The 1981 NFL Draft

193 picks. First overall: George Rogers, running back, from South Carolina, to New Orleans Saints. Most picks: Pittsburgh 11, USC 7, Missouri 7, North Carolina 6, Ohio State 6.

The 1981 NFL Draft ran 12 rounds; this page lists the first seven. Teams appear under the name they had that year. Photos: Wikimedia Commons, free licenses; credits on each player’s page.

Round 1

Pick	Player	Position		College	NFL team
1	George Rogers	RB		South Carolina	→ New Orleans Saints
2	Lawrence Taylor	LB		North Carolina	→ New York Giants
3	Freeman McNeil	RB		UCLA	→ New York Jets
4	Kenny Easley	DB		UCLA	→ Seattle Seahawks
5	E.J. Junior	LB		Alabama	→ St. Louis Cardinals
6	Rich Campbell	QB		California	→ Green Bay Packers
7	Hugh Green	LB		Pittsburgh	→ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
8	Ronnie Lott	DB		USC	→ San Francisco 49ers
9	Mel Owens	LB		Michigan	→ Los Angeles Rams
10	David Verser	WR		Kansas	→ Cincinnati Bengals
11	Keith Van Horne	OT		USC	→ Chicago Bears
12	Randy McMillan	RB		Pittsburgh	→ Baltimore Colts
13	David Overstreet	RB		Oklahoma	→ Miami Dolphins
14	Willie Scott	TE		South Carolina	→ Kansas City Chiefs
15	Dennis Smith	DB		USC	→ Denver Broncos
16	Mark Nichols	WR		San José State	→ Detroit Lions
17	Keith Gary	DE		Oklahoma	→ Pittsburgh Steelers
18	Donnell Thompson	DE		North Carolina	→ Baltimore Colts
19	Brian Holloway	OT		Stanford	→ New England Patriots
20	Mark May	OT		Pittsburgh	→ Washington Redskins
21	Ted Watts	DB		Texas Tech	→ Oakland Raiders
22	Hanford Dixon	DB		Southern Miss	→ Cleveland Browns
23	Curt Marsh	OG		Washington	→ Oakland Raiders
24	James Brooks	RB		Auburn	→ San Diego Chargers
25	Bobby Butler	DB		Florida State	→ Atlanta Falcons
26	Howard Richards	OT		Missouri	→ Dallas Cowboys
27	Leonard Mitchell	DE		Houston	→ Philadelphia Eagles
28	Booker Moore	RB		Penn State	→ Buffalo Bills

Round 2

Pick	Player	Position		College	NFL team
29	Russell Gary	DB		Nebraska	→ New Orleans Saints
30	Marion Barber	RB		Minnesota	→ New York Jets
31	David Hughes	RB		Boise State	→ Seattle Seahawks
32	Dave Young	TE		Purdue	→ New York Giants
33	Neil Lomax	QB		Portland State	→ St. Louis Cardinals
34	James Wilder	RB		Missouri	→ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
35	Gary Lewis	TE		Texas–Arlington	→ Green Bay Packers
36	John Harty	DT		Iowa	→ San Francisco 49ers
37	Cris Collinsworth	WR		Florida	→ Cincinnati Bengals
38	Mike Singletary	LB		Baylor	→ Chicago Bears
39	Mardye McDole	WR		Mississippi State	→ Minnesota Vikings
40	Eric Wright	DB		Missouri	→ San Francisco 49ers
41	Joe Delaney	RB		Northwestern State	→ Kansas City Chiefs
42	Clay Brown	TE		BYU	→ Denver Broncos
43	Jim Collins	LB		Syracuse	→ Los Angeles Rams
44	Anthony Washington	DB		Fresno State	→ Pittsburgh Steelers
45	Robin Sendlein	LB		Texas	→ Minnesota Vikings
46	Curtis Green	DE		Alabama State	→ Detroit Lions
47	Tony Collins	RB		East Carolina	→ New England Patriots
48	Howie Long	DT		Villanova	→ Oakland Raiders
49	Chris Williams	DB		LSU	→ Buffalo Bills
50	Byron Franklin	WR		Auburn	→ Buffalo Bills
51	Rickey Jackson	LB		Pittsburgh	→ New Orleans Saints
52	Jarvis Redwine	RB		Nebraska	→ Minnesota Vikings
53	Doug Donley	WR		Ohio State	→ Dallas Cowboys
54	Lyman White	LB		LSU	→ Atlanta Falcons
55	Dean Miraldi	OG		Utah	→ Philadelphia Eagles
56	Andra Franklin	RB		Nebraska	→ Miami Dolphins

Round 3

Pick	Player	Position		College	NFL team
57	Frank Warren	DE		Auburn	→ New Orleans Saints
58	Bill Dugan	OG		Penn State	→ Seattle Seahawks
59	John Mistler	WR		Arizona State	→ New York Giants
60	Ben Rudolph	DT		Long Beach State	→ New York Jets
61	Jeff Griffin	DB		Utah	→ St. Louis Cardinals
62	Ray Stachowicz	P		Michigan State	→ Green Bay Packers
63	Greg Meisner	DT		Pittsburgh	→ Los Angeles Rams
64	John Simmons	DB		SMU	→ Cincinnati Bengals
65	Carlton Williamson	DB		Pittsburgh	→ San Francisco 49ers
66	Robert Cobb	DE		Arizona	→ Los Angeles Rams
67	Ken Margerum	WR		Stanford	→ Chicago Bears
68	Randy Van Divier	OT		Washington	→ Baltimore Colts
69	Russ Grimm	OG		Pittsburgh	→ Washington Redskins
70	Marvin Harvey	TE		Southern Miss	→ Kansas City Chiefs
71	Hoby Brenner	TE		USC	→ New Orleans Saints
72	Don Greco	OG		Western Illinois	→ Detroit Lions
73	Rick Donnalley	C		North Carolina	→ Pittsburgh Steelers
74	Tim Irwin	OT		Tennessee	→ Minnesota Vikings
75	Roger Taylor	OT		Oklahoma State	→ Kansas City Chiefs
76	Mike Mosley	WR		Texas A&M	→ Buffalo Bills
77	Irvin Phillips	DB		Arkansas Tech	→ San Diego Chargers
78	Lloyd Burruss	DB		Maryland	→ Kansas City Chiefs
79	Michael Holston	WR		Morgan State	→ Houston Oilers
80	Scott Woerner	DB		Georgia	→ Atlanta Falcons
81	Glen Titensor	DE		BYU	→ Dallas Cowboys
82	Greg LaFleur	TE		LSU	→ Philadelphia Eagles
83	Robert Geathers	DT		South Carolina State	→ Buffalo Bills

Round 4

Pick	Player	Position		College	NFL team
84	Sam Greene	WR		UNLV	→ Miami Dolphins
85	Clifford Chatman	RB		Central Oklahoma	→ New York Giants
86	Al Washington	LB		Ohio State	→ New York Jets
87	Scott Phillips	WR		BYU	→ Seattle Seahawks
88	Steve Rhodes	WR		Oklahoma	→ St. Louis Cardinals
89	John Holt	DB		West Texas	→ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
90	Tom Flick	QB		Washington	→ Washington Redskins
91	Scott Pelluer	LB		Washington State	→ Dallas Cowboys
92	Mike Robinson	DE		Arizona	→ Cleveland Browns
93	Guy Frazier	LB		Wyoming	→ Cincinnati Bengals
94	Tim Sherwin	TE		Boston College	→ Baltimore Colts
95	Todd Bell	DB		Ohio State	→ Chicago Bears
96	Brad Wright	QB		New Mexico	→ Miami Dolphins
97	Ron Washington	WR		Arizona State	→ Kansas City Chiefs
98	Mark Herrmann	QB		Purdue	→ Denver Broncos
99	Tracy Porter	WR		LSU	→ Detroit Lions
100	Robbie Martin	WR		Cal Poly	→ Pittsburgh Steelers
101	John Swain	DB		Miami	→ Minnesota Vikings
102	Don Blackmon	LB		Tulsa	→ New England Patriots
103	Amos Lawrence	RB		North Carolina	→ San Diego Chargers
104	George Lilja	C		Michigan	→ Los Angeles Rams
105	Richard Turner	DT		Oklahoma	→ Green Bay Packers
106	Nick Eyre	OT		BYU	→ Houston Oilers
107	Eric Sievers	TE		Maryland	→ San Diego Chargers
108	Derrie Nelson	LB		Nebraska	→ Dallas Cowboys
109	John Scully	C		Notre Dame	→ Atlanta Falcons
110	Calvin Murray	RB		Ohio State	→ Philadelphia Eagles
111	Johnny Robinson	DT		Louisiana Tech	→ Oakland Raiders

Round 5

Pick	Player	Position		College	NFL team
112	Louis Oubre	OT		Oklahoma	→ New Orleans Saints
113	Tyrone Keys	DE		Mississippi State	→ New York Jets
114	Edwin Bailey	OG		South Carolina State	→ Seattle Seahawks
115	Bill Neill	DT		Pittsburgh	→ New York Giants
116	John Gillen	LB		Illinois	→ St. Louis Cardinals
117	Byron Braggs	DT		Alabama	→ Green Bay Packers
118	James Davis	DB		Southern	→ Oakland Raiders
119	Dexter Manley	DE		Oklahoma State	→ Washington Redskins
120	Benjie Pryor	TE		Pittsburgh	→ Cincinnati Bengals
121	Lynn Thomas	DB		Pittsburgh	→ San Francisco 49ers
122	Arrington Jones	RB		Winston-Salem State	→ San Francisco 49ers
123	Wendell Ray	DE		Missouri	→ Minnesota Vikings
124	Todd Thomas	OT		North Dakota	→ Kansas City Chiefs
125	Ken Lanier	OT		Florida State	→ Denver Broncos
126	Ken Poole	DE		UL Monroe	→ Miami Dolphins
127	Ricky Martin	WR		New Mexico	→ Pittsburgh Steelers
128	Jerry Boyarsky	DT		Pittsburgh	→ New Orleans Saints
129	Larry Lee	OG		UCLA	→ Detroit Lions
130	Steve Clark	DT		Kansas State	→ New England Patriots
131	Keith Ferguson	LB		Ohio State	→ San Diego Chargers
132	Gary Sayre	OG		Cameron	→ Washington Redskins
133	Delbert Fowler	LB		West Virginia	→ Houston Oilers
134	Steve Cox	P		Arkansas	→ Cleveland Browns
135	Calvin Clark	DE		Purdue	→ Buffalo Bills
136	Eric Sanders	OT		Nevada	→ Atlanta Falcons
137	Danny Spradlin	LB		Tennessee	→ Dallas Cowboys
138	Tommy Vigorito	RB		Virginia	→ Miami Dolphins

Round 6

Pick	Player	Position		College	NFL team
139	Nat Hudson	OG		Georgia	→ New Orleans Saints
140	Steve Durham	DE		Clemson	→ Seattle Seahawks
141	Andy Gissinger	OT		Syracuse	→ San Diego Chargers
142	John Woodring	LB		Brown	→ New York Jets
143	Dave Ahrens	LB		Wisconsin	→ St. Louis Cardinals
144	Johnnie Poe	DB		Missouri	→ New Orleans Saints
145	Mel Hoover	WR		Arizona State	→ New York Giants
146	Rex Robinson	K		Georgia	→ Cincinnati Bengals
147	Pete Kugler	DT		Penn State	→ San Francisco 49ers
148	Larry Kubin	LB		Penn State	→ Washington Redskins
149	Bubba Green	DT		NC State	→ Baltimore Colts
150	Reuben Henderson	DB		San Diego State	→ Chicago Bears
151	Alvin Lewis	RB		Colorado State	→ Denver Broncos
152	Mack Moore	DE		Texas A&M	→ Miami Dolphins
153	Dock Luckie	DT		Florida	→ Kansas City Chiefs
154	Fulton Walker	DB		West Virginia	→ Miami Dolphins
155	Sam Johnson	DB		Maryland	→ Detroit Lions
156	Bryan Hinkle	LB		Oregon	→ Pittsburgh Steelers
157	Ron Wooten	OG		North Carolina	→ New England Patriots
158	William Daniels	DT		Alabama State	→ Los Angeles Rams
159	Bill Kay	DB		Purdue	→ Houston Oilers
160	Ron Simmons	DT		Florida State	→ Cleveland Browns
161	Robert Holt	WR		Baylor	→ Buffalo Bills
162	Bobby Duckworth	WR		Arkansas	→ San Diego Chargers
163	Vince Skillings	DB		Ohio State	→ Dallas Cowboys
164	Harry Stanback	DT		North Carolina	→ Atlanta Falcons
165	Edward O’Neal	RB		Tuskegee	→ New York Giants
166	Glen Redd	LB		BYU	→ New Orleans Saints

Round 7

Pick	Player	Position		College	NFL team
167	Kevin Williams	WR		USC	→ New Orleans Saints
168	Louis Jackson	RB		Cal Poly	→ New York Giants
169	Kenny Neil	DE		Iowa State	→ New York Jets
170	Ron Johnson	WR		Long Beach State	→ Seattle Seahawks
171	Kevin Donnalley	DB		North Dakota State	→ St. Louis Cardinals
172	Bill Whitaker	DB		Missouri	→ Green Bay Packers
173	Ron Fellows	DB		Missouri	→ Dallas Cowboys
174	Alan Duncan	K		Tennessee	→ Philadelphia Eagles
175	Ron Battle	TE		North Texas	→ Los Angeles Rams
176	Jeff Schuh	LB		Minnesota	→ Cincinnati Bengals
177	Jeff Fisher	DB		USC	→ Chicago Bears
178	Obed Ariri	K		Clemson	→ Baltimore Colts
179	Mike Daum	OT		Cal Poly	→ Miami Dolphins
180	Billy Jackson	RB		Alabama	→ Kansas City Chiefs
181	Steve Busick	LB		USC	→ Denver Broncos
182	Lee Spivey	OT		SMU	→ Detroit Lions
183	David Little	LB		Florida	→ Pittsburgh Steelers
184	Don Shaver	RB		Kutztown	→ Minnesota Vikings
185	Ken Toler	WR		Ole Miss	→ New England Patriots
186	Brad Scovill	TE		Penn State	→ Seattle Seahawks
187	Eddie Johnson	LB		Louisville	→ Cleveland Browns
188	Steve Doolittle	LB		Colorado	→ Buffalo Bills
189	Pete Holohan	TE		Notre Dame	→ San Diego Chargers
190	Mike Clark	DE		Florida	→ Los Angeles Rams
191	Ken Miller	DB		Eastern Michigan	→ Dallas Cowboys
192	Doak Field	LB		Baylor	→ Philadelphia Eagles
193	Don Washington	DB		Texas A&M–Kingsville	→ Houston Oilers