The 2003 NFL draft was held April 26–27 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, where NFL teams selected college football players in seven rounds. The draft began with the Cincinnati Bengals picking Carson Palmer first overall, the first Heisman Trophy winner drafted first since 1987. Notably, the Minnesota Vikings missed their pick time, allowing the Jaguars and Panthers to select ahead. Colleges like Florida and Miami had the most draftees. The draft also featured notable undrafted talents such as Tony Romo and Antonio Gates. A total of 262 players across multiple positions, including 53 defensive backs and 13 quarterbacks, were selected.
Player selections
| Positions key |
Trades
In the explanations below, (D) denotes trades that took place during the draft, while (PD) indicates trades completed pre-draft.
Round one Round two Round three Round four Round five Round six Round seven NotesSupplemental draft selections
For each player selected in the Supplemental Draft, the team forfeited its pick in that round in the draft of the following season.
| Rnd. | Pick No. | NFL team | Player | Pos. | College | Conf. | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | – | Houston Texans | Tony Hollings | RB | Georgia Tech | ACC |
Notable undrafted players
| † | = Pro Bowler109 |
| ‡ | = Hall of Famer110 |
Hall of Famers
- Troy Polamalu, strong safety from USC, taken 1st round 16th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
- Andre Johnson, wide receiver from Miami (FL), taken 1st round 3rd overall by the Houston Texans.
- Antonio Gates, tight end from Kent State, undrafted.
- "2003 NFL Draft". NFL. Archived from the original on November 17, 2006. Retrieved November 26, 2006.
- "ESPN.com: NFL Draft 2003". ESPN. Archived from the original on May 24, 2011. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
- "FFToday.com Draft Tracker". FFToday.com. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
- "2003 NFL Draft Pick Transactions". ProSportsTransactions.com. Archived from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
- "2003 NFL Draft: Six Years Later". FootballOutsiders.com. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
References
"NFL Draft: Overview". ESPN. April 11, 2011. Archived from the original on April 13, 2011. Retrieved April 15, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110413223712/http://espn.go.com/nfl/topics/_/page/nfl-draft ↩
"Facts and figures on the 2003 NFL Draft". NFL. Archived from the original on November 13, 2006. Retrieved November 26, 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20061113132539/http://www.nfl.com/draft/story/6321784 ↩
Hack, Damon (April 27, 2003). "N.F.L. Draft Starts on Offense, Then Shifts to Defense". The New York Times. Retrieved April 11, 2011. https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30614FB39590C748EDDAD0894DB404482 ↩
"NFL Draft Locations". FootballGeography.com. October 2, 2014. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20150905090250/http://www.footballgeography.com/nfl-draft-sites/ ↩
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. https://web.archive.org/web/20150930065327/http://www.giants.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/NFL-Draft-headed-to-Chicago-in-2015/3ac322b1-3b4c-4a16-aba7-6e08d31b1756 ↩
"NFL Draft Compensatory Picks List". Sports Illustrated. March 25, 2003. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20121104045848/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/news/2003/03/24/compensatory_picks_ap/ ↩
"Fact & Figures on 2003 NFL Draft". National Football League. April 16, 2003. Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved October 29, 2013. https://www.nfl.info/nflmedia/News/2003News/2003DraftFacts&Figures.htm ↩
"Minnesota Passes In NFL Draft". CBSNews.com. April 26, 2003. Retrieved April 15, 2011. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/minnesota-passes-in-nfl-draft/ ↩
Hack, Damon (April 28, 2003). "High-Speed Precision On Draft's 2nd Day". The New York Times. Retrieved April 15, 2011. https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F2071EFB38590C7B8EDDAD0894DB404482 ↩
Hack, Damon (April 27, 2003). "N.F.L. Draft Starts on Offense, Then Shifts to Defense". The New York Times. Retrieved April 11, 2011. https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30614FB39590C748EDDAD0894DB404482 ↩
"Draft Facts". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. April 27, 2003. Retrieved April 11, 2011. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hakaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fUMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3642%2C5544128 ↩
"Hurricanes, Nittany Lions dominate first round". Sports Illustrated. April 26, 2006. Archived from the original on December 20, 2007. Retrieved April 15, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20071220035319/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/2003/draft/news/2003/04/26/draft_notebook_ap/ ↩
Hack, Damon (April 27, 2003). "N.F.L. Draft Starts on Offense, Then Shifts to Defense". The New York Times. Retrieved April 11, 2011. https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30614FB39590C748EDDAD0894DB404482 ↩
"Hurricanes, Nittany Lions dominate first round". Sports Illustrated. April 26, 2006. Archived from the original on December 20, 2007. Retrieved April 15, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20071220035319/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/2003/draft/news/2003/04/26/draft_notebook_ap/ ↩
Hack, Damon (April 27, 2003). "N.F.L. Draft Starts on Offense, Then Shifts to Defense". The New York Times. Retrieved April 11, 2011. https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30614FB39590C748EDDAD0894DB404482 ↩
"Minnesota Passes In NFL Draft". CBSNews.com. April 26, 2003. Retrieved April 15, 2011. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/minnesota-passes-in-nfl-draft/ ↩
"McGahee arrives in Buffalo". NFL. May 1, 2003. Archived from the original on September 8, 2006. Retrieved November 26, 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060908194404/http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/BUF/6347750 ↩
"Draft Trades (Day 2)". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. April 28, 2003. Retrieved April 13, 2011. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hqkaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fUMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6687%2C6218446 ↩
Players are identified as Pro Bowlers 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. ↩
May sometimes be referred to as an edge rusher (EDGE) /wiki/Edge_rusher ↩
Also known as offensive guard (OG) ↩
Also known as placekicker (PK) ↩
Also known as inside linebacker (ILB) ↩
May sometimes be referred to as an edge rusher (EDGE) /wiki/Edge_rusher ↩
#4: Chicago → New York Jets (PD). Chicago traded this selection to the Jets in exchange for picks #13 (obtained from Washington as compensation for Washington signing Jets' restricted free agent Laveranues Coles) and #22 in the first round and the Jets' fourth-round selection (#116).[source 4] ↩
#6: Arizona → New Orleans (D). Arizona traded this selection along with picks #37 and #102 to New Orleans in exchange for picks #17 (received from Miami in the Ricky Williams trade), #18 and #54.[source 1] ↩
#7: Minnesota held the 7th pick, but the Vikings did not make their selection in the allotted time. By rule, they could make a selection at any time afterwards, however Jacksonville and Carolina were able to make their own picks before Minnesota could make its own.[source 1] ↩
#8: see #7.[source 1] ↩
#9: see #7.[source 1] ↩
#13: multiple trades: #13: Washington → New York Jets (PD). The Jets acquired this pick from Washington as compensation for Washington's signing of Jets' restricted free agent WR Laveranues Coles[source 5] #13: New York Jets → Chicago (PD). see #4: Chicago → New York Jets #13: Chicago → New England Patriots (D). New England acquired this pick from Chicago for #14 and their sixth-round selection #193[source 2] /wiki/Laveranues_Coles ↩
#14: multiple trades: #14: Buffalo → New England (PD). Buffalo traded this selection to New England for QB Drew Bledsoe[source 6] #14: New England → Chicago (D). see #13: Chicago → New England Patriots /wiki/Drew_Bledsoe ↩
#15: San Diego → Philadelphia (D). Philadelphia acquired this pick from San Diego for Philadelphia's first-round (#30) and second-round (#62) selections.[source 2] ↩
#16: Kansas City → Pittsburgh (D). Pittsburgh acquired this pick from Kansas City for Pittsburgh's first-round (#27), third-round (#92) and sixth-round (#200) selections.[source 2] ↩
#17: New Orleans → Arizona (D). see #6: Arizona → New Orleans ↩
#18: multiple trades: #18: Miami → New Orleans (PD). New Orleans acquired this pick along with a 2002 first-round selection (with which New Orleans selected DE Charles Grant) from Miami for RB Ricky Williams. This conditional pick became a first-rounder when Williams rushed for over 1,500 yards for Miami in 2002.[source 7] #18: New Orleans → Arizona (D). see #6: Arizona → New Orleans /wiki/2002_NFL_draft ↩
#19: New England → Baltimore (D). Baltimore acquired this pick from New England for Baltimore's second-rounder (#41) and Baltimore's first-round selection in 2004[source 2] ↩
#22: New York Jets → Chicago (PD). see #4: Chicago → New York Jets ↩
#23: Atlanta → Buffalo (PD). Buffalo acquired this pick from Atlanta for WR Peerless Price[source 8] /wiki/Peerless_Price ↩
#27: Pittsburgh → Kansas City (D). see #16: Kansas City → Pittsburgh ↩
#30: Philadelphia → San Diego (D). see #15: San Diego → Philadelphia ↩
#32: Tampa Bay → Oakland (PD). Oakland acquired this pick – along with Tampa Bay's first- and second-round selections in 2002 and Tampa Bay's second-round selection in 2004. – for the rights to head coach Jon Gruden[source 9] /wiki/2002_NFL_draft ↩
#36: Houston → New England (D). New England acquired this pick and Houston's fourth-round selection (#117) from Houston for Baltimore's second-rounder (#41 see #19: New England → Baltimore) and New England's third-round selection(#75).[source 2] ↩
#37: Arizona → New Orleans (D). see #6: Arizona → New Orleans ↩
#41: multiple trades: #41: Baltimore → New England (D). see #19: New England → Baltimore #41: New England → Houston (D). see #36: Houston → New England ↩
#45: Carolina → New England (D). New England acquired this selection from Carolina for New England's second-rounder (#50) and fourth-round selection(#120).[source 2] ↩
#50: New England → Carolina (D). see #45: Carolina → New England ↩
#54: New Orleans → Arizona (D). see #6: Arizona → New Orleans ↩
#62: multiple trades: #62: Green Bay → Philadelphia (PD). Philadelphia acquired this selection from Green Bay for CB Al Harris and Philadelphia's fourth-round selection(#120).[source 10] #62: Philadelphia → San Diego (D). see #15: San Diego → Philadelphia /wiki/Al_Harris_(cornerback) ↩
#75: multiple trades: #75: Washington → New England (PD). Washington traded this pick and their fourth-round selection in 2004 (#104) to New England for pick #81 and New England's fifth-round selection (#140), which Washington needed to compensate the New York Jets for Washington's signing of the Jets' restricted free agent KR Chad Morton.[source 11][source 12] #75: New England → Houston (D). see #36: Houston → New England /wiki/2004_NFL_draft#Pick_104 ↩
#78: multiple trades: #78: Kansas City → New Orleans (PD). New Orleans acquired this selection from Kansas City in exchange for OT Willie Roaf. [source 13][source 14] #78: New Orleans → New England (D). New England acquired this selection and New Orleans' seventh-round selection (#239) from New Orleans for safetyTebucky Jones.[source 15] #78: New England → Miami (PD). New England sent this selection to Miami in exchange for Miami's second-round selection in 2004[source 16] ↩
#79: Buffalo → Green Bay (D). Green Bay acquired this pick from Buffalo for Buffalo's third-rounder (#94) and Buffalo's fourth-round selection(#127).[source 2] ↩
#81: New England → Washington (PD). see #75: Washington → New England[source 11] ↩
#82: Denver → Carolina (D). Carolina acquired this pick from Denver for Carolina's two fourth-rounders (#108) and (#120 acquired from New England) and Carolina's seventh-round selection(#227).[source 2] ↩
#83: Houston → Oakland (D). Oakland acquired this pick and Houston's seventh-round selection (#262) from Houston for Oakland's second-round selection in 2004[source 2] ↩
#88: Atlanta → Houston (PD). Houston acquired this pick from Atlanta for Houston's fourth round selection(#116) in the 2002 draft which Atlanta used to select G Martin Bibla.[source 12] /wiki/2002_NFL_draft#Pick_116 ↩
#92: Pittsburgh → Kansas City (D). see #16: Kansas City → Pittsburgh ↩
#94: Green Bay → Buffalo (D). see #79: Buffalo → Green Bay[source 2] ↩
#102: Arizona → New Orleans (D). see #6: Arizona → New Orleans[source 1] ↩
#107: Washington → St. Louis (PD). St. Louis acquired this pick and G David Loverne from Washington for RB Trung Canidate.[source 10] /wiki/David_Loverne ↩
#108: Carolina → Denver (D). see #82: Denver → Carolina[source 2] ↩
#116: New York Jets → Chicago (PD). see #4: Chicago → New York Jets ↩
#117: Houston → New England (D). see #36: Houston → New England[source 2] ↩
#118: New Orleans → Cincinnati (PD). New Orleans traded this pick to Cincinnati for RB Curtis Keaton.[source 12] /wiki/Curtis_Keaton ↩
#119: Miami → Carolina (PD). Miami traded this pick along with DE Al Wallace to Carolina for DE Jay Williams.[source 17] /wiki/Al_Wallace ↩
#120: multiple trades: #120: New England → Carolina (D). see #45: Carolina → New England #120: Carolina → Denver (D). see #82: Denver → Carolina[source 2] #120: Denver → New England (D). Denver traded this pick to New England for fourth-round (#128) and fifth-round (#157) selections.[source 3] ↩
#127: multiple trades: #127: Philadelphia → Green Bay (PD). see #62: Green Bay → Philadelphia[source 10] #127: Green Bay → Buffalo (D). see #79: Buffalo → Green Bay[source 2] ↩
#128: multiple trades: #128: Green Bay → New England (PD). Green Bay traded this pick and their fourth-round selection (#126) in 2002 to New England for WR Terry Glenn[source 18] #128: New England → Denver (D). see #120: Denver → New England.[source 3] /wiki/2002_NFL_draft#Pick_126 ↩
#138: Houston → Indianapolis (D). Houston traded this pick to Indianapolis for Indianapolis' fourth-round selection (#122) in 2004.[source 3] /wiki/2004_NFL_draft#Pick_122 ↩
#140: multiple trades: #140: Dallas → New England (PD). Dallas traded this pick and a seventh-round selection (#237) in 2002 (with which New England selected RB Antwoine Womack) to New England for New England's fifth-round selection (#168) in 2002 (with which Dallas selected DB Pete Hunter).[source 12] #140: New England → Washington (PD). see #75: Washington → New England[source 11] #140: Washington → New York Jets (PD). see #75: Washington → New England[source 11] /wiki/2002_NFL_draft#Pick_237 ↩
#142: Minnesota → Cleveland (PD). Minnesota traded this pick to Cleveland for DL Stalin Colinet.[source 19] /wiki/Stalin_Colinet ↩
#143: Jacksonville → Chicago (D). Jacksonville traded this pick to Chicago for two sixth-round selections (#176 and #193) and a seventh-rounder (#218).[source 3] ↩
#144: Washington → Detroit (D). Detroit acquired this pick from Washington for G Brenden Stai.[source 20][source 12] /wiki/Brenden_Stai ↩
#147: Green Bay → Seattle (D). Green Bay acquired this pick from Seattle for Green Bay's fifth-round (#165) and sixth-round (#203) selections.[source 3] ↩
#150: Kansas City → New York Jets (D). Kansas City traded this pick and their sixth-rounder (#200) to the New York Jets for the Jets fifth-round (#153) and sixth-round (#189) selections.[source 3] ↩
#153: New York Jets → Kansas City (D). see #150: Kansas City → New York Jets.[source 3] ↩
#154: multiple trades: #154: Houston → New England (PD). Houston traded this pick to New England for OT Greg Randall[source 21] #154: New England → Tennessee (D). New England traded this pick and their seventh-rounder (#225) to Tennessee for Tennessee's fifth-round (#164), sixth-round (#201) and seventh-round (#243) selections.[source 3] /wiki/Greg_Randall ↩
#157: New England → Denver (D). see #120: Denver → New England.[source 3] ↩
#164: Tennessee → New England (D). see #154: New England → Tennessee.[source 3] ↩
#165: Green Bay → Seattle (D). see #147: Green Bay → Seattle.[source 3] ↩
#166: Philadelphia → Green Bay (D). Philadelphia traded this pick to Green Bay for Green Bay's sixth-round (#185) and seventh-round (#244) selections.[source 3] ↩
"Roundup". The Gainesville Sun. October 3, 2002. Retrieved April 13, 2011. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Q3wzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VewDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3014,430654&hl=en ↩
#176: Chicago → Jacksonville (D). see #143: Jacksonville → Chicago.[source 3] ↩
#181: Carolina → Miami (D). Carolina traded this pick to Miami for two seventh-round choices (#226 and #247).[source 3] ↩
#185: multiple trades: #185: Washington → Green Bay (PD). Green Bay acquired this pick from Washington as compensation for Washington signing Green Bay's restricted free agent safety Matt Bowen[source 22] #185: Green Bay → Philadelphia (D). see #166: Philadelphia → Green Bay.[source 3] /wiki/Matt_Bowen_(American_football) ↩
#186: Kansas City → Dallas (PD). Dallas acquired this selection along with Kansas City's first-round and third-round picks in 2002 (picks 8 and 75 with which Dallas selected S Roy Williams and CB Derek Ross) in exchange for Dallas' first-round pick in 2002 (#6) with which Kansas City selected DT Ryan Sims.[source 23] /wiki/2002_NFL_draft ↩
#189: New York Jets → Kansas City (D). see #150: Kansas City → New York Jets.[source 3] ↩
#190: New Orleans → Minnesota (PD). Minnesota acquired this selection from New Orleans in exchange for QB Todd Bouman.[source 24] /wiki/Todd_Bouman ↩
#191: Miami → Chicago (PD). Chicago acquired this selection and a sixth-round selection in 2002 (#199 with which Chicago selected RB Adrian Peterson) from Miami in exchange for QB Cade McNown and the Dolphins' seventh-round selection in 2002 (#241 with which Miami selected RB Leonard Henry).[source 25] /wiki/2002_NFL_draft ↩
#193: multiple trades: #193: New England → Chicago (D). see #13: Chicago → New England Patriots #193: Chicago → Jacksonville (D). see #143: Jacksonville → Chicago.[source 3] ↩
#200: multiple trades: #200: Pittsburgh → Kansas City (D). see #16: Kansas City → Pittsburgh #200: Kansas City → New York Jets (D). see #150: Kansas City → New York Jets.[source 3] ↩
#201: Tennessee → New England (D). see #154: New England → Tennessee.[source 3] ↩
#202: Philadelphia → Atlanta (PD). Atlanta acquired this selection and Philadelphia's 2004 fourth-rounder (#125) from Philadelphia for LB Mark Simoneau.[source 26] /wiki/2004_NFL_draft ↩
#203: multiple trades: #203: Green Bay → Seattle (D). see #147: Green Bay → Seattle.[source 3] #203: Seattle → New Orleans (D). New Orleans acquired this selection from Seattle for DT Norman Hand.[source 3] ↩
#218: Chicago → Jacksonville (D). see #143: Jacksonville → Chicago.[source 3] ↩
#220: Arizona → Detroit (D). Detroit traded WR Larry Foster to Arizona for this pick.[source 3] /wiki/Larry_Foster_(American_football) ↩
#222: Jacksonville → Seattle (PD). Jacksonville traded this selection to Seattle for LB Ike Charlton.[source 27][source 12] /wiki/Ike_Charlton ↩
#225: multiple trades: #225: St. Louis → New England (PD). St. Louis traded this choice to New England for OT Grant Williams.[source 28][source 12] #225: New England → Tennessee (D). see #154: New England → Tennessee.[source 3] /wiki/Grant_Williams_(American_football) ↩
#226: multiple trades: #226: Washington → Miami (PD). Miami received this pick from Washington as compensation for Washington's signing of Miami's restricted free agent DT Jermaine Haley.[source 29] #226: Miami → Carolina (D). see #181: Carolina → Miami.[source 3] /wiki/Jermaine_Haley ↩
#227: Carolina → Denver (D). see #82: Denver → Carolina[source 2] ↩
#232: Miami → Washington (PD). Miami traded this pick to Washington for QB Sage Rosenfels.[source 30][source 12] /wiki/Sage_Rosenfels ↩
#236: multiple trades: #236: Cleveland → San Diego (PD). Cleveland traded this pick to San Diego for TE Steve Heiden.[source 31][source 12] #236: San Diego → Dallas (PD). San Diego traded this pick to Dallas for OT Kelvin Garmon.[source 32][source 12] #236: Dallas → Detroit (D). Dallas traded this pick to Detroit for RB Aveion Cason.[source 3] /wiki/Steve_Heiden ↩
#239: multiple trades: #239: Indianapolis → New Orleans (PD). Indianapolis traded this selection to New Orleans for RB Ricky A. Williams.[source 33][source 12] #239: New Orleans → New England (D). see #78: New Orleans → New England[source 15] /wiki/Ricky_A._Williams ↩
#243: Tennessee → New England (D). see #154: New England → Tennessee.[source 3] ↩
#244: Green Bay → Philadelphia (D). see #166: Philadelphia → Green Bay.[source 3] ↩
#245: Philadelphia → Green Bay (D). Philadelphia traded this pick to Green Bay for Green Bay's sixth-round pick (#185) in 2004.[source 3] /wiki/2004_NFL_draft#Pick_185 ↩
#247: multiple trades: #247: Tampa Bay → Miami (D). Miami acquired this pick from Tampa Bay for OT Cornell Green.[source 34] #247: Miami → Carolina (D). see #181: Carolina → Miami.[source 3] /wiki/Cornell_Green_(offensive_tackle) ↩
#262: Houston → Oakland (D). see #83: Houston → Oakland[source 2] ↩
Players are identified as Pro Bowlers 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. ↩