The 1956 NFL draft had its first three rounds held on November 28, 1955, at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and its final twenty-seven rounds on January 17–18, 1956, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California[1][2] The previous NFL drafts in the 1950s were held in January; the first three rounds (37 selections) were moved up this year to late November to better compete with teams from Canada.
[3][4] This was the tenth year that the first overall pick was a bonus pick determined by lottery.
With the previous nine winners ineligible from the draw, only the Chicago Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, and Pittsburgh Steelers had an equal chance of winning.
[5] The draft lottery was won by Pittsburgh, who selected defensive back Gary Glick.