Pro Football Holds Its Own Version of a Swap Meet : Overview: Redskins trade up to get Howard. Defense leads selections as form holds during first round.

On the morning of the NFL’s 57th annual draft, the Raiders picked running back Eric Dickerson in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts Sunday, and, soon afterward, four other picks also stirred the nation’s football fans:

--Tommy Maddox, a 20-year-old UCLA sophomore, was anointed as John Elway’s successor by the Denver Broncos, who chose the “too-green, too-frail” Bruin quarterback during the first round.

--Desmond Howard, the Heisman Trophy-winning wide receiver from Michigan, went to the Washington Redskins, who traded up to fourth place in Round One to get him with the highest selection by an NFL champion in league history.

--As expected, Indianapolis made Steve Emtman, a Washington defensive lineman, the year’s top pick--then signed him to a four-year contract. Holding the day’s first two choices, the Colts then took Texas A&M; linebacker Quentin Coryatt.

--David Klingler of Houston, the first quarterback drafted, landed in Cincinnati as Boomer Esiason’s backup.

After restoring Dickerson to California, the Raiders, during the first round of what might be the NFL’s last draft, took the biggest man on the board, 337-pound defensive lineman Chester McGlockton of Clemson.

During the first draft of Chuck Knox’s second tour as coach of the Rams, the first player he added was Pittsburgh defensive lineman Sean Gilbert.

“We’ll pay for whoever we draft,” a highly placed Ram executive said last week, speaking for owner Georgia Frontiere. Before Sunday was over, they reportedly agreed to pay Gilbert $7 million over five seasons.

Gilbert made it three in a row for the defense on a day when four defensive players were in the first five selections, five in the first seven.

Maddox was one of 10 underclassmen claimed during the first round.

Otherwise, it was this kind of day:

--Stanford was represented in the first round by twice as many players as USC and UCLA combined.

The first running back and first offensive lineman drafted were Stanford fullback Tommy Vardell, by the Cleveland Browns; and Bob Whitfield, by the Atlanta Falcons.

Some scouts question whether Vardell is fast enough for the pros.

--In probably the most formful draft of all time, the eight players heavily touted by NFL scouts and backs were all picked in the top eight positions, where the only real mystery was Klingler’s destination.

“It will be a gradual transition from Boomer to Klingler,” Cincinnati General Manager Mike Brown said.

Said the Bengals’ new coach, David Shula: “It’s been my experience that you win championships when you have the quarterback position (settled) for a long time.”

That parallels Denver Coach Dan Reeves’ reasoning on Maddox.

--Howard will give Washington Coach Joe Gibbs a chance to run the four wide-receiver offense he keeps talking about.

“The Redskins have great weapons, and they just added another one to the arsenal,” New York Giant Coach Ray Handley said.

Said Gibbs: “The thing I like best about (Howard) is he’s aggressive. He’ll throw his body into anything. He’s kind of reckless.”

Howard, asked about his goals in Washington, said: “I want to be a role model in the community . . . and enjoy the town.”

--Two years after losing Ronnie Lott and Roger Craig, the San Francisco 49ers, drafting for need, picked hoped-for replacements, Washington defensive back Dana Hall in the first round and Florida State running back Amp Lee during the second.

Scouts call Hall a Lott-like hitter but wonder about his speed. They are less enthusiastic about Lee.

“Hall is best suited for our team as far as the safety position is concerned,” 49er Coach George Seifert said.

--In all, four quarterbacks went in the first 47 picks: Klingler, Maddox, Virginia’s Matt Blundin to the Kansas City Chiefs and Penn State’s Tony Sacca to the Phoenix Cardinals.

Sacca had been downgraded by many scouting staffs, despite a good record in college whenever Coach Joe Paterno allowed him to pass.

--On a day of many player deals, as the coaches kept trading up and down to fill needs, New England Patriot Coach Dick MacPherson’s moves were typical.

He traded up from 19th to 13th during the first round to get an offensive lineman, Eugene Chung of Virginia Tech; and during the next round he jumped from 18th to sixth for Notre Dame defensive back Rod Smith.

“We were starting to get nervous,” MacPherson said.

The Patriots’ top pick said that as far as he knows, only one other Korean, UCLA placekicker John Lee, has been drafted.

“In a sense, I’m representing the Korean community,” said Chung, whose father moved to the United States after the Korean war.

“It gives (Koreans) something to be proud about and gives little boys and girls insight that their goals can be reached.”

--The five universities represented by two choices each in the first round were Stanford, Washington, Miami, Tennessee and Texas A&M.;

--The San Diego Chargers made Pasadena City College wide receiver Ray Ethridge the 63rd player drafted.

--The New York teams both made tight ends their top choices this year. After the Giants chose Notre Dame’s Derek Brown, the Jets selected Nebraska’s Johnny Mitchell.