The 2006 NFL draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by NFL Network. Having signed a contract with the Houston Texans on the evening before the draft, Mario Williams, a defensive end from North Carolina State, became the draft's first pick. The selection surprised many commentators, who predicted that the Texans would draft Southern California running back Reggie Bush or Texas quarterback Vince Young. Ohio State produced the most first round selections (five), while Southern California produced the most overall selections (eleven). Twenty-seven compensatory and supplemental compensatory selections were distributed amongst seventeen teams; Tampa Bay, Baltimore, and Tennessee each held three compensatory picks. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and before the regular season. The 255 players chosen in the draft were composed of:

Player selections

Supplemental draft selections

For each player selected in the Supplemental Draft, the team forfeits its pick in that round in the draft of the following season.

Notable undrafted players

Hall of Famers

Trades

In the explanations below, (P****D) indicates trades completed prior to the start of the draft (i.e. Pre-Draft), while (D) denotes trades that took place during the 2006 draft. <references group="R1 -"/> <references group="R2 -"/> <references group="R3 -"/> <references group="R4 -"/> <references group="R5 -"/> <references group="R6 -"/> <references group="R7 -"/>

Miscellaneous