The 1953 National Football League draft was held on January 22, 1953, at The Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia. Selections made by the folded Dallas Texans were assigned to the Baltimore Colts, since the Dallas team had moved to Baltimore.
This was the seventh year that the first overall pick was a bonus pick determined by lottery, with the previous six winners (Chicago Bears in 1947, Washington Redskins in 1948, Philadelphia Eagles in 1949, Detroit Lions in 1950, New York Giants in 1951, and Los Angeles Rams in 1952) ineligible from the draw; it was won by the San Francisco 49ers, who selected end Harry Babcock.
Player selections = Pro Bowler Players are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro-Bowl at any time in their career.= Hall of Famer
Round 1
Pick # NFL team Player Position College1San Francisco 49ers (Lottery bonus pick) Harry BabcockEndGeorgia2Baltimore ColtsBilly VesselsBilly Vessels, 1952 Heisman Trophy winner HalfbackOklahoma3Washington RedskinsJack ScarbathBackMaryland4Chicago CardinalsJohnny OlszewskiFullbackCalifornia5Pittsburgh SteelersTed MarchibrodaQuarterbackDetroit6Chicago BearsBilly Anderson HalfbackCompton CC7Green Bay PackersAl Carmichael HalfbackUSC8New York GiantsBobby Marlow HalfbackAlabama9Los Angeles Rams (From Philadelphia Eagles)Donn MoomawCenterUCLA10San Francisco 49ersTom StolhandskeEndTexas11Cleveland BrownsDoug AtkinsEndTennessee12Los Angeles RamsEd BarkerEndWashington State13Detroit LionsHarley SewellGuardTexas HOF Member of the Professional Football Hall of Fame
Round 2
Pick # NFL team Player Position College14Baltimore ColtsBernie FlowersEndPurdue15Chicago CardinalsJim PsaltisBackUSC16Washington RedskinsDick ModzelewskiDefensive tackleMaryland17Chicago BearsZeke BratkowskiQuarterbackGeorgia18Pittsburgh SteelersJohn Henry JohnsonFullbackArizona State19Green Bay PackersGil ReichBackKansas20Philadelphia EaglesAl ConwayBackArmy21San Francisco 49ersGeorge MorrisCenterGeorgia Tech22New York GiantsEddie CrowderQuarterbackOklahoma23Cleveland BrownsBilly ReynoldsBackPittsburgh24Los Angeles RamsRudy BukichQuarterbackUSC25Detroit LionsGene GedmanBackIndiana
Round 3
Pick # NFL team Player Position College26Baltimore ColtsBuck McPhailBackOklahoma27Washington RedskinsPaul DekkerEndMichigan State28Chicago CardinalsDale SamuelsQuarterbackPurdue29Pittsburgh SteelersMarv MatuszakTackleTulsa30Chicago BearsBill RowekampBackMissouri31Green Bay PackersBill ForesterTackleSMU32San Francisco 49ersBob St. ClairOffensive tackleSan Francisco33New York GiantsCal RobertsTackleGustavus Adolphus34Philadelphia EaglesDon JohnsonBackCalifornia35Cleveland BrownsFred BruneyBackOhio State36Los Angeles RamsBob FryTackleKentucky37Cleveland BrownsGene DonaldsonGuardKentucky38Cleveland BrownsJim HietikkoTackleOhio State
Round 4
Pick # NFL team Player Position College39Baltimore ColtsTom CatlinCenterOklahoma40Chicago CardinalsBuck MartinEndGeorgia Tech41Washington RedskinsDon BollGuardNebraska42Chicago BearsJoe KochBackWake Forest43Pittsburgh SteelersLloyd ColteryahnEndMaryland44Green Bay PackersGib DawsonBackTexas45New York GiantsDewayne DouglasTackleFlorida46Philadelphia EaglesGeorge MrkonicGuardKansas47San Francisco 49ersEd FullertonBackMaryland48Cleveland BrownsDick TamburoCenterMichigan State49Los Angeles RamsWillie RobertsEndTulsa50Detroit LionsCharlie AneTackleUSC
Round 5
Pick # NFL team Player Position College50Baltimore ColtsJack LittleTackleTexas A&M51Washington RedskinsNick CarrasBackMissouri52Chicago CardinalsBill ShaloskyGuardCincinnati53Pittsburgh SteelersBob GaonaTackleWake Forest54Chicago BearsStan JonesGuardMaryland55Green Bay PackersRoger ZatkoffTackleMichigan56Philadelphia EaglesEddie BellHalfbackPenn57San Francisco 49ersHal MillerTackleGeorgia Tech58New York GiantsBuford LongBackFlorida59Cleveland BrownsBob Van DorenEndUSC60Los Angeles RamsTom ScottEndVirginia61Philadelphia EaglesRex SmithEndIllinois
Round 6
Pick # NFL team Player Position College62Baltimore ColtsJim SearsBackUSC63Chicago CardinalsTony CurcilloBackOhio State64Los Angeles RamsPaul MillerTackleLSU65Chicago BearsArt DeCarloBackGeorgia66Pittsburgh SteelersTom BartonGuardClemson67Green Bay PackersBob KennedyGuardWisconsin68Chicago BearsKline GilbertTackleOle Miss69New York GiantsBob PevianiGuardUSC70Chicago CardinalsTom HigginsTackleNorth Carolina71Cleveland BrownsDon SteinbrunnerEndWashington State72Los Angeles RamsHoward WaughBackTulsa73Detroit LionsOllie SpencerTackleKansas
Round 7
Pick # NFL team Player Position College74Baltimore ColtsBill AtheyGuardBaylor75Chicago BearsBucky McElroyBackMississippi Southern76Philadelphia EaglesJack EricksonTackleBeloit77Pittsburgh SteelersJohn AldertonEndMaryland78Chicago BearsDon BinghamBackSul Ross79Green Bay PackersJim RingoCenterSyracuse80New York GiantsDon BranbyEndColorado81Philadelphia EaglesRay MalavasiGuardMississippi State82San Francisco 49ersPaul CarrBackHouston83Cleveland BrownsGene FilipskiBackVillanova84Los Angeles RamsBobby ReynoldsBackNebraska85Detroit LionsJoe SchmidtLinebackerPittsburgh
Round 8
Pick # NFL team Player Position College86Baltimore ColtsJim PrewettTackleTulsa87Chicago CardinalsJerry WatfordGuardAlabama88Washington RedskinsLew WeidensaulEndMaryland89Chicago BearsJohn KreamcheckTackleWilliam & Mary90Pittsburgh SteelersLowell W. PerryEndMichigan91Green Bay PackersLauren HargroveBackGeorgia92Philadelphia EaglesJess RichardsonTackleAlabama93San Francisco 49ersDoug HoglandTackleOregon State94New York GiantsDon BeckBackNotre Dame95Cleveland BrownsCarlton MasseyEndTexas96Los Angeles RamsBob MorganTackleMaryland97Detroit LionsLew CarpenterBackArkansas
Round 9
Pick # NFL team Player Position College98Baltimore ColtsBob BlairEndTCU99Chicago CardinalsEd HusmannGuardNebraska100Chicago CardinalsAvatus StoneBackSyracuse101Pittsburgh SteelersPat SarneseTackleTemple102Chicago BearsBruno AshleyTackleEast Texas State103Green Bay PackersFloyd HarrawoodTackleTulsa104San Francisco 49ersHal LedyardBackChattanooga105New York GiantsJim GrayBackPanola106Philadelphia EaglesRoger FrenchEndMinnesota107Cleveland BrownsBob McNamaraBackMinnesota108Los Angeles RamsBrad MyersBackBucknell109Detroit LionsCarlton McCormickCenterTCU
Round 10
Pick # NFL team Player Position College110Baltimore ColtsJohn ColeBackArkansas111Chicago CardinalsCharley BerndtTackleWisconsin112New York GiantsDarrow HooperEndTexas A&M113Chicago BearsJimmy MooreBackFlorida A&M114Pittsburgh SteelersFrank HolohanTackleTennessee115Green Bay PackersVic RimkusGuardHoly Cross116New York GiantsCharlie MaloyQuarterbackHoly Cross117Philadelphia EaglesTom BrookshierBackColorado118San Francisco 49ersPete BrownGuardGeorgia Tech119Cleveland BrownsElmo NataliBackCalifornia (PA)120Los Angeles RamsMick LakosBackVanderbilt121Detroit LionsDreher GaskinEndClemson
Round 11
Pick # NFL team Player Position College122Baltimore ColtsGene RossiBackCincinnati123Washington RedskinsAlex WebsterBackNC State124Chicago CardinalsEd WoodsumEndYale125Chicago BearsRalph CharneyBackKentucky126Chicago BearsJim SloweyCenterGeorgetown127Green Bay PackersJoe JohnsonBackBoston College128Philadelphia EaglesBob PollardBackPenn State129San Francisco 49ersAl CharltonBackWashington State130New York GiantsJim RuehlCenterOhio State131Cleveland BrownsDick HilinskiTackleOhio State132Los Angeles RamsJim BaileyBackMiami (OH)133Detroit LionsElmer MessengerGuardWashington State
Round 12
Pick # NFL team Player Position College134Baltimore ColtsKaye VaughanGuardTulsa135Chicago CardinalsChuck SpauldingBackWyoming136Washington RedskinsBuzz NutterCenterVPI137Chicago BearsJim LawrenceTackleDuke138Pittsburgh SteelersJerry RobertsonBackKansas139Green Bay PackersDick CurranBackArizona State140San Francisco 49ersRed LeachGuardDuke141New York GiantsJoe MatesicTackleArizona State142Philadelphia EaglesGeorge PorterTackleSan Jose State143Cleveland BrownsElmer WilhoiteGuardUSC144Los Angeles RamsChuck DoudGuardUCLA145Detroit LionsLarry SpencerBackWake Forest
Round 13
Pick # NFL team Player Position College146Baltimore ColtsBobby MoreheadBackGeorgia Tech147Chicago CardinalsFrank McPheeEndPrinceton148Chicago CardinalsRonnie MorrisBackTulsa149Pittsburgh SteelersLeo DavisEndBradley150Chicago BearsLarry StricklandCenterNorth Texas State151Green Bay PackersBob OrdersCenterWest Virginia152New York GiantsJack McShulskiEndKansas State153Philadelphia EaglesRay WestortGuardUtah154San Francisco 49ersBill EarleyBackWashington155Cleveland BrownsGalen FissBackKansas156Los Angeles RamsAndy MattoTackleCincinnati157Detroit LionsBob ThomasEndWashington & Lee
Round 14
Pick # NFL team Player Position College158Baltimore ColtsFrank ContinettiGuardGeorge Washington159Chicago CardinalsDick SpragueBackWashington160Washington RedskinsEd TimmermanBackMichigan State161Chicago BearsHarland CarlBackWisconsin162Pittsburgh SteelersCharley MontgomeryTackleMississippi163Green Bay PackersCharley WrennTackleTexas Christian164Philadelphia EaglesRoy BaileyBackTulane165San Francisco 49ersTom FletcherBackArizona State166New York GiantsJ. L. HallBackFlorida167Cleveland BrownsGern NaglerEndSanta Clara168Los Angeles RamsFrank JamesGuardHouston169Detroit LionsJack BargerTackleNew Mexico
Round 15
Pick # NFL team Player Position College170Baltimore ColtsBuddy SuttonBackArkansas171Washington RedskinsDave SuminskiTackleWisconsin172Chicago CardinalsNick ChickilloGuardMiami (FL)173Pittsburgh SteelersBob O'NeilEndNotre Dame174Chicago BearsRalph JechaGuardNorthwestern175Green Bay PackersGene HelwigBackTulsa176San Francisco 49ersCharley GenthnerTackleTexas177New York GiantsDick BowmanGuardOklahoma178Philadelphia EaglesWillie IrvinEndFlorida A&M179Cleveland BrownsJohnny CarsonEndGeorgia180Los Angeles RamsTom CarrollBackOklahoma181Detroit LionsTed ToporBackMichigan
Round 16
Pick # NFL team Player Position College182Baltimore ColtsJim CurrinEndDayton183Chicago CardinalsJimmy LearBackMississippi184Washington RedskinsJim SlayEndMississippi185Chicago BearsJohn HatleyTackleSul Ross186Pittsburgh SteelersJohn ZacharyBackMiami (OH)187Green Bay PackersJohn HlayBackOhio State188New York GiantsBill SkyinskusGuardSyracuse189Philadelphia EaglesBud WallaceBackNorth Carolina190San Francisco 49ersFred DuringEndBowling Green191Cleveland BrownsEric KuykendallBackIllinois192Los Angeles RamsBen DeLoeTackleMississippi State193Detroit LionsBob VolonninoGuardArmy/Villanova
Round 17
Pick # NFL team Player Position College194Baltimore ColtsGeorge RambourTackleDartmouth195Washington RedskinsBob HanerBackVillanova196Chicago CardinalsEarl HeningerBackPurdue197Pittsburgh SteelersReed QuinnBackFlorida198Chicago BearsBob BealEndCalifornia199Green Bay PackersBill GeorgesEndTexas200Philadelphia EaglesTony RadosBackPenn State201San Francisco 49ersHugh LathamTackleSan Diego State202New York GiantsDon RhodenCenterRice203Cleveland BrownsGeorge BeanBackUtah204Los Angeles RamsHarland SvareEndWashington State205Detroit LionsRay GreenTackleDuke
Round 18
Pick # NFL team Player Position College206Baltimore ColtsLeRoy LabatBackLouisiana State207Chicago CardinalsJoe YukicaEndPenn State208Washington RedskinsJim TurnerBackTexas Tech209Chicago BearsJim ShirleyBackClemson210Pittsburgh SteelersCarl HolbenTackleDuke211Green Bay PackersJim PhileeBackBradley212San Francisco 49ersStan WacholzEndSan Jose State213New York GiantsPhil SuwallBackWestern Maryland214Philadelphia EaglesMarv TrauthTackleMississippi215Cleveland BrownsDick BattenTacklePacific216Los Angeles RamsLew JonesTackleWabash217Detroit LionsEd MioduszewskiBackWilliam & Mary
Round 19