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40 years later, players, coaches still surprised Cardinals drafted a K in 1st round

Related Topics: Jim Hanifan

Arizona Cardinals

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The moment Jim Hanifan heard who the then-St. Louis Cardinals drafted in the first round of the 1978 NFL draft, he dropped to the floor.

He wasn't down there in celebration. He was in disbelief.

Five years after the Oakland Raiders became the first team in the common era to draft a kicker or punter in the first round, the Cardinals selected Steve Little out of Arkansas with the 15th overall pick. Four decades later, it stands out as one of the franchise's oddest first-round picks in a history full of them.