1981 NFL Draft

The 1981 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 April 28–29, 1981. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and before the regular season.

Hall of famers

 * Mike Singletary, Linebacker from Baylor University taken 2nd round 38th overall by the Chicago Bears.
 * Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame Class of 1998.


 * Lawrence Taylor, Linebacker from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill taken 1st round 2nd overall by the New York Giants.
 * Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame Class of 1999.


 * Ronnie Lott, Defensive Back from the University of Southern California taken 1st round 8th overall by the San Francisco 49ers.
 * Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame Class of 2000.


 * Howie Long, Defensive Tackle from Villanova University taken 2nd round 48th overall by the Oakland Raiders.
 * Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame Class of 2000.


 * Rickey Jackson, Linebacker from University of Pittsburgh taken 2nd round 51st overall by the New Orleans Saints.
 * Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame Class of 2010.


 * Russ Grimm, Offensive Guard from University of Pittsburgh taken 3rd round 69th overall by the Washington Redskins.
 * Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame Class of 2010.

Undrafted players of note

 * Everson Walls, Cornerback from Grambling State University, was not selected in the draft's 12 rounds, but signed as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys. Walls made an early impact by leading the league in interceptions in each of his first two seasons and was selected First-Team All-Pro in his third.  Walls played 13 seasons in the NFL, earning four Pro Bowl bids, and was the starting RCB for the Super Bowl XXV Champion New York Giants..
 * Chuck Pitcock, Center from Tulane University. While passed over by the NFL, Pitcock enjoyed a strong career with the Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL. Pitcock also played for the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
 * Joe Jacoby, Offensive Tackle from University of Louisville, was not chosen in the draft. He signed with the Washington Redskins, and along with Russ Grimm, anchored the left side of the offensive line for many years. He was selected to 4 pro bowls, and 2 AP All Pro teams, won three Super Bowl rings and four National Football Conference championships during his tenure.
 * Jay Hilgenberg
 * Leslie Frazier