2004 NFL draft

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox sports draft The 2004 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held from April 24–25, 2004, at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. No teams chose to claim any players in the supplemental draft that year.

The draft was shown on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2 both days. The draft began with the San Diego Chargers selecting Mississippi quarterback Eli Manning with the first overall selection. Due to his refusal to play for the Chargers, Manning was later traded to the New York Giants for the fourth overall pick Philip Rivers of NC State. There were 32 compensatory selections distributed among 16 teams, with the Eagles, Rams, and Jets each receiving 4 compensatory picks. Seven wide receivers were selected in the first round, a draft record later tied in 2024. Another record set by the draft was the most trades in the first round, with twenty-eight trades. The University of Miami set an NFL record for the most first rounders drafted with six, which would be tied by Alabama in 2021. Ohio State set an NFL draft record having 14 total players selected through all rounds. It was the first draft to have produced two quarterbacks who each won multiple Super Bowls, with Ben Roethlisberger winning his second in 2008 and Eli Manning his second in 2011. As of December 10, 2025, Philip Rivers is the only active player from this year’s draft class.

The 255 players chosen in the draft were composed of:

48 defensive backs 32 wide receivers 28 linebackers 26 offensive tackles 24 defensive ends

22 defensive tackles 17 quarterbacks 16 tight ends 14 running backs 9 centers

8 guards 4 fullbacks 3 kickers 3 punters 1 nose tackle

Player selections

* = compensatory selection ^ = supplemental compensatory selection ¤ = extra selection awarded to expansion team † = Pro Bowler ‡ = Hall of Famer

File:Larry Fitzgerald 2015.JPG

Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is second in NFL receiving yards and receptions

File:Sean Taylor.jpg

Murdered during his fourth season, safety Sean Taylor nonetheless established himself as a dominant and popular player

File:Vince-Wilfork 8-28-09 Patriots-vs-Redskins.jpg

In a 13-season career, nose tackle Vince Wilfork made five Pro Bowls and won two Super Bowls

File:Rams running back Steven Jackson at the coaching clinic.jpg

Running back Steven Jackson is the Rams' all-time leading rusher

File:Chris cooley 2011.jpg

Chris Cooley has the most receptions of a tight end in Washington history

File:Jared Allen.jpg

Defensive end Jared Allen twice led the league in sacks

Notable undrafted players

File:Wes Welker 1.JPG

Wide receiver Wes Welker was not drafted but was named to five Pro Bowls.

†	= Pro Bowler

Hall of Famers

• Jared Allen, defensive end from Idaho State, taken 4th round 126th overall by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

Trades

In the explanations below, (D) denotes trades that took place during the 2004 Draft, while (PD) indicates trades completed pre-draft.

Round one

Round two

Round three

Round four

Round five

Round six

Round seven

External links

• Football Outsiders – 2004 NFL Draft: Six Years Later (March 19, 2010)