The 1944 NFL Draft

65 picks. First overall: Angelo Bertelli, quarterback, from Notre Dame, to Boston Yanks. Most picks: Minnesota 6, Michigan 4, Texas 4, USC 3, Notre Dame 2.

The 1944 NFL Draft ran 32 rounds; this page lists the first seven. Teams appear under the name they had that year. These drafts come from Wikipedia’s draft articles. Photos: Wikimedia Commons, free licenses; credits on each player’s page.

Round 1

Pick	Player	Position		College	NFL team
1	Angelo Bertelli	QB		Notre Dame	→ Boston Yanks
2	Pat Harder	FB		Wisconsin	→ Chicago Cardinals
3	Creighton Miller	RB		Notre Dame	→ Brooklyn Tigers
4	Otto Graham	B		Northwestern	→ Detroit Lions
5	Steve Van Buren	RB		LSU	→ Philadelphia Eagles
6	Billy Hillenbrand	RB		Indiana	→ New York Giants
7	Merv Pregulman	OG		Michigan	→ Green Bay Packers
8	Mike Micka	B		Colgate	→ Washington Redskins
9	Ray Evans	RB		Kansas	→ Chicago Bears
10	Johnny Podesto	RB		St. Mary’s (CA)	→ Pittsburgh Steelers
11	Tony Butkovich	FB		Purdue	→ Cleveland Rams

Round 2

Pick	Player	Position		College	NFL team
12	Paul Mitchell	OT		Minnesota	→ Chicago Cardinals
13	Jim Callahan	B		Texas	→ Brooklyn Tigers
14	Bob Cifers	B		Tennessee	→ Detroit Lions
15	Bob Odell	E		Penn	→ Pittsburgh Steelers
16	Lamar Blount	B		Mississippi State	→ New York Giants

Round 3

Pick	Player	Position		College	NFL team
17	Saxon Judd	E		Tulsa	→ Chicago Cardinals
18	Ralph Park	B		Texas	→ Brooklyn Tigers
19	Ralph Heywood	E		USC	→ Detroit Lions
20	Loren LaPrade	OG		Stanford	→ Philadelphia Eagles
21	Clyde Flowers	OT		TCU	→ New York Giants
22	Tom Kuzma	B		Michigan	→ Green Bay Packers
23	Earl Audet	OT		USC	→ Washington Redskins
24	Rudy Smeja	E		Michigan	→ Chicago Bears
25	Bob Gantt	E		Duke	→ Pittsburgh Steelers
26	Gil Bouley	OT		Boston College	→ Cleveland Rams
27	Babe Dimancheff	B		Purdue	→ Boston Yanks

Round 5

Pick	Player	Position		College	NFL team
33	Bill Blackburn	C		Rice	→ Chicago Cardinals
34	Verne Ullom	E		Cincinnati	→ Brooklyn Tigers
35	John Greene	OT		Michigan	→ Detroit Lions
36	Joe Parker	E		Texas	→ Philadelphia Eagles
37	Vic Maitland	OT		Hobart	→ New York Giants
38	Bill McPartland	OT		St. Mary’s (CA)	→ Green Bay Packers
39	Ed Doherty	QB		Boston College	→ Washington Redskins
40	Abe Croft	E		SMU	→ Chicago Bears
41	George Owen	OG		Wake Forest	→ Pittsburgh Steelers
42	Bob Waterfield	QB		UCLA	→ Cleveland Rams
43	Larry Rice	C		Tulane	→ Boston Yanks

Round 6

Pick	Player	Position		College	NFL team
44	Bill Garnaas	B		Minnesota	→ Chicago Cardinals
45	Bruce McDonald	E		Illinois State	→ Brooklyn Tigers
46	Ed Alliquie	OT		Santa Clara	→ Detroit Lions
47	Dan Savage	B		Brown	→ Pittsburgh Steelers
48	Jack Okland	OT		Utah State	→ New York Giants
49	Mickey McCardle	B		USC	→ Green Bay Packers
50	Jackie Fellows	B		Fresno State	→ Washington Redskins
51	C.B. Stanley	OT		Tulsa	→ Chicago Bears
52	Hillary Horne	OT		Mississippi State	→ Philadelphia Eagles
53	Al Akins	B		Washington	→ Cleveland Rams
54	Butch Parker	OT		Loyola (CA)	→ Boston Yanks

Round 7

Pick	Player	Position		College	NFL team
55	Rodger Smith	B		Texas Tech	→ Chicago Cardinals
56	Bob Graiziger	OG		Minnesota	→ Brooklyn Tigers
57	Paul Briggs	OT		Colorado	→ Detroit Lions
58	Vic Kulbitski	B		Minnesota	→ Philadelphia Eagles
59	Herm Frickey	B		Minnesota	→ New York Giants
60	Jack Tracy	E		Washington	→ Green Bay Packers
61	Hal Fischer	OG		Texas	→ Washington Redskins
62	Darwin Seeley	C		Stanford	→ Chicago Bears
63	Jesse Freitas	B		Santa Clara	→ Pittsburgh Steelers
64	George Cheverko	B		Fordham	→ Cleveland Rams
65	Mike Andrews	E		NC State	→ Boston Yanks