1967 Common Draft

The 1967 common draft was a joint player selection system used by the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL) to reduce bidding wars for college talent. It established a coordinated mechanism in which both leagues selected players from the same pool in a single sequence, marking a major step toward the NFL–AFL merger.

The first common draft followed an earlier agreement between the leagues and is closely associated with the broader consolidation of professional American football in the late 1960s. The process is often discussed alongside notable early merger-era developments, including Super Bowl I and the eventual unification of the leagues.

Background: NFL–AFL competition

In the early and mid-1960s, the NFL and AFL competed aggressively for emerging college stars. Each league separately scouted and signed prospects, which frequently led to escalating contract offers and uncertainty for players. This competitive environment was a major driver behind league-level negotiations, including efforts that culminated in the common draft format.

The common draft was part of a broader shift toward consolidation that would ultimately culminate in the merger of the NFL and AFL. Historians often place the 1967 system within the same merger trajectory that included the creation of a unified national audience for top-level games such as Super Bowl competitions.

Mechanics of the “common” selection

Under the common draft arrangement, eligible players were drawn from the same shared pool, and teams from both leagues selected in a coordinated order. The goal was to prevent the same player from being effectively “double-targeted” through competing selection procedures in the same period.

Although details varied by year and implementation, the central idea was that both leagues effectively agreed on a unified selection process. This differed from earlier seasons in which NFL and AFL teams held separate drafts and negotiations, a practice that had intensified bidding for marquee prospects.

Player impact and draft outcomes

The 1967 common draft had immediate effects on player negotiations and team roster building. By providing a single selection framework, it reduced certain forms of competitive friction between the leagues and made the selection status of a prospect clearer.

Prospects selected in 1967 became early examples of how the draft order translated into opportunity across the two leagues. The draft class included players who later became prominent, and it is frequently referenced in retrospective discussions of careers beginning in the late 1960s, including those of eventual Hall of Fame-level contributors such as Fred Biletnikoff and Bob Griese.

Place in the merger-era timeline

The common draft is widely regarded as a practical step toward merger cooperation. It reflected a willingness to coordinate at the roster-building level even before final structural unification occurred. That cooperation complemented other merger-related developments, including league agreements and scheduling changes that shaped the late-1960s NFL product.

Within this context, the 1967 common draft is often discussed alongside the AFL–NFL rivalry’s decline and the changing status of postseason football. For example, the era’s flagship event, Super Bowl I, symbolized an increasingly integrated national stage even while the leagues remained separate in name.

Legacy and historical significance

The 1967 common draft contributed to the institutional alignment that made the later merger workable. By standardizing the initial selection process for players, it helped create a more uniform path from college football to professional rosters. This, in turn, influenced how both leagues planned talent pipelines during the final years of full NFL–AFL separation.

In historical accounts, the common draft is also treated as a bridge between two distinct league identities and the eventual single draft process that became normal in the unified league era. It remains relevant in discussions of labor relations and league governance in American professional football, particularly in the period that preceded the final transition into the modern National Football League structure.

See also

• NFL–AFL merger
• Common draft
• American Football League
• National Football League
• Super Bowl I

Categories: 1967 in American football, NFL–AFL merger, American football drafts