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2000 NFL draft
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| 2000 NFL draft | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Date | April 15–16, 2000 |
| Time | 12:00 pm EDT (April 15) 11:00 am EDT (April 16) |
| Location | Theatre at MSG in New York City, NY |
| Network | ESPN |
| Overview | |
| 254 total selections in 7 rounds | |
| League | NFL |
| First selection | Courtney Brown, DE Cleveland Browns |
| Mr. Irrelevant | Mike Green, SS Chicago Bears |
| Most selections (13) | Cleveland Browns Green Bay Packers |
| Fewest selections (5) | Dallas Cowboys Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| Hall of Famers | 1 |
The 2000 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur U.S. college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 15–16, 2000, at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.[1][2] No teams chose to claim any players in the supplemental draft that year.
The draft started with Penn State teammates Courtney Brown and LaVar Arrington being selected consecutively, making them the only Penn State players to go number one and two in the same draft. The New York Jets had four first-round draft picks, the most by any team in the history of the draft (17 teams have had three picks but no other has had four).[3]
The draft was notable for the selection of Michigan quarterback Tom Brady at the 199th pick in the sixth round by the New England Patriots. In his 23 seasons in the NFL, Brady won a record 7 Super Bowl titles (6 with the Patriots, 1 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), 3 NFL MVP awards, and a record 5 Super Bowl MVPs. As a result of his late selection and subsequent success, Brady is considered to be the biggest steal in the history of the NFL draft.[4][5] It was also the first year since 1966 that a pure placekicker was drafted in the first round, with the Oakland Raiders selecting Florida State's Sebastian Janikowski 17th overall. The University of Tennessee led all colleges with nine selections in the 2000 draft.
Player selections
[edit]
|
| ||||||||||||||||||
Chad Pennington (top) and Marc Bulger (middle) are two of the six quarterbacks taken before Tom Brady (bottom)
Trades
[edit]In the explanations below, (D) denotes trades that took place during the 2000 Draft, while (PD) indicates trades completed pre-draft.
- Round one
- ^ No. 2: New Orleans → Washington (PD). New Orleans traded its first, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh-round selections (12th, 71st, 107th, 144th, 179th and 218th) in 1999 and first- and third-round selections (2nd and 64th) in this draft to Washington in exchange for Washington's first-round selection (5th) in 1999.[source 1]
- ^ No. 3: San Francisco → Washington (PD). San Francisco traded its first-round selection (3rd) to Washington for their two first-round selections and fourth- and fifth-round selections (12th, 24th, 119th and 154th).[source 2]
- ^ No. 5: Atlanta → Baltimore (PD). Atlanta traded their first-round selection to Baltimore in 1999 in exchange for their 2nd round choice (42) in the 1999 draft.[source 3]
- ^ No. 10: Denver → Baltimore (PD). Denver traded their first-round selection to Baltimore in exchange for their 1st-round (15) and 2nd-round choices (42) in the 2000 draft.[source 3]
- ^ No. 12: multiple trades:
- No. 12: San Francisco → New York Jets (PD). San Francisco traded this selection to the New York Jets in exchange for New York's first-round selection (16) and second-round selection (48).[source 4]
- No. 12: Washington → San Francisco (PD). See No. 3: San Francisco → Washington.[source 2]
- No. 12: Carolina → Washington (PD). Washington received this pick as compensation for signing Sean Gilbert in 1998.[source 5]
- ^ No. 13: multiple trades:
- No. 13: Tampa Bay → New York Jets (PD). Tampa Bay traded two first-round picks (13 and 27) to the New York Jets in exchange for Keyshawn Johnson.[source 6]
- No. 12: San Diego → Tampa Bay (PD). Tampa Bay traded their 1998 second-round pick to San Diego in exchange for their first round pick in 2000.[source 7]
- ^ No. 15: Baltimore → Denver (PD). See No. 10: Baltimore → Denver.[source 3]
- ^ No. 16: multiple trades:
No. 16: New England → N.Y. Jets (PD). New York Jets were awarded New England's first-round selection (16th) and fourth- and seventh-round selections (101st and 206th) in 2001 as compensation for New England signing Jets head coach Bill Belichick, with New England receiving the Jets' fifth-round selection (149th) in 2001 and seventh-round selection in 2002.
No. 16: N.Y. Jets → San Francisco (D). See No. 12: San Francisco → N.Y. Jets. - ^ No. 19: Dallas → Seattle (PD). Dallas traded their first-round selection (19th) and first-round selection in (7th) to Seattle for WR Joey Galloway.[source 8]
- ^ No. 23: Miami → Carolina (PD). Miami traded its first-round selection (23rd) to Carolina in exchange for Carolina's second-round selection (44th) in 1998.
- ^ No. 24: Washington → San Francisco (D). See No. 3: San Francisco → Washington.
- ^ No. 27: Tampa Bay → N.Y. Jets (PD). See No. 13: Tampa Bay → N.Y. Jets.
- Round two
- ^ No. 45: Baltimore → Denver (D). See No. 10: Denver → Baltimore.
- ^ No. 48: N.Y. Jets → San Francisco (D). See No. 12: San Francisco → N.Y. Jets.
- ^ No. 51: Carolina → Tampa Bay (D). Carolina traded its second-round selection (51st) to Tampa Bay in exchange for Tampa Bay's second- and fourth-round selections (57th and 120th).
- ^ No. 56: Washington → Minnesota (PD). Washington traded its 2000 second-round selection (56th) and first- and third-round selections in 1999 to Minnesota in exchange for QB Brad Johnson.
- ^ No. 57: Tampa Bay → Carolina (D). See No. 51: Carolina → Tampa Bay.
- ^ No. 61: Tennessee → Philadelphia (D). Tennessee traded its second-round selection (61st) to Philadelphia in exchange for Philadelphia's third- and fifth-round selections (68th and 135th).
- Round three
- ^ No. 64: New Orleans → Washington (PD). See No. 2: New Orleans → Washington.
- ^ No. 68: Philadelphia → Tennessee (D). See No. 61: Tennessee → Philadelphia.
- ^ No. 77: Oakland → Pittsburgh (PD). Oakland traded its third-round selection (77th) to Pittsburgh in exchange for Pittsburgh's two fifth-round selections (146th and 163rd) in 1999.
- ^ No. 80: Dallas → Seattle (PD). Dallas traded its third-round selection (80th) to Seattle in exchange for WR James McKnight.
- ^ No. 86: Seattle → San Francisco (D). Seattle traded its third-round selection (86th) to San Francisco in exchange for San Francisco's fourth- and fifth-round selections (119th and 154th).
- ^ No. 87: Washington → Chicago (PD). Washington traded its third-round selection (87th) and first, third, fourth and fifth-round selections (12th, 71st, 106th and 143rd) in 1999 in exchange for Chicago's first-round selection (7th) in 1999.
- Round four
- ^ No. 98: San Francisco → Green Bay (D). San Francisco traded its fourth-round selection (98th) to Green Bay in exchange for Green Bay's fourth- and fifth-round selections (108th and 132nd).
- ^ No. 104: Chicago → St. Louis (D). Chicago traded its fourth-round selection (104th) to St. Louis in exchange for St. Louis' fourth-, fifth- and seventh-round selections (125th, 150th and 225th).
- ^ No. 106: Baltimore → Minnesota (PD). Baltimore traded its fourth-round selection (106th) and sixth-round selection (185th) in 1999 to Minnesota in exchange for G Everett Lindsay.
- ^ No. 108: multiple trades:
No. 108: N.Y. Jets → Green Bay (PD). N.Y. Jets traded its fourth-round selection (108th) to Green Bay in exchange for QB Rick Mirer.
No. 108: Green Bay → San Francisco (D). See No. 98: San Francisco → Green Bay. - ^ No. 111: multiple trades:
No. 111: Detroit → Philadelphia (PD). Detroit traded its fourth-round selection (111th) to Philadelphia in exchange for Philadelphia's fifth-round selection (137th) in 1999.
No. 111: Philadelphia → San Diego (D). Philadelphia traded this fourth-round selection (111th) to San Diego in exchange for San Diego's third-round selection in 2001. - ^ No. 112: Carolina → Denver (PD). Carolina traded its fourth-round selection (112th) and third-round selection (67th) in 1999 to Denver in exchange for QB Jeff Lewis.
- ^ No. 119: multiple trades:
No. 119: Washington → San Francisco (D). See No. 3: San Francisco → Washington.
No. 119: San Francisco → Seattle (D). See No. 86: Seattle → San Francisco. - ^ No. 120: Tampa Bay → Carolina (D). See No. 51: Carolina → Tampa Bay.
- ^ No. 125: St. Louis → Chicago (D). See No. 104: Chicago → St. Louis.
- Round five
- ^ No. 132: multiple trades:
No. 132: San Francisco → Green Bay (PD). San Francisco traded its fifth-round selection (132nd) to Green Bay in exchange for CB Craig Newsome.
No. 119: Green Bay → San Francisco (D). See No. 98: San Francisco → Green Bay. - ^ No. 135: Philadelphia → Tennessee (D). See No. 61: Tennessee → Philadelphia.
- ^ No. 138: multiple trades:
No. 138: Chicago → New Orleans (PD). Chicago traded its fifth-round selection (138th) to New Orleans in exchange for WR Eddie Kennison.
No. 138: New Orleans → Indianapolis (D). New Orleans traded this fifth-round selection (138th) to Indianapolis in exchange for Indianapolis' fifth- and sixth-round selections (158th and 195th). - ^ No. 139: Denver → St. Louis (PD). Denver traded its fifth-round selection (139th) and fifth-round selection in 2001 to St. Louis in exchange for S Billy Jenkins.
- ^ No. 148: San Diego → Baltimore (PD). San Diego traded its fifth-round selection (148th) to Baltimore in exchange for QB Jim Harbaugh.
- ^ No. 150: multiple trades:
No. 150: Baltimore → Detroit (PD). Baltimore traded its fifth-round selection (150th) and third-round selection (72nd) in 1999 to Detroit in exchange for QB Scott Mitchell.
No. 150: Detroit → St. Louis (PD). Detroit traded this fifth and seventh-round selections (150th and 220nd) to St. Louis in exchange for RB Greg Hill.
No. 150: St. Louis → Chicago (D). See No. 104: Chicago → St. Louis.
No. 150: Chicago → San Francisco (D). Chicago traded this fifth-round selection (150th) to San Francisco in exchange for San Francisco's sixth- and seventh-round selections (170th and 209th). - ^ No. 151: Seattle → Green Bay (PD). Seattle traded RB Ahman Green and its fifth-round selection (151st) to Green Bay in exchange for CB Fred Vinson and Green Bay's sixth-round selection (185th).
- ^ No. 154: multiple trades:
No. 154: Washington → San Francisco (D). See No. 3: San Francisco → Washington.
No. 154: San Francisco → Seattle (D). See No. 86: Seattle → San Francisco.
No. 154: Seattle → Denver (D). Seattle traded this fifth-round selection (154th) to Denver in exchange for Denver's sixth- and seventh-round selections (175th and 231st). - ^ No. 155: Minnesota → Washington (PD). Washington received this selection from Minnesota as compensation for Minnesota's signing of restricted free agent Brad Badger.[8]
- ^ No. 158: Indianapolis → New Orleans (D). See No. 138: New Orleans → Indianapolis.
- ^ No. 161: St. Louis → New England (PD). St. Louis traded and its fifth-round selection (161st) to New England in exchange for DE Mike Jones.
- Round six
- ^ No. 167: Cleveland → Miami (PD). Cleveland traded and its sixth-round selection (167th) to Miami in exchange for RB Karim Abdul-Jabbar.
- ^ No. 170: San Francisco → Chicago (D). See No. 150: Chicago → San Francisco.
- ^ No. 175: Denver → Seattle (D). See No. 154: Seattle → Denver.
- ^ No. 178: Oakland → Philadelphia (PD). Oakland traded its sixth-round selection (178th) to Philadelphia in exchange for QB Bobby Hoying.
- ^ No. 185: Green Bay → Seattle (PD). See No. 151: Seattle → Green Bay.
- ^ No. 188: Miami → Kansas City (PD). Miami traded and its sixth-round selection (188th) and its second- and third-round selections (54th and 84th) in 1999 to Kansas City in exchange for Kansas City's second-round selection (43rd) in 1999.
- ^ No. 189: multiple trades:
No. 189: Kansas City → St. Louis (PD). Kansas City traded its sixth-round selection (189th) to St. Louis in exchange for TE Mitch Jacoby.
No. 189: St. Louis → Denver (D). St. Louis traded this sixth-round selection (189th) to Denver in exchange for RB Derek Loville. - ^ No. 191: Minnesota → Baltimore (PD). See No. 106: Baltimore → Minnesota.
- ^ No. 192: Washington → Philadelphia (PD). Washington traded its sixth-round selection (188th) to Philadelphia in exchange for QB Rodney Peete.
- ^ No. 195: Indianapolis → New Orleans (D). See No. 138: New Orleans → Indianapolis.
- Round seven
- ^ No. 208: New Orleans → Kansas City (PD). New Orleans was required to swap its seventh-round selection (208th) with Kansas City for its seventh-round selection (228th) as compensation for New Orleans signing Kansas City's DB coach Ron Zook as their new defensive coordinator.
- ^ No. 209: multiple trades:
No. 209: San Francisco → Chicago (D). See No. 150: Chicago → San Francisco.
No. 209: Chicago → Cleveland (D). Chicago traded two seventh-round selections (209th and 225th) to Cleveland in exchange for Cleveland's three seventh-round selections (223rd, 232nd and 254th). - ^ No. 212: multiple trades:
No. 212: Philadelphia → New England (PD). Philadelphia traded its seventh-round selection to New England in exchange for WR Dietrich Jells.
No. 212: New England → San Francisco (D). New England traded this seventh-round selection (212th) to San Francisco in exchange for San Francisco's sixth-round selection in 2001. - ^ No. 213: Chicago → Tennessee (PD). Chicago traded its seventh-round selection (213th) to Tennessee in exchange for LB Lemanski Hall.
- ^ No. 216: Pittsburgh → Washington (PD). Pittsburgh traded its seventh-round selection (216th) to Washington in exchange for OT Shar Pourdanesh.
- ^ No. 220: Detroit → St. Louis (PD). See No. 150: New Orleans → Indianapolis.
- ^ No. 223: Cleveland → Chicago (D). See No. 209: Chicago → Cleveland.
- ^ No. 225: multiple trades:
No. 225: Baltimore → St. Louis (PD). Baltimore traded its seventh-round selection (225th) and fifth-round selection (145th) in 1999 to St. Louis in exchange for QB Tony Banks.
No. 225: St. Louis → Chicago (D). See No. 104: Chicago → St. Louis.
No. 225: Chicago → Cleveland (D). No. 209: Chicago → Cleveland. - ^ No. 228: Kansas City → New Orleans (PD). See No. 208: New Orleans → Kansas City.
- ^ No. 229: Seattle → Green Bay (PD). Seattle traded its seventh-round selection (229th) to Green Bay in exchange for WR Derrick Mayes.
- ^ No. 230: Miami → San Francisco (PD). Miami traded its seventh-round selection (230th) to San Francisco in exchange for QB Jim Druckenmiller.
- ^ No. 231: multiple trades:
No. 231: Washington → Denver (PD). Washington traded its seventh-round selection (231st) and seventh-round selection in 2001 to Denver in exchange for CB Tito Paul.
No. 231: Denver → Seattle (D). See No. 154: Seattle → Denver.
No. 231: Seattle → Oakland (D). Seattle traded this seventh-round selection (231st) to Oakland in exchange for Oakland's sixth-round selection in 2001. - ^ No. 232: multiple trades:
No. 232: Minnesota → Cleveland (PD). Minnesota traded its seventh-round selection (232nd) and DT Stalin Colinet to Cleveland in exchange for DT Jerry Ball.
No. 232: Cleveland → Chicago (D). See No. 209: Chicago → Cleveland.
No. 232: Chicago → Miami (D). Chicago traded this seventh-round selection (232nd) and its seventh-round selection in 2001 to Miami in exchange for P Brent Bartholomew. - ^ No. 238: multiple trades:
No. 238: St. Louis → Oakland (PD). St. Louis traded its seventh-round selection (238th) to Oakland in exchange for QB Paul Justin.
No. 238: Oakland → Indianapolis (D). Oakland traded this seventh-round selection (238th) to Indianapolis in exchange for Indianapolis' sixth-round selection in 2001. - ^ No. 254: Cleveland → Chicago (D). See No. 209: Chicago → Cleveland.
-->
Forfeited picks
[edit]- ^ The New England Patriots forfeited their 2000 fourth round pick after selecting CB J'Juan Cherry in the 1999 supplemental draft.[7]
Notable undrafted players
[edit]| † | = Pro Bowler[N 1] |
Hall of Famers
[edit]- Brian Urlacher, linebacker from New Mexico, taken 1st round 9th overall by the Chicago Bears.
- Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame Class of 2018.
References and notes
[edit]- Notes
- Trade references
- ^ Maske, Mark (April 18, 1999). "Redskins Wheel, Deal, Draft a Champ". The Washington Post.
- ^ a b "Niners to give third pick to Skins for 12th, 24th selections". CNN/SI. Associated Press. February 27, 2000. Archived from the original on May 1, 2001. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
- ^ a b c Banks, Don (April 14, 2000). "The Fifth Element". CNN/SI. Archived from the original on May 25, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
- ^ Battista, Judy (April 14, 2000). "Still Holding Four Picks, Jets Poised to Move Up". The New York Times. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
- ^ "Panthers Acquire Sean Gilbert". Associated Press. April 21, 1998. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
- ^ Elliott, Josh (April 24, 2000). "Key Figure". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
- ^ "2000 NFL Draft Pick Transactions". Pro Sports Transactions.
- ^ "Joey on the Move". CNN/SI. February 13, 2000. Archived from the original on June 27, 2001.
- General references
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Jets' best draft class featured a record four first-round picks". ESPN.com. April 25, 2016. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
- ^ "Top all-time NFL draft steals". NFL.com. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
- ^ "25 of the greatest NFL Draft picks ever - CBSSports.com". February 22, 2017. Archived from the original on February 22, 2017. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
- ^ Players are identified as a Hall of Famer if they have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
- ^ "Patriots Waive Cornerback J'Juan Cherry". Patriots.com. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
- ^ "Redskins Sign QB George". The Washington Post. April 11, 2000.
External links
[edit]2000 NFL draft
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
The 2000 National Football League Draft was the 65th annual player selection meeting held by NFL franchises to choose eligible American football players.[1] It took place over two days, April 15 and 16, at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.[2] The event featured seven rounds and a total of 254 picks across all 31 teams (prior to the Houston Texans' addition in 2002).[3]
The draft's first overall selection was defensive end Courtney Brown from Penn State, taken by the expansion-era Cleveland Browns, who were rebuilding after their 1999 return to the league.[3] Other high-profile early picks included linebacker LaVar Arrington (second overall, Washington Redskins), offensive tackle Chris Samuels (third overall, Washington Redskins), wide receiver Peter Warrick (fourth overall, Cincinnati Bengals), and running back Jamal Lewis (fifth overall, Baltimore Ravens).[3] Notably, the New York Jets made NFL draft history by acquiring and using four first-round picks—Shaun Ellis (12th overall), John Abraham (13th overall), Chad Pennington (18th overall), and Anthony Becht (27th overall)—in a single afternoon through multiple trades, a record for the most first-round picks by a single team in the common draft era (since 1967) that still stands today.[4][5]
The class is remembered for producing Pro Football Hall of Famer linebacker Brian Urlacher (ninth overall, Chicago Bears), who earned eight Pro Bowl selections and four first-team All-Pro honors, and quarterback Tom Brady (199th overall, sixth round, New England Patriots), selected late despite his status as one of the greatest players in NFL history with seven Super Bowl victories.[3] Other standout contributors included running back Shaun Alexander (19th overall, Seattle Seahawks), who led the league in rushing touchdowns in 2002 and earned three Pro Bowls, and defensive end John Abraham (13th overall, New York Jets), a four-time Pro Bowler with 133.5 career sacks.[3] The draft class as a whole yielded 23 Pro Bowlers and emphasized defensive talent alongside late-round gems that reshaped franchises.[3]
Early picks reflected teams' priorities for pass rushers and linebackers, with the Browns' selection of Courtney Brown eliciting cheers for his explosive athleticism showcased at the NFL Combine, while the Redskins' consecutive choices of LaVar Arrington and Chris Samuels balanced defense and protection for quarterback Brad Johnson. The Jets capitalized on aggressive maneuvering, securing four first-round picks—the most in draft history—beginning with defensive ends Shaun Ellis at No. 12 and John Abraham at No. 13 after trading their No. 16 pick and a second-rounder to the 49ers for the latter slot, aiming to fortify their edge rush in one dramatic sequence.[4][22]
A pivotal moment came at No. 17 when the Raiders, under owner Al Davis, stunned the audience by selecting kicker Sebastian Janikowski, prompting audible gasps and murmurs throughout the venue as Tagliabue announced the unconventional choice—the first kicker taken in the first round since Charlie Gogolak went sixth overall to the Washington Redskins in 1966. The pick highlighted Davis's emphasis on special teams reliability, with Janikowski's booming leg strength from his Florida State days seen as a potential game-changer for close contests. Later selections continued the defensive theme, including multiple cornerbacks and defensive tackles in the 20s, as teams like the Vikings and Bills addressed secondary and line needs amid an overall narrative of bolstering defenses to counter the era's high-scoring offenses.[16][23]
Background
League and Team Context
The National Football League in 2000 operated under a salary cap and free agency system implemented in the mid-1990s to foster competitive balance, which by this point had begun to erode longstanding dynasties and promote greater parity across teams, as evidenced by the lack of repeat champions since the 1993 Dallas Cowboys and a more even distribution of playoff contenders following the 1999 season.[6] The 1999 season highlighted defensive dominance, with eight weeks into the year featuring low-scoring games and strong units like the St. Louis Rams (fourth in points allowed at 15.1 per game) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers leading the league in defensive efficiency, influencing draft strategies toward bolstering defensive talent to counter offensive trends seen in high-powered teams like the Indianapolis Colts.[7][8] The Cleveland Browns entered the 2000 draft as a rebuilding expansion franchise, having been reactivated for the 1999 season after a three-year suspension of operations, and finished that year with a 2-14 record that secured them the No. 1 overall selection. Their poor performance underscored the challenges of restocking an expansion roster, prompting a focus on foundational pieces to accelerate recovery. Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens, coming off an 8-8 finish in 1999 that marked incremental progress in their fourth season of existence, possessed a solid defense allowing just 277 points (17.3 per game) but sought further reinforcements to elevate their unit amid ongoing offensive struggles.[9] Specific team needs reflected these broader dynamics, with the Browns evaluating alternatives to their 1999 first-round quarterback Tim Couch amid his rookie inconsistencies and the team's overall talent gaps, while the Washington Redskins, after aggressive but uneven free agency spending under new owner Daniel Snyder, prioritized linebacker depth following departures and underperformance in the position group.[10][11]Pre-Draft Preparations and Expectations
The NFL Combine, held in February 2000 in Indianapolis, served as a key evaluation event for prospects, with standout performances from defensive talents drawing significant attention. Penn State's Courtney Brown impressed scouts with his size and speed, measuring 6-foot-5 and 269 pounds while running a 4.78-second 40-yard dash, positioning him as a top defensive end candidate.[12] His teammate, linebacker LaVar Arrington, also shone, clocking a 4.53-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, highlighting his explosive athleticism and reinforcing the duo's status as elite prospects.[12] These results fueled early buzz around defensive players, as teams sought to bolster front sevens amid a league-wide emphasis on pass rushers. Pre-draft projections heavily favored the Penn State pair, with Brown and Arrington widely expected to be top-three selections due to their college production and physical tools. Analysts identified them as two of the draft's three blue-chip talents, alongside Florida State's Peter Warrick, with mocks frequently slotting Brown to the Cleveland Browns at No. 1 and Arrington to the Washington Redskins at No. 2 after a potential trade.[13] Debates among quarterback prospects centered on Marshall's Chad Pennington as the class leader, though his stock was tempered by comparisons to more mobile arms like Hofstra's Giovanni Carmazzi, reflecting a perceived weak overall group lacking a clear franchise savior.[14] Mock draft trends underscored a defensive emphasis, with multiple projections prioritizing edge rushers and linebackers in the top five to address team needs for disruptive playmakers.[15] Speculation also swirled around Florida State's Sebastian Janikowski, a powerful kicker whose leg strength led to discussions of him becoming the first first-round kicker since 1971, potentially as high as the mid-first round for teams valuing special teams reliability.[16] Media coverage and expert analyses, including from ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., highlighted the draft's defensive depth while noting limited quarterback excitement, with late-round sleepers like Michigan's Tom Brady receiving middling grades for his average arm and lack of elite physical traits, underscoring the surprise potential in overlooked signal-callers.[17]Draft Details
Date, Location, and Format
The 2000 NFL Draft took place over two days, April 15 and 16, at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.[18][2] It followed a two-day structure typical of the era, with Rounds 1 through 3 held on Saturday, April 15, beginning at 11:00 a.m. EDT, and Rounds 4 through 7 on Sunday, April 16.[18] The draft encompassed seven rounds and resulted in 254 total selections distributed among the league's 31 teams, incorporating 31 compensatory picks awarded for net losses of unrestricted free agents in the prior offseason; due to trades, certain teams forfeited picks in specific rounds and thus had none available at times.[18][19] Selection order was established by inverting the 1999 regular-season standings, with ties resolved via strength of schedule—the aggregate winning percentage of each team's 16 opponents from that year.[20] Time limits per pick varied by round to maintain pace: 15 minutes for Round 1, 10 minutes for Rounds 2 and 3, 7 minutes for Round 4, and 5 minutes for Rounds 5 through 7.[18] One distinctive element of the 2000 draft format was the New York Jets' acquisition of four first-round picks via multiple trades, setting an NFL record for the most selections in the opening round by a single team during the common draft era (post-1967 merger).[4]First Round Selections
The first round of the 2000 NFL Draft commenced on April 15, 2000, at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue presided over the announcements, with the proceedings broadcast live and emphasizing teams' needs for defensive reinforcements following a league-wide push for stronger front sevens and secondaries. The round opened with two Penn State defenders going in the top three picks, underscoring the draft's defensive tilt, as 14 of the 31 selections were defensive players—a higher proportion than offensive or special teams choices.[21][4] The selections unfolded as follows:| Pick | Team | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cleveland Browns | Courtney Brown | DE | Penn State |
| 2 | Washington Redskins | LaVar Arrington | LB | Penn State |
| 3 | Washington Redskins | Chris Samuels | OT | Alabama |
| 4 | Cincinnati Bengals | Peter Warrick | WR | Florida State |
| 5 | Baltimore Ravens | Jamal Lewis | RB | Tennessee |
| 6 | Philadelphia Eagles | Corey Simon | DT | Florida State |
| 7 | Arizona Cardinals | Thomas Jones | RB | Virginia |
| 8 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Plaxico Burress | WR | Michigan State |
| 9 | Chicago Bears | Brian Urlacher | LB | New Mexico |
| 10 | Baltimore Ravens | Travis Taylor | WR | Florida |
| 11 | New York Giants | Ron Dayne | RB | Wisconsin |
| 12 | New York Jets | Shaun Ellis | DE | Tennessee |
| 13 | New York Jets | John Abraham | DE | South Carolina |
| 14 | Green Bay Packers | Bubba Franks | TE | Miami (FL) |
| 15 | Denver Broncos | Deltha O'Neal | CB | California |
| 16 | San Francisco 49ers | Julian Peterson | LB | Michigan State |
| 17 | Oakland Raiders | Sebastian Janikowski | K | Florida State |
| 18 | New York Jets | Chad Pennington | QB | Marshall |
| 19 | Seattle Seahawks | Shaun Alexander | RB | Alabama |
| 20 | Detroit Lions | Stockar McDougle | OT | Oklahoma |
| 21 | Kansas City Chiefs | Sylvester Morris | WR | Jackson State |
| 22 | Seattle Seahawks | Chris McIntosh | OT | Wisconsin |
| 23 | Carolina Panthers | Rashard Anderson | CB | Jackson State |
| 24 | San Francisco 49ers | Ahmed Plummer | CB | Ohio State |
| 25 | Minnesota Vikings | Chris Hovan | DT | Boston College |
| 26 | Buffalo Bills | Erik Flowers | DE | Arizona State |
| 27 | New York Jets | Anthony Becht | TE | West Virginia |
| 28 | Indianapolis Colts | Rob Morris | LB | BYU |
| 29 | Jacksonville Jaguars | R. Jay Soward | WR | USC |
| 30 | Tennessee Titans | Keith Bulluck | LB | Syracuse |
| 31 | St. Louis Rams | Trung Canidate | RB | Arizona |