The 1961 NFL and AFL Drafts

98 picks. First overall: Tommy Mason, halfback, from Tulane, to Minnesota Vikings. Most picks: Syracuse 6, Northwestern 5, Pittsburgh 4, Tulane 3, Illinois 3. The American Football League’s draft follows.

The 1961 NFL Draft ran 20 rounds; this page lists the first seven. The 1961 AFL Draft ran 30 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.

NFL, Round 1

Pick	Player	Position		College	NFL team
1	Tommy Mason	RB		Tulane	→ Minnesota Vikings
2	Norm Snead	QB		Wake Forest	→ Washington Redskins
3	Joe Rutgens	OT		Illinois	→ Washington Redskins
4	Marlin McKeever	LB		USC	→ Los Angeles Rams
5	Mike Ditka	E		Pittsburgh	→ Chicago Bears
6	James Earl Johnson	WR/CB/S		UCLA	→ San Francisco 49ers
7	Tom Matte	RB		Ohio State	→ Baltimore Colts
8	Ken Rice	OT		Auburn	→ St. Louis Cardinals
9	Bernie Casey	B		Bowling Green	→ San Francisco 49ers
10	Bobby Crespino	E		Mississippi	→ Cleveland Browns
11	Billy Kilmer	QB		UCLA	→ San Francisco 49ers
12	Herb Adderley	B		Michigan State	→ Green Bay Packers
13	Bob Lilly	OT		Texas Christian	→ Dallas Cowboys
14	Art Baker	FB		Syracuse	→ Philadelphia Eagles

NFL, Round 2

Pick	Player	Position		College	NFL team
15	Rip Hawkins	LB		North Carolina	→ Minnesota Vikings
16	E.J. Holub	C		Texas Tech	→ Dallas Cowboys
17	Bob Gaiters	B		New Mexico State	→ New York Giants
18	Elbert Kimbrough	E		Northwestern	→ Los Angeles Rams
19	Myron Pottios	LB		Notre Dame	→ Pittsburgh Steelers
20	Bill Brown	B		Illinois	→ Chicago Bears
21	Tom Gilburg	OT		Syracuse	→ Baltimore Colts
22	Fred Arbanas	E		Michigan State	→ St. Louis Cardinals
23	Danny LaRose	E		Missouri	→ Detroit Lions
24	Roland Lakes	C		Wichita State	→ San Francisco 49ers
25	Bruce Tarbox	OG		Syracuse	→ New York Giants
26	Ron Kostelnik	OT		Cincinnati	→ Green Bay Packers
27	Ed Nutting	OT		Georgia Tech	→ Cleveland Browns
28	Bo Strange	C		Louisiana State	→ Philadelphia Eagles

NFL, Round 3

Pick	Player	Position		College	NFL team
29	Fran Tarkenton	QB		Georgia	→ Minnesota Vikings
30	Stew Barber	OG		Penn State	→ Dallas Cowboys
31	Billy Wilson	OT		Auburn	→ St. Louis Cardinals
32	Harold Beaty	OG		Oklahoma State	→ Los Angeles Rams
33	Claude Gibson	B		North Carolina State	→ Chicago Bears
34	Dick Mills	OT		Pittsburgh	→ Detroit Lions
35	Jerry Hill	RB		Wyoming	→ Baltimore Colts
36	Jim Wright	QB		Memphis State	→ Philadelphia Eagles
37	Bill Cooper	B		Muskingum	→ San Francisco 49ers
38	Houston Antwine	OG		Southern Illinois	→ Detroit Lions
39	Jim Cunningham	B		Pittsburgh	→ Washington Redskins
40	Phil Nugent	B		Tulane	→ Green Bay Packers
41	Ron Miller	QB		Wisconsin	→ Los Angeles Rams
42	Don Oakes	OT		Virginia Tech	→ Philadelphia Eagles

NFL, Round 4

Pick	Player	Position		College	NFL team
43	Chuck Lamson	RB		Wyoming	→ Minnesota Vikings
44	Arnold Davis	E		Baylor	→ Dallas Cowboys
45	Charlie Cowan	OT		New Mexico Highlands	→ Los Angeles Rams
46	Ben Davidson	OT		Washington	→ New York Giants
47	Aaron Thomas	E		Oregon State	→ San Francisco 49ers
48	Ernie Ladd	OT		Grambling	→ Chicago Bears
49	Ken Gregory	E		Whittier	→ Baltimore Colts
50	Ron McDole	OT		Nebraska	→ St. Louis Cardinals
51	Ron Hartline	RB		Oklahoma	→ Detroit Lions
52	Dale Messer	B		Fresno State	→ San Francisco 49ers
53	Dan Ficca	OG		USC	→ Philadelphia Eagles
54	Paul Dudley	B		Arkansas	→ Green Bay Packers
55	John Brown	OT		Syracuse	→ Cleveland Browns
56	Joe LeSage	OG		Tulane	→ Green Bay Packers

NFL, Round 5

Pick	Player	Position		College	NFL team
57	Ed Sharockman	CB		Pittsburgh	→ Minnesota Vikings
58	Clark Miller	OT		Utah State	→ San Francisco 49ers
59	Fred Mautino	E		Syracuse	→ Pittsburgh Steelers
60	Willie Hector	OG		Pacific	→ Los Angeles Rams
61	Keith Lincoln	B		Washington State	→ Chicago Bears
62	Ed Dyas	B		Auburn	→ Baltimore Colts
63	Ron Osborne	OT		Clemson	→ Baltimore Colts
64	Glenn Bass	E		East Carolina	→ St. Louis Cardinals
65	Bob McCreary	OT		Wake Forest	→ San Francisco 49ers
66	Earl Faison	E		Indiana	→ Detroit Lions
67	Jerry Daniels	E		Mississippi	→ New York Giants
68	Jack Novak	OG		Miami (FL)	→ Green Bay Packers
69	Mike Lucci	C		Tennessee	→ Cleveland Browns
70	Ron Puckett	OT		Cal State-Los Angeles	→ Detroit Lions

NFL, Round 7

Pick	Player	Position		College	NFL team
85	Allan Ferrie	E		Wagner	→ Minnesota Vikings
86	Art Gilmore	B		Oregon State	→ Dallas Cowboys
87	Jim Kerr	B		Penn State	→ Washington Redskins
88	Bobby Smith	B		UCLA	→ Los Angeles Rams
89	Mike Pyle	C		Yale	→ Chicago Bears
90	Dick Hoak	B		Penn State	→ Pittsburgh Steelers
91	Ike Grimsley	RB		Michigan State	→ Baltimore Colts
92	George Hultz	OT		Southern Mississippi	→ St. Louis Cardinals
93	Ray Purdin	B		Northwestern	→ San Francisco 49ers
94	Al Bemiller	C		Syracuse	→ St. Louis Cardinals
95	Jim Collier	E		Arkansas	→ New York Giants
96	Lewis Johnson	B		Florida A&M	→ Green Bay Packers
97	Preston Powell	B		Grambling	→ Cleveland Browns
98	Irv Cross	B		Northwestern	→ Philadelphia Eagles

AFL, Round 1

Pick	Player	Position		College	AFL team
1	Ken Rice	OT		Auburn	→ Buffalo Bills
2	Tom Brown	OG		Minnesota	→ New York Titans
3	Tommy Mason	RB		Tulane	→ Boston Patriots
4	Bob Gaiters	RB		New Mexico Highlands	→ Denver Broncos
5	Joe Rutgens	DT		Illinois	→ Oakland Raiders
6	E.J. Holub	C/LB		Texas Tech	→ Dallas Texans
7	Earl Faison	DE		Indiana	→ San Diego Chargers
8	Mike Ditka	TE		Pittsburgh	→ Houston Oilers

AFL, Round 2

Pick	Player	Position		College	AFL team
9	Billy Shaw	OG		Georgia Tech	→ Buffalo Bills
10	Herb Adderley	RB		Michigan State	→ New York Titans
11	Jerry Hill	RB		Wyoming	→ Denver Broncos
12	Rip Hawkins	LB		North Carolina	→ Boston Patriots
13	George Fleming	RB		Washington	→ Oakland Raiders
14	Bob Lilly	DT		TCU	→ Dallas Texans
15	Tom Goode	C		Mississippi State	→ Houston Oilers
16	Keith Lincoln	FB		Washington State	→ San Diego Chargers

AFL, Round 3

Pick	Player	Position		College	AFL team
17	Art Baker	FB		Syracuse	→ Buffalo Bills
18	Tom Gilburg	OT		Syracuse	→ Buffalo Bills
19	Dan LaRose	OT		Missouri	→ Boston Patriots
20	Bo Strange	C		LSU	→ Denver Broncos
21	Myron Pottios	LB		Notre Dame	→ Oakland Raiders
22	Jim Tyrer	OT		Ohio State	→ Dallas Texans
23	Marlin McKeever	LB		USC	→ San Diego Chargers
24	Walter Suggs	OT		Mississippi State	→ Houston Oilers

AFL, Round 4

Pick	Player	Position		College	AFL team
25	Stew Barber	OT		Penn State	→ Buffalo Bills
26	Sonny Davis	LB		Baylor	→ Denver Broncos
27	Ron McDole	DE		Nebraska	→ Denver Broncos
28	Mike Zeno	OG		VPI	→ Boston Patriots
29	Elbert Kimbrough	S		Northwestern	→ Oakland Raiders
30	Claude Moorman	E		Duke	→ Dallas Texans
31	Bobby Walden	RB/P		Georgia	→ Houston Oilers
32	Jimmy Johnson	CB		UCLA	→ San Diego Chargers

AFL, Round 5

Pick	Player	Position		College	AFL team
33	Norm Snead	QB		Wake Forest	→ Buffalo Bills
34	Tom Matte	RB		Ohio State	→ New York Titans
35	Fran Tarkenton	QB		Georgia	→ Boston Patriots
36	Charley Cowan	OT		New Mexico Highlands	→ Denver Broncos
37	Dick Norman	QB		Stanford	→ Oakland Raiders
38	Jerry Mays	DE		SMU	→ Dallas Texans
39	Billy Kilmer	QB		UCLA	→ San Diego Chargers
40	Monte Lee	LB		Texas	→ Houston Oilers

AFL, Round 6

Pick	Player	Position		College	AFL team
41	Fred Brown	RB		Georgia	→ Buffalo Bills
42	Bill Brown	RB		Illinois	→ New York Titans
43	Dale Evans	RB		Kansas State	→ Denver Broncos
44	Larry Eisenhauer	DE		Boston College	→ Boston Patriots
45	Bobby Crespino	WR		Ole Miss	→ Oakland Raiders
46	Jake Gibbs	QB		Ole Miss	→ Houston Oilers
47	Calvin Bird	RB		Kentucky	→ San Diego Chargers
48	Cliff Roberts	OT		Illinois	→ San Diego Chargers

AFL, Round 7

Pick	Player	Position		College	AFL team
49	Pat Patchen	E		Florida	→ Denver Broncos
50	Paul Terhes	QB		Bucknell	→ Boston Patriots
51	Ray Purdin	RB		Northwestern	→ Oakland Raiders
52	Al Bemiller	C		Syracuse	→ Buffalo Bills
53	Fred Arbanas	TE		Michigan State	→ Dallas Texans
54	Fred Mautino	E		Syracuse	→ New York Titans
55	Claude Gibson	CB		NC State	→ San Diego Chargers
56	Dick Reynolds	OT		NC State	→ Houston Oilers