who was the first person drafted in the nfl
1936 NFL Draft This was the only draft to have nine rounds; the number increased to ten for the 1937 draft. The first player ever drafted, Jay Berwanger, who had previously been awarded the initial Heisman Trophy, never played in the NFL. His rights were traded by the Philadelphia Eagles to the Chicago Bears, as the Eagles felt they would be unable to meet Berwanger's reported demand of $1000 per game.[4] The Eagles received tackle Art Buss from the Bears in exchange for Berwanger's rights.[5] George Halas was unable to convince Berwanger to sign with the Bears. Riley Smith, the second pick, was the first player drafted to play in the NFL.
Marlin Briscoe Marlin Oliver Briscoe (born September 10, 1945) is an American former collegiate quarterback and Professional Football quarterback and wide receiver. In October 1968, after being drafted by the Denver Broncos, he became the first starting black quarterback in the American Football League and established a Denver rookie record of 14 touchdown passes that season. He played professionally for nine years.