Before the draft, there was much debate in the media on if the Indianapolis Colts would select Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf with the first overall pick. Both were considered excellent prospects and future franchise quarterbacks: Leaf was considered to have more upside and a stronger throwing arm, whereas Manning was considered a polished prospect who was NFL ready and more mature.
On the day of the draft, the Colts selected Manning due to Leaf's disdain for Indianapolis, with Leaf being selected second overall by the San Diego Chargers.
Manning went on to be a five-time Most Valuable Player Award[3] winner (the most of any player in NFL history) and a two-time Super Bowl champion (in 2006 with the Colts and in 2015 with the Denver Broncos), and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021, while Leaf was out of the NFL by 2002, having earned a 4–17 record, and is considered one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history.[4]
^Players are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro Bowl at any time in their career.
Supplemental draft
A supplemental draft was held in the summer of 1998. For each player selected in the supplemental draft, the team forfeits its pick in that round in the draft of the following season. The Green Bay Packers and San Diego Chargers both selected players in the 2nd round.
Randy Moss, wide receiver from Marshall, taken 1st round 21st overall by the Minnesota Vikings.
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame Class of 2018.
Peyton Manning, quarterback from Tennessee, taken 1st round 1st overall by the Indianapolis Colts.
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame Class of 2021.
Charles Woodson, cornerback from Michigan, taken 1st round 4th overall by the Oakland Raiders.
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame Class of 2021.
Alan Faneca, guard from LSU, taken 1st round 26th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame Class of 2021.
Trades
In the explanations below, (D) denotes trades that took place during the 1994 Draft, while (PD) indicates trades completed pre-draft.
Round one
^No. 2: Arizona → San Diego (PD).Arizona traded its first-round selection (2nd) to San Diego in exchange for San Diego's first and second-round selections (3rd and 33rd) and first-round selection (8th) in 1999 plus RB Eric Metcalf and LB Patrick Sapp.
^No. 9: Buffalo → Jacksonville (PD).Buffalo traded its first- and fourth-round selections (9th and 101st) to Jacksonville in exchange for QB Rob Johnson.
^No. 17: Washington → Cincinnati (PD).Cincinnati were awarded Washington's first- and third-round selections (17th and 78th) as compensation for Washington signing restricted free agent DT Dan Wilkinson.
^No. 18: N.Y. Jets → New England (PD).New England were awarded the Jets' first- and third-round selections (18th and 81st) as compensation for the Jets signing restricted free agent RB Curtis Martin.
^No. 19: Miami → Green Bay (D).Miami traded its first-round selection (19th) to Green Bay in exchange for Green Bay's first- and second-round selections (29th and 60th).
^No. 23: Tampa Bay → Oakland (D).Tampa Bay traded its first-round selection (23rd) to Oakland in exchange for Oakland's two second-round selections (34th and 59th).
^No. 41: multiple trades: No. 41: Philadelphia → N.Y. Jets (PD).Philadelphia traded its second- and fifth-round selections (41st and 134th) to N.Y. Jets in exchange for DE Hugh Douglas. No. 41: N.Y. Jets → Pittsburgh (D).N.Y. Jets traded its second-round selection (41st) to Pittsburgh in exchange for Pittsburgh's second-, third- and fifth-round selections (56th, 87th and 149th).
^No. 44: Carolina → Miami (D).Carolina traded its second-round selection (44th) to Miami in exchange for Miami's first-round selection in 2000.
^No. 45: Atlanta → Tampa Bay (D).Atlanta traded its second-round selection (45th) to Tampa Bay in exchange for Tampa Bay's second- and fourth-round selections (53rd and 114th).
^No. 52: N.Y. Jets → New England (PD).N.Y. Jets traded its second-round selection (56th), second- and third-round selections (61st and 97th) in 1997 and first-round selection in 1999 to New England in exchange for the Patriots releasing head coach Bill Parcells from his coaching contract.
^No. 59: multiple trades: No. 59: Kansas City → Oakland (PD).Oakland were awarded Kansas City's second-round selection as compensation for the Chiefs signing restricted free agent DT Chester McGlockton. No. 59: Oakland → Tampa Bay (D). see No. 23: Tampa Bay → Oakland. No. 59: Tampa Bay → San Diego (D).Tampa Bay traded this second-round selection (59th) to San Diego in exchange for San Diego's first-round selection in 2000.
^No. 60: multiple trades: No. 60: Green Bay → Miami (D). see No. 19: Miami → Green Bay. No. 60: Miami → Detroit (D).Miami traded this second-round selection to Detroit in exchange for Detroit's third-, fifth- and sixth-round selections (79th, 143rd and 172nd).
Round three
^No. 52: Indianapolis → Carolina (PD).Indianapolis traded its third-round selection (62nd) to Carolina in exchange for hiring Panthers' GM Bill Polian.
^No. 65: multiple trades: No. 65: Arizona → N.Y. Jets (PD).Arizona traded its third-round selection (65th) to N.Y. Jets in exchange for RB Adrian Murrell. No. 65: N.Y. Jets → St. Louis (D).N.Y. Jets traded this third-round selection (65th) to St. Louis in exchange for St. Louis' third- and seventh-round selections (67th and 195th).
^No. 66: San Diego → Pittsburgh (PD).San Diego traded its third-round selection (66th) to Pittsburgh in exchange for Pittsburgh's fifth-round selection (146th) in 1997.
^No. 69: New Orleans → Washington (PD).New Orleans traded its third-round selection (69th) and its fifth-round selection (132nd) in 1997 to Washington in exchange for QB Heath Shuler.
^No. 70: multiple trades: No. 70: Dallas → Philadelphia (D).Dallas traded its third-round selection (70th) and first- and fifth-round selections (25th and 155th) to Philadelphia in exchange for Philadelphia's first-round selection (22nd) in 1997. No. 70: Philadelphia → N.Y. Giants (D).Philadelphia traded this third-round selection (70th) to N.Y. Giants in exchange for the Giants' third- and fourth-round selections (85th and 116th).
^No. 71: Baltimore → Indianapolis (PD).Baltimore traded its third- and fourth-round selections (71st and 103rd) to Indianapolis in exchange for QB Jim Harbaugh and Indianapolis' fourth-round selection (93rd).
^No. 93: multiple trades: No. 93: Indianapolis → Baltimore (D). see No. 71: Baltimore → Indianapolis. No. 93: Baltimore → Indianapolis (D).Baltimore traded this fourth-round selection (93rd) to Indianapolis in exchange for Indianapolis' fourth-, fifth- and sixth-round selections (103rd, 124th and 154th).
^No. 96: San Diego → St. Louis (PD).San Diego traded its fourth-round selection (96th) and seventh-round selection (215th) in 1997 to St. Louis in exchange for St. Louis' fifth-round selection (138th) in 1998.
^No. 97: Oakland → New Orleans (PD).Oakland traded its fourth-round selection (97th) to New Orleans in exchange for CB Eric Allen.
^No. 102: Philadelphia → Miami (D).Philadelphia traded its fourth-round selection (102nd) to Miami in exchange for Miami's fourth- and fifth-round selections (112th and 142nd).
^No. 103: multiple trades: No. 103: Baltimore → Indianapolis (D). see No. 71: Baltimore → Indianapolis. No. 103: Indianapolis → Baltimore (D). see No. 93: Baltimore → Indianapolis. No. 103: Baltimore → Tampa Bay (D).Baltimore traded this fourth-round selection (103rd) to Tampa Bay in exchange for Tampa Bay's third-round selection in 1999. No. 103: Tampa Bay → Atlanta (D).Tampa Bay failed to make their selection within the allotted time, allowing Atlanta to pick ahead of them.
^No. 109: Washington → Oakland (D).Washington traded its fourth-round selection (109th) to Oakland in exchange for Oakland's fourth- and seventh-round selections (113rd and 191st).
^No. 135: Cincinnati → Indianapolis (PD).Cincinnati traded its fifth-round selection (135th) to Indianapolis in exchange for QB Paul Justin.
^No. 137: Atlanta → Pittsburgh (D).Atlanta traded its fifth-round selection (137th) to Pittsburgh in exchange for Pittsburgh's three seventh-round selections (199th, 203rd and 215th).
^No. 138: Seattle → Dallas (D).Seattle traded its fifth-round selection (138th) to Dallas in exchange for Dallas' sixth- and seventh-round selections (162nd and 197th).
^No. 150: Kansas City → Green Bay (PD).Kansas City traded its fifth-round selection (150th) to Green Bay in exchange for LB Wayne Simmons.
^No. 150: Green Bay → Oakland (D).Green Bay traded its sixth-round selection (152nd) to Oakland in exchange for Oakland's sixth-round selection (156th) and sixth-round selection in 1999.
^No. 182: Green Bay → Jacksonville (PD).Green Bay traded its sixth-round selection (182nd) to Jacksonville in exchange for DT Paul Frase.
^No. 183: Denver → N.Y. Jets (PD).Denver traded its sixth-round selection (183rd) and third-, sixth- and seventh-round selections (88th, 191st and 229th) in 1997 to N.Y. Jets in exchange for the Jets' third-round selection (67th) in 1997.
^No. 196: New Orleans → Carolina (PD).Carolina received New Orleans' seventh-round selection (196th) as compensation for the Saints signing restricted free agent S Chad Cota.
^No. 200: Philadelphia → Denver (D).Philadelphia traded its seventh-round selection (200th) to Denver in exchange for Denver's sixth-round selection in 1999.
^No. 204: Seattle → New Orleans (PD).Seattle traded its seventh-round selection (204th) to New Orleans in exchange for WR Daryl Hobbs.
^No. 215: multiple trades: No. 215: Pittsburgh → Atlanta (D). see No. 137: Atlanta → Pittsburgh. No. 203: Atlanta → San Francisco (D).Atlanta traded this seventh-round selection (203rd) to San Francisco in exchange for the 49ers' sixth-round selection in 1999.
^No. 217: San Francisco → Chicago (PD).San Francisco traded its seventh-round selection (217th) to Chicago in exchange for LB Tony Peterson.
Notes
^Players are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro Bowl at any time in their career.
References
^"NFL Draft Locations". FootballGeography.com. October 2, 2014. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2014.