While some draft selections are expected, there are others that throw fans and NFL experts for a loop - be it a team passing on a high-profile prospect or addressing a position that wasn't perceived to be of need.
Here are eight of the most shocking draft picks in NFL history:
Maurice Clarett - Denver Broncos (No. 101, 2005)
Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan stunned the football world by drafting Clarett with the final pick of the third round in 2005. Many experts believed the troubled running back would fall to the sixth or seventh round after being dismissed by Ohio State for filing a false police report and under-performing at the combine.
The gamble ultimately failed, as Denver released Clarett in August 2005 without ever having played a single down in the NFL. He had several run-ins with the law in the following months and a brief stint with Omaha Nighthawks of the now-disbanded United Football League.
Mario Williams - Houston Texans (No. 1, 2006)
Entering the 2006 draft, it was widely assumed the Texans would be using the No. 1 overall pick on Heisman Trophy-winner Reggie Bush or quarterback Vince Young. So when Williams' name was called out instead, Houston fans were upset.
To the Texans, though, drafting Williams made sense. They believed they had a franchise quarterback in David Carr and were comfortable with their running back situation. Williams rewarded their faith with a productive rookie campaign, notching 47 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 16 games.
Tyson Alualu - Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 10, 2010)
Alualu was pegged as a low first- to early second-rounder ahead of the 2010 draft, but the Jaguars decided to use a top-10 pick on him, passing on the likes of Earl Thomas, Jason Pierre-Paul, Maurkice Pouncey and Dez Bryant. General manager Gene Smith even admitted to having reservations about taking the defensive end so high.
While Alualu has proven to be a durable, dependable player for Jacksonville over the past five seasons, he hasn't been the dominant pass-rusher the team was hoping for.
Willis McGahee - Buffalo Bills (No. 23, 2003)
The Bills' decision to draft McGahee shocked fans and players alike, including the team's then-starting running back, Travis Henry, who called the move "a slap in the face." McGahee was initially considered a top-five pick, but a gruesome knee injury sustained in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl saw his draft stock drop considerably.
The injury forced McGahee to sit out his entire rookie campaign, but he rebounded nicely, producing back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2004 and 2005, and winning the Associated Press NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award.
Sebastian Janikowski - Oakland Raiders (No. 17, 2000)
Selecting a kicker in the first round of an NFL draft is bound to turn heads, but selecting a kicker who's facing bribery charges and could be deported to Poland? Now that's something. The Raiders apparently felt so too, as they reportedly tried desperately to trade down before drafting Janikowski at No. 17 overall.
Janikowski was the first kicker drafted in the first round in 21 years, and the highest since Russell Erxleben was taken No. 11 overall by the New Orleans Saints in 1979. He has certainly left his mark on Oakland, becoming the franchise's leading scorer and breaking several NFL records, including longest overtime field goal.
Tim Tebow - Denver Broncos (No. 25, 2010)
The Broncos traded their second-, third- and fourth-round picks to acquire the high-profile Tebow, leaving Jimmy Clausen - whom many considered the second-best quarterback in the 2010 draft class behind Sam Bradford - still on the board.
Head coach Josh McDaniels, who convinced the Broncos to make the trade, envisioned Tebow as his long-term starter. Little did he know that both of their tenures in Denver would be short-lived. McDaniels was fired in December 2010 and Tebow was traded to the New York Jets ahead of the 2012 season.
Ted Ginn Jr. - Miami Dolphins (No. 9, 2007)
The Dolphins were met with a sea of boos when they drafted Ginn with the No. 9 overall pick in 2007. The team had a glaring need at quarterback, but to the dismay of Miami fans, opted to use their first-round pick on a wide receiver instead.
The fans weren't the only ones caught off guard by the Dolphins' selection of Ginn. Several veterans were reportedly puzzled by the decision and even Ginn himself said he was surprised the team passed on quarterback Brady Quinn.
Ricky Williams - New Orleans Saints (No. 5, 1999)
Williams was the only player drafted by the Saints in 1999, and that's because the team traded eight picks to the Washington Redskins for the right to select the Heisman Trophy winner. It marked the first time in NFL history that a team had only one draft selection.
What's especially shocking about the whole thing is that head coach Mike Ditka publicly announced his desire to trade away the Saints' entire draft class for the opportunity to acquire Williams during the NFL owners meetings, giving the team little to no leverage in trade talks. And yet they still made the move.
