NFL82 Draft

Round 1

1. Browns—WR Anthony Hancock, Tennessee—The Browns "gave their quarterbacks a bright, new collaborator … By almost unanimous opinion, the slick, swift Hancock was the best receiver available in the draft. If he can't break into the lineup almost immediately, something is wrong."[1]

2. Giants—T Luis Sharpe, UCLA—New coach Mike Ditka immediately goes to work on his offensive line. The last time New York drafted an offensive lineman nearly this high, the choice was John Hicks of Ohio State with the third pick overall in NFL74. Sharpe's arrival, in fact, could mean curtains for Hicks in New York. Cuban-born, Sharpe moved to Detroit when he was 6 and his dad went to work in the automobile industry.

3. Bengals—QB Art Schlichter, Ohio State—OK, it's an appropriate destination for the ex-Buckeye, but can Cincinnati actually get him signed?

4. Broncos—T Bubba Parris, Michigan—Said Saints coach Hank Stram: "I'm skeptical about teams claiming, 'We draft the best athlete available.' The truth is that most teams draft on the basis of need … (Denver) needed a left tackle and they got a good one in Michigan's Bubba Paris."[2]

5. Falcons—FB Gerald Riggs, Arizona State

6. Bills—DE Jeff Bryant, Clemson—"The first surprise of the opening round. Most of the experts figured Byrant as a low first rounder or high second."[3]

7. Buccaneers—TE Lawrence Sampleton, Texas—A young quarterback's best friend can be a sure-handed tight end lurking as a big, dependable target in the foreground of a confusing defense. Rich Campbell, meet Lawrence Sampleton.

8. Raiders—FB Stan Edwards, Michigan

9. Patriots—DT Lester Williams, Miami

10. Saints—DT Leo Wisniewski, Penn State—He dominated a very good Southern Cal offensive line in the Fiesta Bowl. Can Leo, the former Lion, roar in the NFC West, as well?

11. Vikings—DT David Galloway, Florida—"An avid reader of comic books … Was raised by his older sister, Shelly, after his mother died when he was nine and father passed away when he was two … Nicknamed 'Bull' for his habit of kicking his leg when in his stance."[4]

12. Packers—DE Kenneth Sims, Texas

13. Eagles—S Vann McElroy, Baylor—Widespread consensus was that none of the available defensive backs merited a first-round selection in the NFL82 draft, but Dick Vermeil didn't believe he could wait. With all four of his NFL80 starting secondary now retired, Vermeil has now picked defensive backs with each of his last four selections—counting all three picks in NFL81. This year's addition is a three-year starter who picked off eight passes as a junior and earned All-American mention as a senior.

14. Bears—LB Johnie Cooks, Mississippi State

15. Seahawks—DT Emanuel Weaver, South Carolina—Seattle got a 21-sack season out of last year's first-round draft pick, DT John Harty, and the Seahawks continue to get solid production out of defensive linemen John Zimba and Lodie Dixon (eight and nine sacks, respectively), seven seasons after Jack Patera claimed them from the World Football League fallout. Yet, Seattle still ranked only 15th in the league in team sacks and allowed opponents a near-NFL81-worst 4.1 yards per rushing attempt.

16. Cowboys—HB Darrin Nelson, Stanford—He could prove to be a valuable water-bug alternative to Earl Campbell's bruising style, but Nelson certainly didn't endear himself to Cowboys fans on draft day. Learning of his draft destination, Nelson poked fun at the Texas lifestyle and jokingly wondered whether the Dallas discos play country-and-western music. And there was nothing light-hearted about his suggestions that he might bolt to Edmonton in the Canadian Football League if the Cowboys failed to meet his salary expectations.

17. Rams (from Redskins)—DT Tony Elliott, North Texas—If all goes according to plan, this might be the last you hear of him. Elliott is the kind of invisible, blocker-enveloping force in the middle of a defensive line that could free Los Angeles's maturing linebackers for splashy plays. If John Barefield or Brian Cabrail shows up on post-season All-Pro teams, it might mean Elliott deserves consideration for NFL82 rookie of the year.

18. Rams—HB Marcus Allen, Southern California—Oh, but if O.J. Simpson had been so lucky to drift down into the latter half of the first round after winning his Heisman at USC.

19. Cardinals—WR Lindsay Scott, Georgia

20. Colts—WR Perry Tuttle, Clemson

21. Raiders (from Chargers)— LB Chip Banks, Southern California—"Aggressive and 'hostile' player who hunches low and hits very hard for a tall LB … Will break on the ball, has excellent hands for the interception, and runs like a HB once he catches the ball. Also a fine blitzer whose huge wingspan can blot out the sun for shorter QBs. Not a lazy player, but must be prodded to play at a high level of intensity down after down."[5]

22. 49ers—DE Keith Baldwin, Texas A&M—Some feel he's the best pure pass rusher in the draft.

23. Jets—WR Mike Quick, North Carolina State—"A relatively slow 4.62 receiver … who nonetheless can catch well in traffic and is a good blocker."[6]

24. Oilers—DE Glen Collins, Mississippi State

25. Broncos (from Steelers)—QB Jim McMahon, Brigham Young—Though the second player at his position selected, most felt McMahon was the available quarterback most ready to start in NFL82. Is Danny White already headed back to the bench?

26. Chiefs—LB Jimmy Williams, Nebraska—Faster than most of the running backs in the draft.

27. Dolphins—FB Dwayne Crutchfield, Iowa State

28. Lions—QB Oliver Luck, West Virginia—A brilliant tactician in the mold of Greg Landry, to eventually replace the aging Super Bowl star.


Round 2

29. Browns—TE Tim Wrightman, UCLA—Could start right into a starting job with Cleveland dropping NFL81 TE1 Gary Parris in the offseason.

30. Giants—T John Meyer, Arizona State—"Former basketball player and converted TE who has made dramatic improvement over the past two seasons. … Played high school football, but didn't play college ball until his junior year. Still a bit unpolished in overall technique. Still growing and learning; could turn out to be the best OT in this draft, as he gets stronger and gains experience."[7]

31. Bengals—T Reggie McElroy, West Texas A&M—The Bengals prefer to draft skill-position players. The last time Cincinnati sought offensive-line help in the draft was NFL77, when it selected Ohio State T Chris Ward in Round 3. He has rarely been on the Bengals' active roster for games in the seasons since.

32. Broncos—C Jim Romano, Penn State

33. Falcons—C Bill Bechtold, Oklahoma—New coach Ron Meyer, whose "Pony Express" offense at Southern Methodist won the Southwest Conference in 1981, wants to run in Atlanta. He got his ball-carrier in Round 1 in Arizona State's Riggs. He got a path-clearer in Round 2 in Oklahoma's Bechtold.

34. Bills—LB Bob Crable, Notre Dame

35. Buccaneers—T Darryl Haley, Utah—With plenty of celebrated offensive linemen from major powers still on the board, new coach Jack Pardee gambles on a raw, huge project who didn't even start for the Utes until his senior season.

36. Raiders—G Roy Foster, Southern California—"An intimidating blocker who opened paths for two Heisman Trophy winners, … he was recruited by Trojans as a fullback but quickly changed to guard as a freshman."[8]

37. Patriots—DT Mike Perko, Utah State—New England's defense ranked 24th in NFL81, and the problems start up front, where the Patriots are old. Chuck Fairbanks spends his first two picks on defensive linemen.

38. Saints—WR Orlando McDaniel, Louisiana State—The dearth of quality wide receivers in New Orleans revealed itself in the NFL80 playoffs. The Saints didn't get that far after Stram failed to draft any in NFL81.

39. Vikings—DT Charles Daum, California Polytechnic-San Luis Obispo—Bud Grant continues to try to put together a new cocktail of Pages, Ellers and Marshalls.

40. Packers—S Benny Perrin, Alabama—Also played shortstop on the Crimson Tide baseball team.

41. Eagles—LB Bruce Scholtz, Texas

42. Bears—LB Jack Squirek, Illinois—It worked out the last time Chicago selected an Illini linebacker. Dick Butkus, selected in the first round of NFL65, was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame three years ago.

43. Seahawks—DE Doug Rogers, Stanford—"May lack a 'defensive' temperament, and projected by some scouts as an OT."[9]

44. Cowboys—DE John Cannon, William & Mary

45. Redskins—FB Van Williams, Carson-Newman—A muscular fullback straight out of central casting who will do well to learn a thing or two about playing the position from wily 12th-year Redskins FB1 John Riggins.

46. Rams—HB Walter Abercrombie, Baylor

47. Cardinals—WR Mark Duper, Northwestern State (Louisiana)—Called "Super Duper" since his days at Moreauville High School in Louisiana, he ran the anchor leg of the NCAA's champion 400-meter relay team when he was a collegiate junior. Duper holds the Northwestern State 100-meter dash record (10.21) seconds that had been previously held by NFL81 Rams HB Joe Delaney.

48. Colts—WR Cedric Jones, Duke

49. Chargers—WR Carl Powell, Jackson State—San Diego attempted to find new targets for Dan Fouts in last season's draft. Second-round TE Maurice Harvey looked like a budding star, but he left for the CFL. Third-round WR Doug Donley barely got on the field as a rookie. So, on comes Powell.

50. 49ers—HB Barry Redden, Richmond—"He finished a four-year career at Richmond with 3,324 yards on 707 carries (a 4.7-yard average), scored 21 touchdowns and was named the top offensive player in the Senior Bowl. He carried 12 times for 101 yards in that all-star game. Additionally, Redden finished third among Division I-A backs last year with 1,629 yards, behind only Marcus Allen (Southern Cal) and Herschel Walker (Georgia)."[10]

51. Jets—QB Matt Kofler, San Diego State

52. Oilers—DT Arthur King, Grambling State—Houston's returning roster of defensive lineman is young and strong, so the choices of Collins in Round 1 and now King comprise a bit of a surprise.

53. Steelers—DE Booker Reese, Bethune-Cookman—"A sleeper from tiny Bethune-Cookman College until his uncommon blend of size (6-foot, 279 pounds) and speed (4.69 seconds in the 40) jarred scouts awake."[11]

54. Packers (from Chiefs)—G Mike Munchak, Penn State—Had a year of eligibility remaining after missing his junior year because of two knee injuries. Fear of re-injuring that knee prompted Munchak to enter the draft.

55. Dolphins—DE George Crump, East Carolina—With his first two selections, Don Shula directly targets two positions on his team that were weakened by retirements after NFL81. Here, pass-rushing-star Crump steps in to fight for some of the downs played by former AFC Defensive Player of the Year Vern Den Herder, who retired. In the first round, the Dolphins took a fullback, Crutchfield, in the wake of Norm Bulaich's retirement.

56. Lions—CB Rod Hill, Kentucky State—S Dick Jauron goes out with a championship, and Rick Forzano adds a new hand for a deep secondary balanced nicely with experience and youth.


Round 3

57. Browns—S John Krimm, Notre Dame—Another position of need in Cleveland, and Krimm—who projected as the best defensive back in the NFL82 draft after his junior year—might be ready to start in Week 1.

58. Giants—G Sean Farrell, Penn State—"Farrell, from a well-to-do Long Island family, said he did not particularly care for his neighbor, Howard Cosell. When told (the Giants) were making two rare appearances on Monday Night Football this season, Farrell replied, 'In that case, I think he's a terrific guy.'"[12]

59. Bengals—HB Butch Woolfolk, Michigan

60. Broncos—G Ron Hallstrom, Iowa

61. Falcons—T James Robbins, East Carolina—A second-team All-American, making "Tootie" the most nationally celebrated player in the history of ECU football.

62. Bills—LB Andre Tippett, Iowa—The Bills tied with Oakland for the fourth-fewest sacks in NFL81. The Hawkeye could improve Buffalo's situation immediately.

63. Buccaneers—FB Dave Barrett, Houston—An excellent collegiate blocker drafted to be the last, emergency line of pass protection for Rich Campbell. Bucs quarterbacks were sacked 86 times in NFL81—the league's worst total by 15 sacks!

64. Raiders—T Ed Muransky, Michigan—"If … Muransky agrees to discipline his diet, he could play in the offensive line for a generation."[13]

65. Patriots—CB Rodney Lewis, Nebraska—New England's once-vaunted secondary is in flux. Reserve CBs Lou West and Joe Blahak retired this offseason, so the erratic Lewis has a chance to stick with the Patriots.

66. Saints—CB Bobby Watkins, Southwest Texas State—A converted high-school running back and relative unknown whom some NFL coaches felt was the best natural talent among the defensive backs on the draft board.

67. Vikings—DT Ralph Warthen, Gardner-Webb—"Georgia transfer who has learned to play well in a small-time program, but doesn't dominate the way he should … Appears to have the necessary tools, but he's very raw and won't be ready for several years."[14]

68. Packers—S Fred Marion, Miami (Florida)—Green Bay had the league's third-ranked defense and 20th-ranked defense in NFL81 but spent all three of its NFL82 draft choices on defense.

69. Falcons (from Eagles)—LB Calvin Daniels, North Carolina—"Lawrence Taylor was a late bloomer who didn't put things together until his senior year. Daniels is a bit behind Taylor in terms of development, but he's still a productive, if erratic, player. With more training and experience as a LB, he could mature into a great one."[15]

70. Bears—DT Randy Trautman, Boise State—Fits nicely into the Chicago depth chart with the NFL81 retirement of underrated DT Jim Osborne after 10 seasons.

71. Seahawks—DE Robert Brown, Virginia Polytechnic Institute—Played a mostly three-point position in college, but some scouts before the draft felt the 6-foot-2 1/4, 235-pound Brown's future would be as a pass-rushing outside linebacker.

72. Cowboys—LB Jeff Rohrer, Yale—The retirement of Tom Landry after NFL80 did not end Dallas's habit of selecting players off major college football's beaten path. In Round 2, the Cowboys tap William & Mary for a defensive end. Here, they go linebacker shopping at Yale.

73. Redskins—QB Mike Pagel, Arizona State—Not on many draft boards until a 466-yard, seven-touchdown-passes-to-four-receivers day against Stanford last October.

74. Rams—LB Eugene Marve, Saginaw Valley State

75. Cardinals—S George Floyd, Eastern Kentucky

76. Colts—WR Stacey Bailey, San Jose State—The Colts had NFL81's 16th-ranked passing offense, and all three Baltimore draft choices bring three wide receivers.

77. Chargers—FB Reggie Brown, Oregon

78. 49ers—HB Gerald Willhite, San Jose State—Last season—losing Delvin Williams, Will Harrell and Terry Miller to various injuries—San Francisco simply ran out of healthy bodies at the position. Monte Clark takes two, Redden in the second and now Willhite, to improve depth.

79. Jets—C Mike Baab, Texas—"Intense, super aggressive player who may not have the athletic ability scouts want … Great attitude and he always works to improve."[16]

80. Oilers—HB Robert Weathers, Arizona State—Lightning to Gerald Riggs's thunder in the Sun Devil backfield, Weathers begins an apprenticeship under NFL81 rushing champ Ronnie Coleman.

81. Steelers—DT Warren Lyles, Alabama

82. Chiefs—WR Eugene Goodlow, Kansas State—The Chiefs have a couple of fine receivers, All-Pro Armand Jackson and Carl Roaches, who are both entering their seventh seasons, so Goodlow would seemingly have a few seasons to round out his skills if he can keep himself on the roster.

83. Dolphins—QB Mike Kelley, Georgia Tech

84. Lions—S Durwood Roquemore, Texas A&M-Kingsville




[1] Felser, Larry "AFCwest" Street and Smith's Official Yearbook 1982 Pro Football 106.

[2] Felser, Larry "Striking It Rich in the College Draft" Street and Smith's Official Yearbook 1982 Pro Football 9.

[3] Knight, Bill "Seattle Seahawks" 1982 Pro Football Yearbook (1982) 136.

[4] 1982 St. Louis Cardinals Football (St. Louis, Mo.: St. Louis Cardinals, 1982) 87.

[5] Draft '82 Volume I (Skokie, Ill.: Consolidated Draft Systems, 1981) 21.

[6] Hofmann, Rich "Philadelphia Eagles" 1982 Pro Football Yearbook (1982) 42.

[7] Draft '82 Volume I (Skokie, Ill.: Consolidated Draft Systems, 1981) 7.

[8] Kearney, Bob Dolphins 82 Media Guide (Miami, Fla.: Miami Dolphins, 1982) 76.

[9] Draft '82 Volume I (Skokie, Ill.: Consolidated Draft Systems, 1981) 29.

[10] Cox, Bob "Los Angeles Rams" 1982 Pro Football Yearbook (1982) 80.

[11] Tierney, Mike "Tampa Bay Buccaneers" 1982 Pro Football Yearbook (1982) 60.

[12] Tierney, Mike "Tampa Bay Buccaneers" 1982 Pro Football Yearbook (1982) 60.

[13] Felser, Larry "AFCwest" Street and Smith's Official Yearbook 1982 Pro Football 116.

[14] Draft '82 Volume I (Skokie, Ill.: Consolidated Draft Systems, 1981) 27.

[15] Draft '82 Volume I (Skokie, Ill.: Consolidated Draft Systems, 1981) 22.

[16] Draft '82 Volume I (Skokie, Ill.: Consolidated Draft Systems, 1981) 10.