The 1942 NFL draft was held on December 22, 1941, at the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago. Two members of the draft class have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Bill Dudley, the first overall selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Mac Speedie, 135th overall selection by the Detroit Lions. Additionally, one member of the draft class became a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame college basketball coach, Ralph Miller. Miller was selected 167th pick overall by the Brooklyn Dodgers after successful careers at Kansas on the school's football and basketball teams.
Player selections = Hall of Famer †= Pro Bowler
Round 1
Pick # NFL team Player Position College1Pittsburgh SteelersBill DudleyHalfbackVirginia2Cleveland RamsJack WilsonHalfbackBaylor3Philadelphia EaglesPete KmetovicHalfbackStanford4Chicago CardinalsSteve Lach FullbackDuke5Detroit LionsBob WestfallFullbackMichigan6Washington RedskinsSpec SandersHalfbackTexas7Brooklyn DodgersBobby RobertsonHalfbackUSC8New York GiantsMerle HapesFullbackOle Miss9Green Bay PackersUrban OdsonTackleMinnesota10Chicago BearsFrankie AlbertQuarterbackStanford
Round 2
Pick # NFL team Player Position College11Pittsburgh Steelers Vern Martin BackTexas12Cleveland RamsJack "Indian" JacobsBackOklahoma13Philadelphia Eagles Vic Lindskog CenterStanford14Chicago Cardinals Lloyd Cheatham Back Auburn15Detroit Lions Alf Bauman TackleNorthwestern
Round 3
Pick # NFL team Player Position College16Pittsburgh SteelersKen CasanegaBackSanta Clara17Cleveland RamsRoger EasonTackleOklahoma18Philadelphia EaglesTed WilliamsBack Boston College19Chicago CardinalsWilson "Bud" SchwenkBackWashington University20Detroit LionsBob DethmanBack Oregon State21Washington Redskins Rufus Deal BackAuburn22Brooklyn Dodgers Curt Mecham BackOregon23New York GiantsBob SweigerBackMinnesota24Green Bay Packers Ray Frankowski GuardWashington25Chicago Bears Joe Boratyn Back Holy Cross
Round 4
Pick # NFL team Player Position College26Pittsburgh SteelersMalcolm KutnerEndTexas27Cleveland RamsLen LevyGuardMinnesota28Philadelphia Eagles Gordon Paschka Guard Minnesota29Chicago Cardinals Vince Banonis CenterDetroit30Detroit LionsDom "Mickey" SanzottaBack Case Western Reserve
Round 5
Pick # NFL team Player Position College31Pittsburgh Steelers Curt Sandig BackSt. Mary's (TX)32Cleveland Rams Orville Matthews BackOklahoma33Philadelphia EaglesErnie BlandinTackleTulane34Chicago CardinalsBob ReinhardTackleCalifornia35Detroit LionsJoe BlalockEndClemson36Washington Redskins Joe Zeno GuardHoly Cross37Brooklyn Dodgers Vike Francis BackNebraska38New York Giants Al Blozis TackleGeorgetown39Green Bay PackersBill GreenBackIowa40Chicago BearsMartin RubyDefensive tackleTexas A&M
Round 6
Pick # NFL team Player Position College41Pittsburgh SteelersCharley GreeneTackle Tulsa42Cleveland RamsMike SweeneyEndTexas43Philadelphia EaglesEarl YoungloveEndWashington44Chicago CardinalsChal DanielGuardTexas45Detroit LionsMurray EvansBack Hardin–Simmons46Washington RedskinsHarley McCollumTackleTulane47Brooklyn DodgersHenry StantonEndArizona48New York GiantsBob GlassBackTulane49Green Bay PackersJoe KrivonakGuardSouth Carolina50Chicago BearsH.C. BurrusEndHardin–Simmons
Round 7
Pick # NFL team Player Position College51Pittsburgh SteelersJohnny ButlerBackTennessee52Cleveland RamsItalo RossiTackle Purdue53Philadelphia EaglesBilly SewellBackWashington State54Chicago CardinalsRupe ThorntonGuardSanta Clara55Detroit LionsTommy ColellaBackCanisius56Washington RedskinsBob FitchEndMinnesota57Brooklyn DodgersWayne GoldsmithBack Emporia State58New York GiantsTommy ProthroBackDuke59Green Bay PackersPres JohnstonBackSMU60Chicago BearsBob JeffriesGuardMissouri
Round 8
Pick # NFL team Player Position College61Pittsburgh SteelersFloyd SpendloveTackleUtah62Cleveland RamsBob BrumleyBackRice63Philadelphia EaglesBill HalversonGuardOregon State64Chicago CardinalsDoug RenzelBackMarquette65Detroit LionsJoe FranceskiTackleScranton66Washington RedskinsGeorge PetersBackOregon State67Brooklyn DodgersPreston FlanaganEndTexas68New York GiantsTom KearnsTackleMiami (FL)69Green Bay PackersJoe RogersEndMichigan70Chicago BearsFrank MaznickiBackBoston College
Round 9
Pick # NFL team Player Position College71Pittsburgh SteelersRayburn ChaseBackMissouri72Cleveland RamsHubert UlrichEndKansas73Philadelphia EaglesRay GravesCenterTennessee74Chicago CardinalsChet WetterlundBack Illinois Wesleyan75Detroit LionsEmil BanjavicBackArizona76Washington RedskinsFrank SwigerBackDuke77Brooklyn DodgersBob GiffordBackDenver78New York GiantsBob MerkerEndMillikin79Green Bay PackersNoah LangdaleTackleAlabama80Chicago BearsJohn PettyBackPurdue
Round 10
Pick # NFL team Player Position College81Pittsburgh SteelersErnie SteeleBackWashington82Cleveland RamsBob deLauerTackleUSC83Philadelphia Eagles Jack Stackpool BackWashington84Chicago Cardinals Jud Ringer EndMinnesota85Detroit LionsBill DiehlCenterIowa86Washington RedskinsJohn GoodyearBackMarquette87Brooklyn DodgersJoe PetroGuardMuhlenberg88New York Giants Mike Kopcik EndGeorgetown89Green Bay PackersGene FlickCenterMinnesota90Chicago BearsNoah "Moon" MullinsBackKentucky
Round 11
Pick # NFL team Player Position College91Pittsburgh Steelers Thornley Wood BackColumbia92Cleveland RamsBen HightowerEndSam Houston State93Philadelphia EaglesNoble DossBackTexas94Chicago CardinalsJim FitzharrisEndSt. Thomas (MN)95Detroit LionsJohn PolanskiBackWake Forest96Washington RedskinsAl DeMaoCenterDuquesne97Brooklyn DodgersFraser "Pat" DonlanTackleManhattan98New York GiantsJohn SolicCenterSt. Francis (PA)99Green Bay PackersTom FarrisBackWisconsin100Chicago BearsBill GeyerBackColgate
Round 12
Pick # NFL team Player Position College101Pittsburgh SteelersBill RoachEndTCU102Cleveland RamsWalt ZirinskyBack Lafayette103Philadelphia EaglesFred MeyerEndStanford104Chicago CardinalsDick BryeTackleMarquette105Detroit LionsJoe StringfellowEndSouthern Miss106Washington RedskinsPhil AhweshBackDuquesne107Brooklyn DodgersJim ThibautBackTulane108New York GiantsLen KrouseBackPenn State109Green Bay PackersJimmy RichardsonBackMarquette110Chicago BearsJim DaniellTackleOhio State
Round 13
Pick # NFL team Player Position College111Pittsburgh SteelersWayne HoltGuardTulsa112Cleveland RamsRay BradfieldEndSanta Clara113Philadelphia EaglesBob BrentonTackleMissouri114Chicago CardinalsCharley GivlerGuardWake Forest115Detroit LionsTony ArenaCenterMichigan State116Washington RedskinsJohn KovatchEndNotre Dame117Brooklyn DodgersArt DeremerCenterNiagara118New York GiantsBob BarnettCenterDuke119Green Bay PackersBruce SmithHalfbackMinnesota120Chicago BearsJackie HuntBackMarshall
Round 14
Pick # NFL team Player Position College121Pittsburgh SteelersClure MosherCenterLouisville122Cleveland RamsTom GreeneTackleGeorgia123Philadelphia EaglesJohn WyhonicGuardAlabama124Chicago CardinalsHugh SwinkTackleOklahoma A&M125Detroit LionsWolf HeinbergTackleUC Santa Barbara126Washington RedskinsBill DeCorrevontBackNorthwestern127Brooklyn DodgersStan GervelisEndPittsburgh128New York GiantsPete LaydenBackTexas129Green Bay PackersBill ApplegateGuardSouth Carolina130Chicago BearsHenry "Bob" GudeCenterVanderbilt
Round 15
Pick # NFL team Player Position College131Pittsburgh SteelersHubbard LawBackSam Houston State132Cleveland RamsIke PeelBackTennessee133Philadelphia EaglesO'Dell GriffinGuardBaylor134Chicago CardinalsMarv HarshmanBackPacific Lutheran135Detroit LionsMac SpeedieEndUtah136Washington RedskinsMarvin WhitedBackOklahoma137Brooklyn DodgersGene DavisBackPenn138New York GiantsBuddy JungmichelGuardTexas139Green Bay PackersJim TrimbleTackleIndiana140Chicago BearsJoe KrutulisEndMiami (FL)
Round 16
Pick # NFL team Player Position College141Pittsburgh SteelersAndy TomasicBackTemple142Cleveland RamsGlenn HenicleGuardTulsa143Philadelphia EaglesBill SmaltzBackPenn State144Chicago CardinalsGeorge ArabianBackSt. Mary's (CA)145Detroit LionsFirman BynumTackleArkansas146Washington RedskinsDean "Dee" ChipmanBackBYU147Brooklyn DodgersEd MasloskiBackScranton148New York GiantsKeith DoggettTackleWichita149Green Bay PackersTom KinkadeBackOhio State150Chicago BearsGeorge AbelGuardNebraska
Round 17
Pick # NFL team Player Position College151Pittsburgh SteelersGarth ChamberlainTackleBYU152Cleveland RamsDon ClawsonBackNorthwestern153Philadelphia EaglesArnie MeinersEndStanford154Chicago CardinalsJack CrainBackTexas155Detroit LionsDick FisherBackOhio State156Washington RedskinsGeorge WattsTackleAppalachian State157Brooklyn DodgersR. C. PittsEndArkansas158New York GiantsVerne MillerTackleHarvard159Green Bay PackersFred PrestonEndNebraska160Chicago BearsDon EdmistonTackleTennessee
Round 18
Pick # NFL team Player Position College161Pittsburgh SteelersJohn RokiskyEndDuquesne162Cleveland RamsJack GrafBackOhio State163Philadelphia EaglesBill BraunTackleSanta Clara164Chicago CardinalsCarl SuntheimerCenterNorth Carolina165Detroit LionsGeorge SpethTackleMurray State166Washington RedskinsGene StewartBackWillamette167Brooklyn DodgersRalph MillerBackKansas168New York GiantsJohn "Junie" HoviousBackOle Miss169Green Bay PackersRobert IngallsCenterMichigan170Chicago BearsHolt RastEndAlabama
Round 19
Pick # NFL team Player Position College171Pittsburgh SteelersRay "Earthquake" JenkinsBackColorado172Cleveland RamsBill RegnerEndOregon173Philadelphia EaglesCharley DvoracekBackTexas Tech174Chicago CardinalsJimmy NelsonBackAlabama175Detroit LionsBlair HeatonEndSusquehanna176Washington RedskinsCharlie TimmonsBackClemson177Brooklyn DodgersWilson ElliottTackleChattanooga178New York GiantsOwen PriceBackTexas Western179Green Bay PackersGeorge BensonBackNorthwestern180Chicago BearsEdgar "Special Delivery" JonesBackPittsburgh
Round 20
Pick # NFL team Player Position College181Pittsburgh SteelersFrank KaprivaGuardWake Forest182Cleveland RamsGene ConleyTackleWashington183Philadelphia EaglesMarv TommervikBackPacific Lutheran184Chicago CardinalsNorvell WallachTackleMissouri185Detroit LionsBen CollinsBackWest Texas State186Washington RedskinsMilburn "Tiny" CroftTackleRipon187Brooklyn DodgersBill PolantonioGuardElon188New York GiantsAdam KretowiczEndHoly Cross189Green Bay PackersHorace "Deacon" YoungBackSMU190Chicago BearsBill TessendorfTackleGonzaga
Round 21
Pick # NFL team Player Position College191Washington RedskinsSteve JuzwikBackNotre Dame192Brooklyn DodgersBert HayesBackWichita193New York GiantsJim "Blackie" BlumenstockBackFordham194Green Bay PackersHenry WoroniczEndBoston College195Chicago BearsAdolph KissellBackBoston College
Round 22
Pick # NFL team Player Position College196Washington RedskinsAl CouppeeBackIowa197Brooklyn DodgersWalt FedoraBackGeorge Washington198New York GiantsMilt HullTackleFlorida199Green Bay PackersWoody AdamsTackleTCU200Chicago BearsStu ClarksonCenterTexas A&I
Hall of Famers Bill Dudley, halfback from Virginia taken 1st round 1st overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 1966. Mac Speedie, end from Utah taken 15th round 135th overall by the Detroit Lions. Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020
Notable undrafted players † = Pro BowlerPlayers are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro-Bowl at any time in their career.
Notes
References
External links NFL.com – 1942 Draft
1942 NFL Draft Listing at Pro Football Reference