information | |
| Date | April 26–27, 1983 |
| Location | New York Sheraton Hotel in New York City, New York |
| Network | ESPN |
| Overview | |
| 335 total selections in 12 rounds | |
| League | National Football League |
| First selection | John Elway, QB Baltimore Colts |
| Mr. Irrelevant | John Tuggle, RB New York Giants |
| Most selections (19) | New England Patriots |
| Fewest selections (5) | New Orleans Saints |
| Hall of Famers | 9
|
The 1983 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 April 26–27, 1983, at the New York Sheraton Hotel in New York City, New York.[1][2] No teams elected to claim any players in the supplemental draft that year.
The draft is frequently referred to as the quarterback class of 1983, because six quarterbacks were taken in the first round—John Elway, Todd Blackledge, Jim Kelly, Tony Eason, Ken O'Brien and Dan Marino—tied with the 2024 draft for the highest number taken. Of these quarterbacks, Elway, Kelly, Eason, and Marino played in the Super Bowl, Elway, Kelly, O'Brien, and Marino were selected to play in the Pro Bowl, and Elway, Kelly, and Marino have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. All six quarterbacks were drafted by American Football Conference (AFC) teams, with every member of the five-team AFC East (the Baltimore Colts, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, and New England Patriots) selecting a quarterback. In eleven of the sixteen years following this draft, the AFC was represented in the Super Bowl by a team led by one of these quarterbacks: five with the Denver Broncos and Elway, four with the Bills and Kelly, one with the Dolphins and Marino, and one with the Patriots and Eason.
They met with little success in the Super Bowl, however, compiling a 2–9 record among them, with an 0–9 record for their first 14 years in the league. The only two wins were by Elway in XXXII and XXXIII during his final two seasons in 1997 and 1998. Three of the most lopsided Super Bowl losses in history also came at the hands of quarterbacks from the Class of '83: Elway, a 55–10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in XXIV; Eason, a 46–10 loss to the Chicago Bears in XX; and Kelly, a 52–17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in XXVII. Marino would only reach the Super Bowl once in a 38–16 loss to San Francisco in XIX following the end of his second season, when he won league MVP. Kelly and the Bills would appear in the Super Bowl for a record four consecutive years, from 1990 to 1993, but lost all four.
Of the six first round quarterbacks drafted, Hall of Famers Elway and Kelly did not sign with the teams that selected them for the 1983 season. Elway, who had made his antipathy towards the Colts and coach Frank Kush, a harsh disciplinarian, known long before the draft, was also a promising baseball player in the New York Yankees organization. With Yankees owner George Steinbrenner aggressively pursuing a commitment from Elway to play baseball full-time, Elway and his agent, Marvin Demoff, successfully leveraged the threat of Elway abandoning football altogether to compel the Colts to trade Elway to the Broncos a few days after selecting him with the first overall pick of the draft.[3]
Kelly, the other holdout, instead signed with the Houston Gamblers of the United States Football League (USFL), where he led the springtime circuit in passing in both 1984 and 1985. Kelly was set to play for the New Jersey Generals when the USFL planned to switch to a fall season in 1986, but when the USFL won only $1 (tripled to $3) from its antitrust lawsuit vs. the NFL on July 29, 1986, Kelly finally signed with the Bills three weeks later.
Including the aforementioned Elway, Kelly, and Marino, a total of seven players drafted in the first round have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which is the most by any first round class,[4] and a total of nine players overall have been inducted. Each round of this draft also contained at least one player who was later selected to play in the Pro Bowl. Several websites, including Bleacher Report and Athlon Sports, have called the class of 1983 the greatest of all time.[5][6]
Player selections
[edit]
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Hall of Fame inductees
[edit]- Eric Dickerson, running back from Southern Methodist, taken 1st round 2nd overall by Los Angeles Rams
- Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame Class of 1999.[10]
- Jim Kelly, quarterback from Miami, taken 1st round 14th overall by Buffalo Bills
- Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame Class of 2002.[11]
- John Elway, quarterback from Stanford, taken 1st round 1st overall by Baltimore Colts
- Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame Class of 2004.[11]
- Dan Marino, quarterback from Pittsburgh, taken 1st round 27th overall by Miami Dolphins
- Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame Class of 2005.[11]
- Bruce Matthews, center from Southern California, taken 1st round 9th overall by Houston Oilers
- Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame Class of 2007.[11]
- Darrell Green, cornerback from Texas A&I, taken 1st round 28th overall by Washington Redskins
- Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame Class of 2008.[11]
- Richard Dent, defensive end from Tennessee State, taken 8th round 203rd overall by Chicago Bears
- Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame Class of 2011.[11]
- Jim Covert, offensive tackle from Pittsburgh, taken 1st round 6th overall by Chicago Bears
- Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020.[11]
- Roger Craig, running back from Nebraska, taken 2nd round 49th overall by San Francisco 49ers
- Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026.[11]
Notable undrafted players
[edit]| † | Pro Bowler[7] |
Trades
[edit]In the explanations below, (D) denotes trades that took place during the 1984 Draft, while (PD) indicates trades completed pre-draft.
Round 1
- ↑ No. 2: Houston → LA Rams (PD). Houston traded a first-round selection (2nd overall) to the LA Rams in exchange for first- and fourth-round selections (3rd and 88th overall), and a 1984 fourth-round selection.
- ↑ No. 3: LA Rams → Houston → Seattle. Multiple trades:
LA Rams → Houston (PD). See Round 1: Houston → LA Rams.
Houston → Seattle (PD). Houston traded a first-round selection (3rd overall) to Seattle in exchange for first-, second- and third-round selections (9th, 42nd and 69th overall). - ↑ No. 5: San Francisco → San Diego (PD). San Francisco traded first- and second-round selections (5th and 36th overall) to San Diego in exchange for a first-round selection (22nd overall) and DE Fred Dean.
- ↑ No. 9: Seattle → Houston (PD). See Round 1: Houston → Seattle.
- ↑ No. 11: New Orleans → Green Bay (PD). New Orleans traded a first-round selection (11th overall) to Green Bay in exchange for DE Bruce Clark.
- ↑ No. 14: Cleveland → Buffalo (PD). Cleveland traded a first-round selection (14th overall), a 1984 third-round selection and a 1985 fifth-round selection to Buffalo in exchange for LB Tom Cousineau.
- ↑ No. 18: Tampa Bay → Chicago (PD). Tampa Bay traded a first-round selection (18th overall) to Chicago in exchange for a 1982 second-round selection.
- ↑ No. 20: Green Bay → San Diego (PD). Green Bay traded a first-round selection (20th overall), 1982 first- and second-round selections, a 1984 second-round selection and WR Aundra Thompson to San Diego in exchange for a 1982 first-round selection and WR John Jefferson.
- ↑ No. 22: San Diego → San Francisco → San Diego. Multiple trades:
San Diego → San Francisco (PD). See Round 1: San Francisco → San Diego.
San Francisco → San Diego (PD). San Francisco traded a first-round selection (22nd overall) to San Diego in exchange for two second-round selections (36th and 49th overall).
Round 2
- ↑ No. 36: San Francisco → San Diego → San Francisco → LA Rams. Multiple trades:
San Francisco → San Diego (PD). See Round 1: San Francisco → San Diego.
San Diego → San Francisco (PD). See Round 1: San Francisco → San Diego.
San Francisco → LA Rams (PD). San Francisco traded second- and fourth-round selections (36th and 87th overall) to the LA Rams in exchange for a third-round selection (59th overall), RB Wendell Tyler and DT Cody Jones. - ↑ No. 42: Seattle → Houston (PD). See Round 1: Houston → Seattle.
- ↑ No. 49: San Diego → San Francisco (PD). See Round 1: San Francisco → San Diego.
Round 3
- ↑ No. 59: LA Rams → San Francisco (PD). See Round 2: San Francisco → LA Rams.
- ↑ No. 63: San Francisco → LA Rams → NY Giants. Multiple trades:
San Francisco → LA Rams (PD). San Francisco traded a third-round selection (63rd overall) and a 1980 third-round selection to the LA Rams in exchange for 1980 third- and fourth-round selections, and TE Charle Young.
LA Rams → NY Giants (PD). The LA Rams traded third- and sixth-round selections (63rd and 153rd overall) to the NY Giants in exchange for DE Gary Jeter. - ↑ No. 66: Buffalo → St. Louis → New Orleans. Multiple trades:
Buffalo → St. Louis (PD). Buffalo traded a third-round selection (66th overall) to St. Louis in exchange for a 1982 fourth-round selection.
St. Louis → New Orleans (PD). St. Louis traded a third-round selection (66th overall) to New Orleans in exchange forDL Elois Grooms. - ↑ No. 69: Seattle → Houston (PD). See Round 1: Houston → Seattle.
- ↑ No. 76: Green Bay → Houston → Miami. Multiple trades:
Green Bay → Houston (PD). Green Bay traded a third-round selection (76th overall) to Houston in exchange for OT Angelo Fields.
Houston → Miami (D). Houston traded a third-round selection (76th overall) to Miami in exchange for third- and fifth-round selections (83rd and 139th overall). - ↑ No. 80: San Diego → New England (PD). San Diego traded a third-round selection (80th overall) and a 1982 second-round selection to New England in exchange for S Tim Fox.
- ↑ No. 83: Miami → Houston (D). See Round 3: Houston → Miami.
Round 4
- ↑ No. 87: Denver → San Francisco → LA Rams. Multiple trades:
Denver → San Francisco (PD). Denver traded a fourth-round selection (87th overall) to San Francisco in exchange for QB Steve DeBerg.
San Francisco → LA Rams (PD). See Round 2: San Francisco → LA Rams. - ↑ No. 88: LA Rams → Houston (PD). See Round 1: Houston → LA Rams.
- ↑ No. 95: Cleveland → San Diego (PD). Cleveland traded a fourth-round selection (95th overall) and a 1981 fourth-round selection to San Diego in exchange for LB Don Goode.
- ↑ No. 96: Seattle → St. Louis (PD). Seattle traded a fourth-round selection (96th overall) and a 1982 fourth-round selection to St. Louis in exchange for RB Theotis Brown.
- ↑ No. 97: NY Giants → LA Rams (PD). The NY Giants traded a fourth-round selection (97th overall) to the LA Rams in exchange for QB Jeff Rutledge.
- ↑ No. 107: San Diego → Chicago (PD). San Diego traded fourth- and eighth-round selections (107th and 219th overall) to Chicago in exchange for CB Reuben Henderson.
- ↑ No. 111: Miami → LA Rams (PD). Miami traded a fourth-round selection (111th overall) to the LA Rams in exchange for RB Eddie Hill.
- ↑ No. 112: Washington → New Orleans → Buffalo. Multiple trades:
Washington → New Orleans (PD). Washington traded a fourth-round selection (112th overall) to New Orleans in exchange for 1982 eighth-, ninth-, tenth-, eleventh- and twelfth-round selections.
New Orleans → Buffalo (PD). New Orleans traded a fourth-round selection (112th overall) to Buffalo in exchange for a 1984 third-round selection.
Round 5
- ↑ No. 115: LA Rams → Detroit (D). The LA Rams traded a fifth-round selection (115th overall) to Detroit in exchange for OL Russ Bolinger.
- ↑ No. 118: Chicago → New England (PD). Chicago traded a fifth-round selection (118th overall) to New England in exchange for LB Rod Shoate.
- ↑ No. 125: New Orleans → Denver (PD). New Orleans traded a fifth-round selection (125th overall) to Denver in exchange for LB Rob Nairne.
- ↑ No. 134: San Diego → LA Rams (PD). San Diego traded a fifth-round selection (134th overall) to the LA Rams in exchange for WR Ron Smith.
- ↑ No. 138: LA Raiders → San Francisco → LA Raiders. Multiple trades:
LA Raiders → San Francisco (PD). The LA Raiders traded a fifth-round selection (138th overall) and a 1982 sixth-round selection to San Francisco in exchange for DE Cedrick Hardman.
San Francisco → LA Raiders (PD). San Francisco traded a fifth-round selection (138th overall) to the LA Raiders in exchange for OT Lindsey Mason. - ↑ No. 139: Miami → Houston (D). See Round 3: Houston → Miami.
- ↑ No. 140: Washington → Pittsburgh (PD). Washington traded a fifth-round selection (140th overall) and a 1982 seventh-round selection to Pittsburgh in exchange for QB Mike Kruczek.
Round 6
- ↑ No. 141: Baltimore → San Diego (PD). Baltimore traded a sixth-round selection (141st overall) to San Diego in exchange for LB Mike Wood.
- ↑ No. 145: Chicago → Cleveland (PD). Chicago traded a sixth-round selection (145th overall) to Cleveland in exchange for OL Gerry Sullivan.
- ↑ No. 148: San Francisco → Tampa Bay (??). San Francisco traded a sixth-round selection (148th overall) to Tampa Bay in exchange for a 1984 fourth-round selection.
- ↑ No. 152: New Orleans → Cincinnati (PD). New Orleans traded a sixth-round selection (152nd overall) to Cincinnati in exchange for TE Don Bass.
- ↑ No. 153: Buffalo → LA Rams → NY Giants. Multiple trades:
Buffalo → LA Rams (PD). Buffalo traded a sixth-round selection (153rd overall) to the LA Rams in exchange for DB Bill Simpson.
LA Rams → NY Giants (PD). See Round 3: LA Rams → NY Giants. - ↑ No. 161: San Diego → Baltimore (PD). San Diego traded a sixth-round selection (161st overall) to Baltimore in exchange for S Bruce Laird.
- ↑ No. 166: LA Raiders → Washington (D). The LA Raiders traded a sixth-round selection (166th overall) to Washington in exchange for a 1984 fifth-round selection.
Round 7
- ↑ No. 176: Chicago → Cleveland (PD). Chicago traded a seventh-round selection (176th overall) to Cleveland in exchange for LB Bruce Huther.
- ↑ No. 179: New Orleans → Kansas City (PD). New Orleans traded a seventh-round selection (179th overall) to Kansas City in exchange for LB Whitney Paul.
- ↑ No. 182: Cleveland → Philadelphia (PD). Cleveland traded a seventh-round selection (182nd overall) to Philadelphia in exchange for DE Thomas Brown.
Round 8
- ↑ No. 197: Baltimore → Denver (PD). Baltimore traded an eighth-round selection (197th overall) to Denver in exchange for OT Glenn Hyde.
- ↑ No. 199: Denver → Pittsburgh (PD). Denver traded an eighth-round selection (199th overall) to Pittsburgh in exchange for DB J. T. Thomas.
- ↑ No. 202: San Francisco → San Diego (PD). San Francisco traded an eighth-round selection (202nd overall) and a 1985 seventh-round selection to San Diego in exchange for LB Bob Horn.
- ↑ No. 219: San Diego → Chicago (PD). See Round 4: San Diego → Chicago.
Round 9
- ↑ No. 233: New Orleans → New England (D). New Orleans traded ninth-, tenth-, eleventh- and twelfth-round selections (233rd, 265th, 292nd and 319th overall) to New England in exchange for a 1984 fourth-round selection.
- ↑ No. 235: Cleveland → San Francisco → Chicago. Multiple trades:
Cleveland → San Francisco (PD). Cleveland traded a ninth-round selection (235th overall) to San Francisco in exchange for K Matt Bahr.
San Francisco → Chicago (D). San Francisco traded ninth- and twelfth-round selections (235th and 313th overall) to Chicago in exchange for OL Jeff Williams. - ↑ No. 241: Atlanta → Baltimore (PD). Atlanta traded a ninth-round selection (241st overall) to Baltimore in exchange for P Dave Smigelsky.
Round 10
- ↑ No. 253: Houston → Green Bay (PD). Houston traded a tenth-round selection (253rd overall) to Green Bay in exchange for OT Mark Koncar.
- ↑ No. 255: LA Rams → Minnesota (PD). The LA Rams traded a tenth-round selection (255th overall) to Minnesota in exchange for OT Ron Yary.
- ↑ No. 264: NY Giants → New England (PD). The NY Giants traded a tenth-round selection (264th overall) to New England in exchange for LB Bill Matthews.
- ↑ No. 265: New Orleans → New England (D). See Round 9: New Orleans → New England.
Round 11
- ↑ No. 281: Houston → NY Giants (D). Houston traded eleventh- and twelfth-round selections (281st and 309th overall) to the NY Giants in exchange for a 1984 ninth-round selection.
- ↑ No. 292: New Orleans → New England (D). See Round 9: New Orleans → New England.
- ↑ No. 305: LA Raiders → Cleveland (PD). The LA Raiders traded an eleventh-round selection (305th overall) to Cleveland in exchange for RB Greg Pruitt.
- ↑ No. 307: Washington → San Diego (PD). Washington traded an eleventh-round selection (307th overall) to San Diego in exchange for TE Greg McCrary.
Round 12
- ↑ No. 309: Houston → NY Giants (D). See Round 11: Houston → NY Giants.
- ↑ No. 313: San Francisco → Chicago (D). See Round 9: San Francisco → Chicago.
- ↑ No. 314: Chicago → San Diego (PD). Chicago traded a twelfth-round selection (314th overall) and a 1984 fifth-round selection to San Diego in exchange for OL Jeff Williams.
- ↑ No. 319: New Orleans → New England (D). See Round 9: New Orleans → New England.
- ↑ No. 335: Washington → NY Giants (PD). Washington traded a twelfth-round selection (335th overall) to the NY Giants in exchange for LB Kevin Turner.
Forfeited picks
[edit]One selection in the 1983 draft was forfeited:
- ↑ Detroit forfeited a ninth-round selection after selecting CB Kevin Robinson in the 1982 supplemental draft.[9]
References
[edit]- ↑ "NFL Draft Locations". FootballGeography.com. October 2, 2014. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
- ↑ Salomone, Dan (October 2, 2014). "NFL Draft headed to Chicago in 2015". Giants.com. New York Giants. Archived from the original on September 30, 2015. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
- ↑ Janofsky, Michael (May 3, 1983). "Elway traded to Broncos by Colts". The New York Times.
- ↑ "Hall of Famers by Draft Round | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
- ↑ Thelen, Paul (April 18, 2013). "The Greatest Draft Class in NFL History". Bleacher Report. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
- ↑ "10 Greatest Draft Classes in NFL History". Athlonsports.com.
- 1 2 Players are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro Bowl at any time in their career.
- ↑ Players are identified as a Hall of Famer if they have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
- ↑ "NFL Draft Round by Round". The Spokesman Review. April 27, 1983. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
- ↑ "Pro Football Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on July 31, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Pro Football Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on July 31, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2008.