2006 NFL draft

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, who would later immediately be drafted with the second and third overall picks by the teams that went on the clock after the Texans did, the New Orleans Saints (selecting Bush) and the Tennessee Titans (selecting Young), respectively. 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. As of 2026, only two players from the 2006 class remain active in the NFL: Broncos tight end Marcedes Lewis and Bills placekicker Matt Prater. The 255 players chosen in the draft were composed of: