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60 free NFL Draft trivia questions with answers — sports quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
51 free NFL draft trivia questions with answers. NFL draft trivia for the people who watch all seven rounds and the ones who only tune in for the green-room drama. This quiz covers the whole history: the Eagles owner who dreamed the draft up, the Heisman winner taken first in 1936 who never played a down, why the last pick is called Mr. Irrelevant, and how ESPN talked a sceptical Pete Rozelle into televising it in 1980. It also covers the legends and the lore: Tom Brady at 199, JaMarcus Russell and Ryan Leaf, the 1983 quarterback class, Elway and Eli refusing their teams, Bo Jackson sleeping through the draft, Aaron Rodgers' long wait, the gas-mask video, the Herschel Walker haul, the combine, compensatory picks and the record crowds since the draft went on the road. Difficulty runs from easy to expert and is marked on every question. Every answer has been checked against Wikipedia and the primary sources it cites, and each explanation adds one more thing worth knowing.
30 of 60 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01In which year was the first NFL draft held?
1936
It began at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia on February 8, with ninety names written on a blackboard and no media coverage.
Q 02Which team owner proposed the draft in 1935 because his weak club could not sign talent or sell tickets?
Bert Bell of the Eagles
The trigger was Minnesota running back Stan Kostka holding out for nine months to become the league's highest-paid player.
Q 03Who was the first player ever selected in an NFL draft?
Jay Berwanger
The first Heisman winner never played in the NFL; his aunt used the trophy as a doorstop.
Q 04How many rounds does the modern NFL draft have?
Seven
Each round has 32 picks, plus up to 32 compensatory selections spread across rounds three to seven.
Q 05Which team picks last in each round of the draft?
The Super Bowl champion
The order runs in reverse of the previous season's records, so the worst team picks first.
Q 06Players must be out of high school for how many years to be draft-eligible?
Three
The rules never say a player must attend college, though almost all draftees have.
Q 07Under rules introduced for the 2026 draft, how long did teams get per first-round pick?
Eight minutes
Until 2007 the first-round limit was 15 minutes; it dropped to 10 in 2008 and 8 in 2026, with just four minutes in round seven.
Q 08The nickname 'Mr. Irrelevant' for the last pick was coined in 1976 by which former receiver?
Paul Salata
He founded Irrelevant Week in Newport Beach, where the honoree receives the Lowsman Trophy, a player fumbling a football.
Q 09Which 2022 Mr. Irrelevant became a starting QB and Super Bowl participant?
Brock Purdy
Most last picks never make a regular-season roster; kicker Ryan Succop is another notable exception.
Q 10Which cable channel first televised the draft in 1980 after persuading a sceptical Pete Rozelle?
ESPN
Rozelle doubted it would be entertaining television; moving the draft to a weekend in 1988 sent ratings soaring.
Q 11Between 1965 and 2014, every draft was held in which metropolis?
New York
Frustration with Radio City Music Hall's scheduling led the league to put the 2015 draft out to bid, and Chicago won.
Q 12Which city hosted the 2015 draft, the first outside New York in fifty years, with a 'Draft Town' festival?
Chicago
The picks were made inside the Auditorium Theatre while fans watched from Grant Park across the street.
Q 13The 2024 draft in Detroit set a then-record attendance of more than how many people?
775,000
The crowd filled Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza; the record was later surpassed in 2026.
Q 21John Elway refused to play for which team after it drafted him first overall in 1983?
The Baltimore Colts
He had leverage: the Yankees had drafted him in the second round in 1981 and paid him to play minor-league ball.
Q 22Eli Manning was drafted first overall in 2004 by which team, whom he refused to play for?
The San Diego Chargers
He was swapped to the Giants for fourth pick Philip Rivers; Ben Roethlisberger went 11th, making 2004 the first class with two multiple-Super-Bowl-winning QBs.
Q 23Which quarterback did the Colts take first overall in 1998 out of Tennessee?
Peyton Manning
Q 14Which pandemic-era draft was conducted entirely virtually after its planned Las Vegas event was scrapped?
2020
Las Vegas finally got its draft in 2022 at the Bellagio.
Q 15Tom Brady, widely called the biggest steal in draft history, went with which pick in 2000?
199th
The Patriots took the Michigan quarterback in the sixth round.
Q 16Which quarterback, the Raiders' first overall pick in 2007, is considered one of the biggest busts?
JaMarcus Russell
The LSU star was released in 2010 after questions about his work ethic and never returned to the league.
Q 17Ryan Leaf, another famous bust, was drafted second overall in 1998 immediately after which quarterback?
Peyton Manning
The Chargers took Leaf, and Charles Woodson went fourth as the only primarily defensive Heisman winner.
Q 18Ki-Jana Carter, top overall pick in 1995, saw his career derailed by a torn knee ligament suffered when?
In his debut preseason game
The Penn State back missed most of five seasons with the Bengals.
Q 19Which quarterback did the reactivated 1999 Cleveland franchise take first overall?
Tim Couch
The Kentucky record-setter threw for over 11,000 yards but never lived up to the slot.
Q 20The 1983 first round is famous for how many quarterbacks, a record tied only in 2024?
Six
Elway, Blackledge, Kelly, Eason, O'Brien and Marino all went to AFC teams; three reached the Hall of Fame.
He turned a struggling franchise into a perennial contender with 11 playoff trips.
Q 24Which team took Bo Jackson in the seventh round in 1987, a year after he spurned Tampa Bay for baseball?
The Los Angeles Raiders
He was asleep when the pick was made and only signed after learning Al Davis was a fan.
Q 25Aaron Rodgers slid to the 24th pick in 2005 after the 49ers took which quarterback first?
Alex Smith
Rodgers said the hours-long wait in the green room left him full of angst.
Q 26Which offensive tackle's hacked Twitter posted a gas-mask bong video minutes before the 2016 NFL draft?
Laremy Tunsil
Some teams pulled him off their boards; the Dolphins took him 13th.
Q 27Brady Quinn's long green-room wait in 2007 ended when which team took him 22nd?
The Cleveland Browns
Many had expected the Browns to grab the Notre Dame quarterback with the third pick.
Q 28Which quarterback did the Browns land through the 1985 supplemental draft after acquiring Buffalo's pick?
Bernie Kosar
The Miami star arranged his eligibility so he could bypass the regular draft.
Q 29Which future Hall of Fame receiver entered the league via the 1987 supplemental draft?
Cris Carter
Buddy Ryan's Eagles took the Ohio State star in the fourth round, and Chris Berman later coined 'All he does is catch touchdowns'.
Q 30Which draft analyst, on ESPN since 1984, drew Colts GM Bill Tobin's 1994 jab of 'Who the hell is…'?
Mel Kiper Jr.
Kiper had criticised the Colts for passing on Trent Dilfer; he is credited with inventing the mock draft.