National Football League draft
The 1978 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 May 2–3, 1978 , at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City , New York .[ 1] [ 2] The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and before the regular season.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had the first overall pick in the 1978 draft, by virtue of their 2–12 record in 1977 . Tampa Bay traded the pick to the Oilers, for tight end Jimmie Giles and the Oilers' first- and second-round picks in the 1978 draft, and their third- and fifth-round picks in 1979 .[ 3]
Leon White, who was drafted in the third round, went on to have an extensive professional wrestling career as Big Van Vader .[ 4]
^ a b May sometimes be referred to as an edge rusher (EDGE)
^ Also known as offensive guard (OG)
^ Also known as placekicker (PK)
^ Also known as inside linebacker (ILB)
Pick #
NFL team
Player
Position
College
195
Kansas City Chiefs
John Henry White
Running back
Louisiana Tech
196
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
John McGriff
Linebacker
Miami (FL)
197
New York Jets
Derrick Gaffney
Wide receiver
Florida
198
New England Patriots
Terry Falcon
Guard
Montana
199
New Orleans Saints
Brooks Williams
Tight end
North Carolina
200
Green Bay Packers
Dennis Sproul
Quarterback
Arizona State
201
New York Giants
Jeff Grady
Linebacker
Florida A&M
202
Washington Redskins
Walker Lee
Wide receiver
North Carolina
203
New York Jets
Mike Mock
Punter
Texas Tech
204
Minnesota Vikings
Mike Wood
Kicker
Southeast Missouri State
205
Cleveland Browns
Jesse Turnbow
Defensive tackle
Tennessee
206
Detroit Lions
Jim Breech
Kicker
California
207
Oakland Raiders
Mark Nichols
Defensive end
Colorado State
208
Pittsburgh Steelers
Rick Moser
Running back
Rhode Island
209
Atlanta Falcons
David Adkins
Linebacker
Ohio State
210
Houston Oilers
J. C. Wilson
Defensive back
Pittsburgh
211
Cincinnati Bengals
Bill Miller
Tackle
Western Illinois
212
Chicago Bears
George Freitas
Tight end
California
213
New York Jets
Roy Eppes
Defensive back
Clemson
214
Pittsburgh Steelers
Andre Keyes
Wide receiver
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
215
New England Patriots
Mosi Tatupu
Running back
USC
216
Atlanta Falcons
David Williams
Defensive back
Tennessee-Martin
217
Miami Dolphins
Sean Clancy
Linebacker
Amherst
218
Baltimore Colts
Monte Anthony
Running back
Nebraska
219
Washington Redskins
Don Hover
Linebacker
Washington State
220
San Diego Chargers
Gavin Hendrick
Punter
Washington State
221
Denver Broncos
Frank Smith
Tackle
Alabama A&M
222
Dallas Cowboys
Homer Butler
Wide receiver
UCLA
Pick #
NFL team
Player
Position
College
223
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Willie Taylor
Wide receiver
Pittsburgh
224
Kansas City Chiefs
Larry Brown
Tackle
Miami (FL)
225
New York Jets
Reggie Grant
Defensive back
Oregon
226
New Orleans Saints
Richard Carter
Defensive back
North Carolina State
227
New York Jets
Neil Hutton
Defensive back
Penn State
228
Green Bay Packers
Keith Myers
Quarterback
Utah State
229
San Francisco 49ers
Herman Redden
Defensive back
Howard
230
Philadelphia Eagles
Charles Williams
Defensive back
Jackson State
231
Seattle Seahawks
Rich Grimmett
Tackle
Illinois
232
New York Giants
Bill Swiacki
Tight end
Amherst
233
San Francisco 49ers
Dean Moore
Linebacker
Iowa
234
Cleveland Browns
Jon Kramer
Guard
Baylor
235
St. Louis Cardinals
Joe Mosley
Tight end
Central State (OH)
236
Atlanta Falcons
Tom Pridemore
Safety
West Virginia
237
San Diego Chargers
Henry Bradley
Defensive tackle
Alcorn State
238
Cincinnati Bengals
Ron Shumon
Linebacker
Wichita State
239
Houston Oilers
Jim Mol
Defensive end
Morningside
240
Minnesota Vikings
Mike Deutsch
Punter
Colorado State
241
Pittsburgh Steelers
Lance Reynolds
Tackle
Brigham Young
242
New England Patriots
Tim Petersen
Linebacker
Arizona State
243
Washington Redskins
John Hurley
Quarterback
Santa Clara
244
Chicago Bears
Mike Martin
Linebacker
Kentucky
245
Baltimore Colts
Dave Studdard
Tackle
Texas
246
Los Angeles Rams
Andre Anderson
Defensive end
New Mexico State
247
Miami Dolphins
Bruce Hardy
Tight end
Arizona State
248
San Diego Chargers
Blake Whitlatch
Linebacker
Louisiana State
249
San Francisco 49ers
Steve McDaniels
Tackle
Notre Dame
250
Dallas Cowboys
Russ Williams
Defensive back
Tennessee
Pick #
NFL team
Player
Position
College
251
Kansas City Chiefs
Earl Bryant
Defensive end
Jackson State
252
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Aaron Brown
Linebacker
Ohio State
253
New York Giants
Greg Jorgensen
Guard
Nebraska
254
New York Jets
Louis Richardson
Defensive end
Florida State
255
Buffalo Bills
Will Grant
Center
Kentucky
256
Green Bay Packers
Larry Key
Running back
Florida State
257
Atlanta Falcons
Ricky Patton
Running back
Jackson State
258
Seattle Seahawks
Rob Stewart
Wide receiver
Lafayette
259
Green Bay Packers
Mark Totten
Center
Florida
260
San Francisco 49ers
Mike Connell
Punter
Cincinnati
261
Cleveland Browns
Brent Watson
Tackle
Tennessee
262
Detroit Lions
Fred Arrington
Linebacker
Purdue
263
Atlanta Falcons
Ray Strong
Running back
UNLV
264
San Diego Chargers
Charles Price
Tight end
Cincinnati
265
St. Louis Cardinals
Randy Gill
Linebacker
San Jose State
266
Houston Oilers
Steve Young
Tight end
Wake Forest
267
Cincinnati Bengals
Tom DePaso
Linebacker
Penn State
268
Pittsburgh Steelers
Doug Becker
Linebacker
Notre Dame
269
New England Patriots
Bryan Ferguson
Defensive back
Miami (FL)
270
Washington Redskins
Scott Hartenstein
Defensive end
Azusa Pacific
271
Chicago Bears
Ben Zambiasi
Linebacker
Georgia
272
Minnesota Vikings
Hughie Shaw
Running back
Texas A&I
273
Los Angeles Rams
Charles Peal
Tackle
Indiana
274
Miami Dolphins
Mark Dennard
Center
Texas A&M
275
Baltimore Colts
Dallas Owens
Defensive back
Kentucky
276
Pittsburgh Steelers (from Buccaneers for Ernie Holmes )[ 8]
Tom Jurich
Kicker
Northern Arizona
277
Denver Broncos
Vince Kinney
Wide receiver
Maryland
278
Dallas Cowboys
Barry Tomasetti
Tackle
Iowa
0
Houston Oilers (supplemental draft)
Johnnie Dirden
Wide receiver
Sam Houston State
Pick #
NFL team
Player
Position
College
279
Pittsburgh Steelers (from Buccaneers for Ernie Holmes )[ 8]
Nat Terry
Defensive back
Florida State
280
Kansas City Chiefs
Ray Milo
Defensive back
New Mexico State
281
New York Jets
Pat Ryan
Quarterback
Tennessee
282
Buffalo Bills
Jerry Blanton
Linebacker
Kentucky
283
New Orleans Saints
Nathan Besaint
Defensive tackle
Southern
284
Green Bay Packers
Terry Jones
Defensive tackle
Alabama
285
New Orleans Saints
Dave Riley
Running back
West Virginia
286
New York Giants
Dennis Heim
Defensive tackle
SW Missouri State
287
San Francisco 49ers
Willie McCray
Defensive end
Troy State
288
Philadelphia Eagles
Billy Campfield
Running back
Kansas
289
Detroit Lions
Richard Murray
Defensive tackle
Oklahoma
290
Cleveland Browns
Larry Gillard
Defensive tackle
Mississippi State
291
Oakland Raiders
Dean Jones
Defensive back
Fresno State
292
Cincinnati Bengals
Cal Prince
Running back
Louisville
293
Atlanta Falcons
Scooter Reed
Defensive back
Baylor
294
Cincinnati Bengals
Mark Donahue
Guard
Michigan
295
Houston Oilers
Willie Thicklen
Wide receiver
Alabama State
296
New England Patriots
Charlie Williams
Linebacker
Florida
297
Washington Redskins
Mike Williams
Defensive back
Texas A&M
298
Chicago Bears
Walt Underwood
Defensive end
USC
299
Minnesota Vikings
Ron Harris
Running back
Colorado State
300
Pittsburgh Steelers
Tom Brzoza
Center
Pittsburgh
301
Seattle Seahawks
George Halas
Linebacker
Miami (FL)
302
Baltimore Colts
Henry Mason
Wide receiver
Central Missouri State
303
Los Angeles Rams
Ron Hostetler
Linebacker
Penn State
304
Oakland Raiders
Bob Glazebrook
Defensive back
Fresno State
305
Denver Broncos
Lacy Brumley
Tackle
Clemson
306
Dallas Cowboys
Dennis Thurman
Cornerback
USC
Pick #
NFL team
Player
Position
College
307
Kansas City Chiefs
Willie Brock
Center
Colorado
308
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Kevin McLee
Running back
Georgia
309
Buffalo Bills
Richard Crump
Running back
Northeastern State (OK)
310
New Orleans Saints
Larry Hardy
Tight end
Jackson State
311
New York Jets
Alan Williams
Punter
Florida
312
Green Bay Packers
Eason Ramson
Tight end
Washington State
313
New York Giants
Greg Lawson
Running back
Western Illinois
314
San Francisco 49ers
Dan Irons
Tackle
Texas Tech
315
Philadelphia Eagles
Mark Slater
Center
Minnesota
316
Seattle Seahawks
Jeff Bergeron
Running back
Lamar
317
Cleveland Browns
Leo Biedermann
Tackle
California
318
Detroit Lions
Mark Patterson
Defensive back
Washington State
319
St. Louis Cardinals
Anthony Clay
Linebacker
South Carolina State
320
Atlanta Falcons
Daria Butler
Linebacker
Oklahoma State
321
San Diego Chargers
Kevin Bell
Wide receiver
Lamar
322
Houston Oilers
John Schuhmacher
Guard
USC
323
Cincinnati Bengals
Kim Featsent
Wide receiver
Kent State
324
Washington Redskins
Steve McCabe
Guard
Bowdoin
325
Chicago Bears
Lew Sibley
Linebacker
Louisiana State
326
Minnesota Vikings
Jeff Morrow
Tackle
Minnesota
327
Pittsburgh Steelers
Brad Carr
Linebacker
Maryland
328
New England Patriots
John Gibney
Center
Colgate
329
Baltimore Colts
Bruce Allen
Punter
Richmond
330
Los Angeles Rams
Gus Coppens
Tackle
UCLA
331
Miami Dolphins
Mike Moore
Running back
Middle Tennessee State
332
Oakland Raiders
Joe Conron
Wide receiver
Pacific
333
Miami Dolphins
Bill Kenney
Quarterback
Northern Colorado
334[ 9]
Dallas Cowboys
Lee Washburn
Guard
Montana State
0
San Francisco 49ers (supplemental draft)
Rod Connors
Running back
Southern California
Notable undrafted players [ edit ]
Earl Campbell , running back from Texas, taken 1st round 1st overall by Houston Oilers
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 1991.[ 10]
Ozzie Newsome , wide receiver from Alabama, taken 1st round 23rd overall by Cleveland Browns
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 1999.[ 10]
James Lofton , wide receiver from Stanford, taken 1st round 6th overall by Green Bay Packers
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2003.[ 11]
Warren Moon , quarterback from Washington, signed undrafted by Houston Oilers
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2006.[ 11]
^ "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 .
^ Wire services. "Oilers make a deal". Eugene Register-Guard. Apr 25, 1978
^ Buckner, Brandon (October 23, 2005). "NFL career was ended by an injury - Pro wrestler Vader has son playing with OU" . NewsOK.com . The Oklahoman . Retrieved December 11, 2017 .
^ a b c d Players are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro Bowl at any time in their career.
^ a b Players are identified as a Hall of Famer if they have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
^ "Heisman Trophy" . Retrieved August 14, 2013 .[permanent dead link ]
^ a b Sheeley, Glenn (May 3, 1978). "Did Noll Win Draft Lottery?" . Pittsburgh Press . pp. D-1. Retrieved April 2, 2010 .
^ This last selection is commonly referred to as Mr. Irrelevant .
^ a b List of 1990s Hall of Fame Inductee's at profootballhof.com "Pro Football Hall of Fame" . Archived from the original on July 31, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2008 .
^ a b List of 2000s Hall of Fame Inductee's at profootballhof.com "Pro Football Hall of Fame" . Archived from the original on July 31, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2008 .