The
NFL draft, officially known as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting",[10][11][12] is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment.[13] The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings; the teams with the worst win–loss records receive the earliest picks. Teams that qualified for the
NFL playoffs select after non-qualifiers, and their order depends on how far they advanced, using their regular season record as a tie-breaker. The final two selections in the first round are reserved for the
Super Bowl runner-up and champion. Draft picks are
tradable and players or other picks can be acquired with them.[14]
Before the merger agreements in 1966, the AFL directly competed with the NFL and held a separate
draft. This led to a massive bidding war over top prospects between the two leagues, along with the subsequent drafting of the same player in each draft. As part of the merger agreement on June 8, 1966, the two leagues held a multiple round "
common draft". Once the AFL officially merged with the NFL in 1970, the "common draft" simply became the NFL draft.[15][16][17] The
first AFL draft was held prior to the start of the
1960 season. The first round of the 1960 AFL draft was territorial selections. Each team received a "territorial pick" which allowed them to select a single player within a pre-agreed upon designated region (the team's "territory"). Teams then agreed on the top eight players at each position, who were subsequently assigned to teams by random draw, with each of the eight teams receiving one of those players. This process was repeated until all 53 roster spots were filled.[18] Beginning in the
1961 draft, the AFL, using the same system as the NFL, began to assign picks based on the previous season's standings.[19]
^The Las Vegas Raiders were previously known as the Oakland Raiders (1960–1981, 1995–2019) and Los Angeles Raiders (1982–1994).[43][44]
^The first round of the 1960 AFL draft was territorial selections. Teams were allowed to select a single player from a designated region (their "territory").[18][21][22]
^
abLas Vegas traded their 1976 first-round selection (No. 23 overall) and 1977 first-round selection (No. 28 overall) to the
Green Bay Packers as compensation for linebacker
Ted Hendricks.[49][50][51][52]
^Las Vegas traded their 1978 first-round selection (No. 26 overall), 1979 fourth-round selection (No. 103 overall), and defensive lineman
Herb McMath to the
Green Bay Packers in exchange for defensive tackle
Mike McCoy.[53][51][54][55]
^Las Vegas traded their 1979 first-round selection (No. 19 overall), 1980 third-round selection (No. 70 overall), and 1981 second-round selection (No. 56 overall) to the
Los Angeles Rams in exchange for cornerback
Monte Jackson.[56][57][58][59]
^Las Vegas traded tight end
Dave Casper to the
Houston Oilers in exchange for their 1981 first- and second-round selections (Nos. 21 and 48 overall) and 1982 second-round selection (No. 35 overall).[60]
^Las Vegas traded their 1981 first- and third-round selections (Nos. 28 and 83 overall) to the
Buffalo Bills in exchange for their 1981 first- and third-round selections (Nos. 28 and 83 overall).[61]
^Las Vegas traded their 1984 first-round selection (No. 28 overall) and 1985 second-round selection (No. 52 overall) to the
New England Patriots in exchange for cornerback
Mike Haynes.[62][63][64]
^Las Vegas traded their 1988 second- and third-round selections (Nos. 48 and 60 overall) and defensive end
Sean Jones to the
Houston Oilers in exchange for their 1988 first-, third-, and fourth-round selections (Nos. 9, 74, and 102 overall).[60]
^Las Vegas traded their 1988 second- and fourth-round selections (Nos. 33 and 102 overall) and wide receiver
Dokie Williams to the
San Francisco 49ers in exchange for their 1988 first-round selection (No. 26 overall).[65]
^Las Vegas traded their 1989 first-round selection (No. 11 overall) and 1990 third-round selection (No. 63 overall) to the
Chicago Bears in exchange for wide receiver
Willie Gault.[66][67][68]
^Las Vegas traded their 1996 first-, second-, and fourth-round selections (Nos. 17, 48, and 109 overall) to the
Houston Oilers in exchange for their 1996 first-round selection (No. 9 overall).[69]
^Las Vegas traded their 1997 first-, second-, and fourth-round selections (Nos. 10, 39, and 107 overall) and wide receiver
Daryl Hobbs to the
New Orleans Saints in exchange for their 1997 first- and sixth-round selections (Nos. 2 and 166 overall).[70]
^Las Vegas traded their two 1998 second-round selections (Nos. 34 and 59 overall) to the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for their 1998 first-round selection (No. 23 overall).[71]
^
abcLas Vegas traded head coach
Jon Gruden to the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for their 2002 first- and second-round selections (Nos. 21 and 53 overall), 2003 first-round selection (No. 32 overall), 2004 second-round selection (No. 45 overall), and $8 million in cash.[72][73][74][75]
^
abLas Vegas traded a 2002 first-, received from the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers,[P] and third-round selection (Nos. 21 and 89 overall) to the
Washington Redskins in exchange for their 2002 first-round selection (No. 18 overall).[76]
^Las Vegas traded a 2002 first-, received from the
Washington Redskins,[Q] and fifth-round selection (Nos. 18 and 158 overall) to the
Atlanta Falcons in exchange for their 2002 first-round selection (No. 17 overall).[76]
^Las Vegas traded their 2005 first- and seventh-round selections (Nos. 7 and 219 overall) and linebacker
Napoleon Harris to the
Minnesota Vikings in exchange for wide receiver
Randy Moss.[77]
^
abLas Vegas traded a 2005 second- and two sixth-round selections (Nos. 47, 182, and 185 overall) and tight end
Doug Jolley to the
New York Jets in exchange for their 2005 first- and seventh-round selections (Nos. 26 and 230 overall).[77]
^Las Vegas traded a 2005 first-, received from the
New York Jets,[T] and fifth-round selection (Nos. 26 and 105 overall) to the
Seattle Seahawks in exchange for their 2005 first-round selection (No. 23 overall).[77]
^Las Vegas traded their 2012 first-round selection (No. 17 overall) and 2013 second-round selection (No. 37 overall) to the
Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for quarterback
Carson Palmer.[79]
^Las Vegas traded their 2013 first-round selection (No. 3 overall) to the
Miami Dolphins in exchange for their 2013 first- and second-round selections (Nos. 12 and 42 overall).[80]
^Las Vegas traded their 2018 first-round selection (No. 10 overall) to the
Arizona Cardinals in exchange for their 2018 first-, third-, and fifth-round selections (Nos. 15, 79, and 152 overall).[81]
^
abLas Vegas traded their 2020 second- and seventh-round selections (Nos. 43 and 226 overall) and linebacker
Khalil Mack to the
Chicago Bears in exchange for their 2019 first- and sixth-round selections (Nos. 24 and 196 overall) and 2020 first- and third-round selections (Nos. 19 and 81 overall).[82]
^Las Vegas traded wide receiver
Amari Cooper to the
Dallas Cowboys in exchange for their 2019 first-round selection (No. 27 overall).[82]
^Las Vegas traded their 2022 first- and second-round selections (Nos. 22 and 53 overall) to the
Green Bay Packers in exchange for wide receiver
Davante Adams.[83]