2003 NFL draft

<p>The 2003 NFL draft was the procedure by which <a href="/facts/National_Football_League/cBH0hxRV">National Football League</a> (NFL) teams selected amateur <a href="/facts/College_football/sQHYX0Ct">college football</a> players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since <a href="/facts/1936_NFL_draft/H2aNFvj8">1936</a>. The <a href="/facts/NFL_draft/2aHIdgYY">draft</a> was held April 26–27, <a href="/facts/2003_NFL_season/KrSabB8Q">2003</a>, at <a href="/facts/The_Theatre_at_Madison_Square_Garden/tzl8TsKk">the Theatre at Madison Square Garden</a> in <a href="/facts/New_York_City/YlyvFmVC">New York City</a>, <a href="/facts/New_York_(state)/mnl67G1G">New York</a>. The league also held a <a href="/facts/NFL_draft/2aHIdgYY">supplemental draft</a> after the regular draft and before the regular season.
</p><p>The draft was broadcast on <a href="/facts/ESPN/1FeLYofR">ESPN</a> and <a href="/facts/ESPN2/udCD80nM">ESPN2</a> beginning at noon on Saturday, April 26 and beginning at 11:00 am on Sunday, April 27. The draft consisted of seven rounds, with teams selecting in the reverse order of the finish the <a href="/facts/2002_NFL_season/RxVNHotB">previous season</a>. There were 32 <a href="/facts/NFL_draft/2aHIdgYY">compensatory picks</a> distributed among 15 teams, with five teams each receiving four additional selections. In addition, the <a href="/facts/2003_Houston_Texans_season/eUxs7v4w">Houston Texans</a>, who started play as an <a href="/facts/Expansion_team/qpNYI8ov">expansion franchise</a> the <a href="/facts/2002_Houston_Texans_season/ydlc8AYP">previous season</a>, were granted a supplemental selection in the middle of each of the draft's final five rounds, plus the final selection in the final two rounds.
</p><p>There was little drama when the draft began with the <a href="/facts/2003_Cincinnati_Bengals_season/zt2A5j2d">Cincinnati Bengals</a> selecting <a href="/facts/Carson_Palmer/8N2nooMu">Carson Palmer</a>, as Palmer had agreed to contract terms with the Bengals the previous day. He became the first <a href="/facts/Heisman_Trophy/X7CToY36">Heisman Trophy</a> winner selected first overall in the draft since <a href="/facts/Vinny_Testaverde/BM9vgeCx">Vinny Testaverde</a> in <a href="/facts/1987_NFL_draft/rnUGCgmz">1987</a>. The event ended nearly 30 hours later with <a href="/facts/Ryan_Hoag/sEW5r5Iz">Ryan Hoag</a> being chosen by the Oakland Raiders with the final pick and thus gaining the distinction of "<a href="/facts/Mr._Irrelevant/GnM5BKRk">Mr. Irrelevant</a>".
</p><p>The draft took an odd turn with the <a href="/facts/2003_Minnesota_Vikings_season/zVb3VS97">Minnesota Vikings</a> and their pick (seventh) in the first round.  The Vikings were apparently attempting to consummate a trade when their fifteen-minute time allowance elapsed.  The <a href="/facts/2003_Jacksonville_Jaguars_season/328loSyW">Jaguars</a> who selected next were quick to pounce, turning in their card to select QB <a href="/facts/Byron_Leftwich/WIa9BMcj">Byron Leftwich</a> immediately after the Vikings' time elapsed.  The <a href="/facts/2003_Carolina_Panthers_season/yGtPVTtY">Panthers</a> also took advantage of the gaffe, selecting OT <a href="/facts/Jordan_Gross/o8ItATd7">Jordan Gross</a> before the Vikings recovered and selected DT <a href="/facts/Kevin_Williams_(defensive_tackle)/gNKuDF7o">Kevin Williams</a>. Nevertheless, the mistake may have worked in the Vikings' favor as Williams went on to be a mainstay in their team, missing only four games in his first 10 seasons in the NFL and making six Pro Bowls.
</p><p>The colleges with the most players selected in the draft were <a href="/facts/2002_Florida_Gators_football_team/XJLyA0d7">Florida</a>, <a href="/facts/2002_Miami_Hurricanes_football_team/DI0eNhf0">Miami</a> and <a href="/facts/2002_Tennessee_Volunteers_football_team/jXcFFPbc">Tennessee</a> which each had eight players chosen. Meanwhile, <a href="/facts/2002_Penn_State_Nittany_Lions_football_team/kBptdbMp">Penn State</a> and Miami each had four players selected in the first round. Eleven defensive linemen were selected in round one, eclipsing the previous record of nine, set in <a href="/facts/2001_NFL_draft/HTYM8omf">2001</a>. Ten underclassmen were taken in the first round, including three of the first four overall selections. The first round lasted nearly five hours. The <a href="/facts/2003_Buffalo_Bills_season/gncMCmcp">Buffalo Bills</a> selection of Miami's <a href="/facts/Willis_McGahee/ACHo5tI2">Willis McGahee</a> as the first running back off the board was notable because he was recovering from a career-threatening injury he suffered in the <a href="/facts/2003_Fiesta_Bowl/FDj8dNPG">Fiesta Bowl</a> which it was believed could have caused him to miss the upcoming season.
</p><p>This draft is notable for its excellent undrafted players, including longtime Dallas Cowboys quarterback <a href="/facts/Tony_Romo/DQdrx3Yt">Tony Romo</a> and longtime San Diego Chargers, Hall of Famer, tight end <a href="/facts/Antonio_Gates/25MKeRRC">Antonio Gates</a>.
</p><p>The 262 players chosen in the draft were in the following positions:
</p>
<table><tbody><tr><td><ul><li>53 <a href="/facts/Defensive_back/x0GeQywf">defensive backs</a></li><li>36 <a href="/facts/Wide_receiver/lHcKSc0f">wide receivers</a></li><li>30 <a href="/facts/Linebacker/H35YRMPz">linebackers</a></li><li>24 <a href="/facts/Defensive_end/aKFXMG9Y">defensive ends</a></li><li>24 <a href="/facts/Defensive_tackle/clGvpjh9">defensive tackles</a></li></ul></td><td><ul><li>23 <a href="/facts/Running_back/meHXyVWb">running backs</a></li><li>21 <a href="/facts/Offensive_tackle/y2tqFqBf">offensive tackles</a></li><li>14 <a href="/facts/Guard_(American_football)/JoGUneGX">guards</a></li><li>14 <a href="/facts/Tight_end/CGbYeaoB">tight ends</a></li><li>13 <a href="/facts/Quarterback/AFP39x6G">quarterbacks</a></li></ul></td><td><ul><li>10 <a href="/facts/Center_(American_football)/u70MK114">centers</a></li><li>2 <a href="/facts/Punter_(football_position)/SxbAlk56">punters</a></li><li>1 <a href="/facts/Placekicker/aR0jRPm2">kicker</a></li><li>1 <a href="/facts/Tackle_(American_football)/y2tqFqBf">nose tackle</a></li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table>

2003 NFL draft open-in-new

2003 NFL draft