Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

I was reading an article about Paul Hornung, that he was selected by Green Bay in 1957 with the first pick overall in that year's draft.
Nothing that i didn't alreay know, but the article specified "with the Bonus Lottery Pick". So i checked that draft, and i discovered that since 1948 and until 1959, the first pick was awarded as a bonus pick through a lottery.
I didn't found more information about the lottery, other that it was created in 1947 to try and limit the competition from AAFC.
Could anyone tell me more about this Bonus Draft Pick Lottery?

Thanks in advance.

John Maxymuk wrote The Bonus Selection System in the NFL Draft, 1947–1958 for The Coffin Corner. It is published in issue Number 2 in 2017.

Thanks. I just missed that article, i guess.

The 1953 bonus pick by the 49ers was a guy who had the same name as my father. When I was a kid I saw a "#1 overall draft pick" list in my 1981 record and fact book. I saw Harry Babcock drafted by the 49ers in 1953 and pointed it out to my dad. He had me going for a day or so that it was actually him.... until I realized he would have been 12 years old at the time.

I've heard both ways whether the NFL was going to cycle through all the teams for bonus picks again or if it was just going to be one 12 year cycle. John might have addressed that in his CC article. I'll have to go back and re-read that.