1981 NFL Draft
332 picks · 12 rounds · Showing 149
Round 1
| # | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Lawrence Taylor★ LB · North Carolina · 10 PB · 8 AP · 184 G | NYG |
| 4 | Kenny Easley★ DB · UCLA · 5 PB · 3 AP · 89 G | SEA |
| 5 | E.J. Junior LB · Alabama · 2 PB · 1 AP · 170 G | STL |
| 7 | Hugh Green LB · Pittsburgh · 2 PB · 136 G | TAM |
| 8 | Ronnie Lott★ DB · USC · 10 PB · 6 AP · 192 G | SFO |
| 9 | Mel Owens LB · Michigan · 122 G | RAM |
| 15 | Dennis Smith DB · USC · 6 PB · 184 G | DEN |
| 17 | Keith Gary DE · Oklahoma · 86 G | PIT |
| 18 | Donnell Thompson DE · North Carolina · 147 G | BAL |
| 21 | Ted Watts DB · Texas Tech · 74 G | OAK |
| 22 | Hanford Dixon DB · Southern Miss · 3 PB · 2 AP · 131 G | CLE |
| 25 | Bobby Butler DB · Florida St. · 169 G | ATL |
| 27 | Leonard Mitchell DE · Houston · 89 G | PHI |
Round 2
| # | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 29 | Russell Gary DB · Nebraska · 80 G | NOR |
| 36 | John Harty NT · Iowa · 42 G | SFO |
| 38 | Mike Singletary★ LB · Baylor · 10 PB · 7 AP · 179 G | CHI |
| 40 | Eric Wright DB · Missouri · 2 PB · 1 AP · 110 G | SFO |
| 43 | Jim Collins LB · Syracuse · 1 PB · 93 G | RAM |
| 44 | Anthony Washington DB · Fresno St. · 57 G | PIT |
| 45 | Robin Sendlein LB · Texas · 72 G | MIN |
| 46 | Curtis Green DE · Alabama St. · 123 G | DET |
| 48 | Howie Long★ DE · Villanova · 8 PB · 2 AP · 179 G | OAK |
| 49 | DB · LSU · 21 G | BUF |
| 51 | Rickey Jackson★ LB · Pittsburgh · 6 PB · 227 G | NOR |
| 54 | Lyman White LB · LSU · 18 G | ATL |
Round 3
| # | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 57 | Frank Warren DE · Auburn · 189 G | NOR |
| 60 | Ben Rudolph DT · Long Beach St. · 88 G | NYJ |
| 61 | Jeff Griffin DB · Utah · 50 G | STL |
| 63 | Greg Meisner NT · Pittsburgh · 135 G | RAM |
| 64 | John Simmons DB · SMU · 72 G | CIN |
| 65 | Carlton Williamson DB · Pittsburgh · 2 PB · 88 G | SFO |
| 66 | Robert Cobb DE · Arizona · 11 G | RAM |
| 77 | Irvin Phillips DB · Arkansas Tech · 20 G | SDG |
| 78 | Lloyd Burruss DB · Maryland · 1 PB · 145 G | KAN |
| 80 | Scott Woerner DB · Georgia · 17 G | ATL |
| 83 | Robert Geathers DT · South Carolina St. | BUF |
Round 4
| # | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 86 | Al Washington LB · Ohio St. · 16 G | NYJ |
| 89 | John Holt DB · West Texas A&M · 109 G | TAM |
| 91 | Scott Pelluer LB · Washington St. · 65 G | DAL |
| 92 | Mike Robinson DE · Arizona · 18 G | CLE |
| 93 | Guy Frazier LB · Wyoming · 74 G | CIN |
| 95 | Todd Bell DB · Ohio St. · 1 PB · 103 G | CHI |
| 101 | John Swain DB · Miami (FL) · 77 G | MIN |
| 102 | Don Blackmon LB · Tulsa · 89 G | NWE |
| 105 | Richard Turner NT · Oklahoma · 30 G | GNB |
| 108 | Derrie Nelson LB · Nebraska · 48 G | DAL |
| 111 | Johnny Robinson NT · Louisiana Tech · 27 G | OAK |
Round 5
| # | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 113 | Tyrone Keys DE · Mississippi St. · 74 G | NYJ |
| 115 | Bill Neill NT · Pittsburgh · 40 G | NYG |
| 116 | John Gillen LB · Illinois · 28 G | STL |
| 117 | Byron Braggs DE · Alabama · 55 G | GNB |
| 118 | DB · Southern · 83 G | OAK |
| 119 | Dexter Manley DE · Oklahoma St. · 1 PB · 1 AP · 143 G | WAS |
| 121 | Lynn Thomas DB · Pittsburgh · 24 G | SFO |
| 123 | Wendell Ray DE · Missouri | MIN |
| 126 | Ken Poole DE · La-Monroe · 16 G | MIA |
| 128 | Jerry Boyarsky NT · Pittsburgh · 98 G | NOR |
| 130 | Steve Clark DE · Kansas St. · 7 G | NWE |
| 131 | Keith Ferguson DE · Ohio St. · 134 G | SDG |
| 133 | Delbert Fowler LB · West Virginia | HOU |
| 135 | Calvin Clark DE · Purdue | BUF |
| 137 | Danny Spradlin LB · Tennessee · 63 G | DAL |
Round 6
| # | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 140 | Steve Durham DE · Clemson · 8 G | SEA |
| 142 | John Woodring LB · Brown · 52 G | NYJ |
| 143 | Dave Ahrens LB · Wisconsin · 130 G | STL |
| 144 | Johnnie Poe DB · Missouri · 100 G | NOR |
| 147 | Pete Kugler NT · Penn St. · 81 G | SFO |
| 148 | Larry Kubin LB · Penn St. · 43 G | WAS |
| 149 | Bubba Green DT · North Carolina St. · 15 G | BAL |
| 150 | Reuben Henderson DB · San Diego St. · 46 G | CHI |
| 152 | Mack Moore DE · Texas A&M · 26 G | MIA |
| 153 | Dock Luckie DT · Florida | KAN |
| 154 | Fulton Walker DB · West Virginia · 81 G | MIA |
| 155 | Sam Johnson DB · Maryland | DET |
| 156 | Bryan Hinkle LB · Oregon · 163 G | PIT |
| 158 | William Daniels DT · Alabama St. | RAM |
| 159 | Bill Kay DB · Purdue · 56 G | HOU |
| 160 | Ron Simmons DT · Florida St. | CLE |
| 163 | Vince Skillings DB · Ohio St. | DAL |
| 164 | Harry Stanback DE · North Carolina · 2 G | ATL |
| 166 | Glen Redd LB · BYU · 76 G | NOR |
Round 7
| # | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 169 | Kenny Neil DE · Iowa St. · 42 G | NYJ |
| 171 | Kevin Donnalley DB · North Dakota St. · 1 G | STL |
| 172 | Bill Whitaker DB · Missouri · 39 G | GNB |
| 173 | Ron Fellows DB · Missouri · 112 G | DAL |
| 176 | Jeff Schuh LB · Minnesota · 87 G | CIN |
| 177 | Jeff Fisher DB · USC · 49 G | CHI |
| 181 | Steve Busick LB · USC · 78 G | DEN |
| 183 | David Little LB · Florida · 1 PB · 179 G | PIT |
| 187 | LB · Louisville · 148 G | CLE |
| 188 | Steve Doolittle LB · Colorado | BUF |
| 190 | Mike Clark DE · Florida · 14 G | RAM |
| 191 | Ken Miller DB · Eastern Michigan | DAL |
| 192 | Doak Field LB · Baylor · 7 G | PHI |
| 193 | Don Washington DB · Texas A&M-Kingsville | HOU |
Round 8
| # | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 200 | Larry Werts LB · Jackson St. | GNB |
| 202 | Bobby Kemp DB · Cal State-Fullerton · 95 G | CIN |
| 204 | Ken Sitton DB · Oklahoma | BAL |
| 205 | Scott Zettek DT · Notre Dame | CHI |
| 208 | William Judson DB · South Carolina St. · 115 G | MIA |
| 213 | J.C. Watts DB · Oklahoma | NYJ |
| 214 | Gene Gladys LB · Penn St. | NOR |
| 215 | Kevin Evans DB · Arkansas | NOR |
| 217 | Willie Tullis DB · Troy · 106 G | HOU |
| 218 | Paul Piurowski LB · Florida St. | DAL |
| 219 | Clifford Toney DB · Auburn | ATL |
| 220 | Hosea Taylor DE · Houston · 20 G | BAL |
Round 9
| # | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 224 | Byron Hunt LB · SMU · 100 G | NYG |
| 225 | Admiral Dewey Larry DB · UNLV | NYJ |
| 231 | Darryl Grant DT · Rice · 141 G | WAS |
| 233 | Tim Gooch DT · Kentucky | BAL |
| 234 | Rusty Olsen DE · Washington | DEN |
| 237 | Anthony Vereen DB · Southeastern Louisiana | KAN |
| 238 | Hugh Jernigan DB · Arkansas | DET |
| 239 | James Hunter NT · USC · 9 G | PIT |
| 240 | DB · Villanova · 7 G | DET |
| 242 | Ron Seawell LB · Portland St. | RAM |
| 243 | Avon Riley LB · UCLA · 91 G | HOU |
Round 10
| # | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 250 | Mike Barker DT · Grambling St. | NYG |
| 251 | Marty Wetzel LB · Tulane · 5 G | NYJ |
| 254 | Ken McCune DE · Texas | TAM |
| 256 | Gregg Gerken LB · Northern Arizona | BAL |
| 259 | Trent Bryant DB · Arkansas · 32 G | BAL |
| 264 | Andy Cannavino LB · Michigan | DET |
| 265 | Mike Mayock DB · Boston Col. · 9 G | PIT |
| 271 | Dean Prater DE · Oklahoma St. · 77 G | CLE |
| 273 | Pat Graham DT · California | DAL |
| 274 | Robert Murphy DB · Ohio St. | ATL |
Round 11
| # | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 278 | Ed Gall DT · Maryland | NYJ |
| 282 | Forrest Valora LB · Oklahoma | GNB |
| 283 | Johnny Ray Smith DB · Lamar · 26 G | TAM |
| 285 | Robert Jackson DB · Central Michigan · 90 G | CIN |
| 289 | Frank Case DE · Penn St. · 7 G | KAN |
| 294 | DB · Mississippi St. | DET |
| 296 | Marcellus Greene DB · Arizona · 14 G | RAM |
| 298 | Larry Friday DB · Mississippi St. · 1 G | CLE |
| 300 | Carlos Bradley LB · Wake Forest · 54 G | SDG |
Round 12
| # | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 305 | Jim Wilks DE · San Diego St. · 183 G | NOR |
| 306 | Jeff Bednarek DT · Pacific | SEA |
| 310 | Brad White NT · Tennessee · 73 G | TAM |
| 311 | Cliff Lewis LB · Southern Miss · 57 G | GNB |
| 315 | Eric Scoggins LB · USC · 3 G | BAL |
| 316 | Bob Shupryt LB · New Mexico | CHI |
| 317 | John Hankerd LB · Notre Dame | DEN |
| 318 | John Alford DT · South Carolina St. | MIA |
| 323 | Cris Crissy DB · Princeton · 1 G | NWE |
| 326 | Keith Clark LB · Memphis | BUF |
| 330 | Mark McCants DB · Temple | ATL |
| 331 | Ray Ellis DB · Ohio St. · 100 G | PHI |
Source: nflverse draft_picks release. PB = Pro Bowls · AP = All-Pro selections · G = career games · ★ = Hall of Fame.