1996 NFL draft

The 1996 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 20–21, 1996, at the Paramount Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. No teams chose to claim any players in the supplemental draft that year. As a result of the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy, all draft rights held by the deactivated Cleveland Browns franchise were transferred to the new Baltimore Ravens franchise. On draft day, the St. Louis Rams traded running back Jerome Bettis and a third-round draft pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a second-round pick for that year, as well as a fourth-round pick the following year. The trade was made immediately after the Rams drafted Nebraska running back Lawrence Phillips. Bettis went on to have a successful career with the Steelers as well as being one of the team's most popular players, while the Rams did not have another feature back until they traded for Marshall Faulk three years later due to Phillips's off-field problems. The draft also saw one of the longest waits for a player in attendance of the draft, as Leeland McElroy waited until being selected in the second round by the Arizona Cardinals with the 32nd pick. McElroy, who ended up being a draft bust, would set the precedent for later players who have waited while in attendance, including Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers, who unlike McElroy would go on to successful NFL careers. This draft is considered one of the best draft classes ever for the position of wide receiver. Keyshawn Johnson, Terry Glenn, Eddie Kennison, Marvin Harrison, Eric Moulds, Bobby Engram, Terrell Owens, Muhsin Muhammad, Amani Toomer, Jermaine Lewis and Joe...