| 1968 NFL/AFL draft | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Date(s) | January 30–31, 1968 |
| Location | Belmont Plaza Hotel in New York City, NY |
| Overview | |
| 462 total selections in 17 rounds | |
| League | NFL, AFL |
| First selection | Ron Yary, OT Minnesota Vikings |
| Most selections (41) | Cincinnati Bengals |
| Fewest selections (11) | New York Giants |
| Hall of Famers | 8
|
The 1968 NFL/AFL draft was part of the common draft, in the second year in which the NFL and AFL held a joint draft of college players. It took place at the Belmont Plaza Hotel in New York City on January 30–31, 1968.[1][2]
The Minnesota Vikings acquired the first overall pick in the draft through a trade with the New York Giants in March 1967 for quarterback Fran Tarkenton.[3] When establishing the common draft between the NFL and AFL, the Giants were able to negotiate that they would receive the option to pick first in either the 1967 or 1968 NFL/AFL drafts, regardless of the presence of an expansion team or their own record from the previous season.[4] They traded this "special wild card" pick in the Tarkenton trade, and the Vikings chose to exercise it in 1968.[3] The expansion Cincinnati Bengals picked second. The Vikings used the first overall pick to select offensive tackle Ron Yary.
This was the last draft until 1980 in which the Washington Redskins exercised their first-round pick. Most of them were traded away by coach George Allen between 1971 and 1977 due to Allen's well-known preference for veteran players over rookies.