The 1989 NFL draft also helped set a major precedent, as Barry Sanders was selected with the third overall pick despite an NFL rule stating that collegiate juniors could not declare for the draft.[5] Since Barry Sanders was selected as a junior, it has become an expectation for top college players to declare for the draft after their junior season; the rule disallowing collegiate juniors in the NFL draft was lifted by the next draft. Sanders, the 1988 Heisman Trophy winner, was allowed to declare early when Oklahoma State was found guilty of numerous major NCAA rule violations and placed on five years' probation in January 1989.
Another precedent the draft helped set was how players were invited to the actual draft room. First overall selection Aikman was represented by Leigh Steinberg, who went with his client to the draft finding he was the only player there. As years followed, more players began getting invited to the draft.[6]
Barry Sanders, running back from Oklahoma State, taken third overall by Detroit Lions. 1988 Heisman Trophy winner.
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2004[13]
Troy Aikman, quarterback from UCLA, taken first overall by Dallas Cowboys.
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2006[14]
Derrick Thomas, linebacker from Alabama, taken fourth overall by Kansas City Chiefs.
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2009 (posthumous)[15]
Deion Sanders, cornerback from Florida State, taken fifth overall by Atlanta Falcons.
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2011[16]
Steve Atwater, safety from Arkansas, taken twentieth overall by Denver Broncos.
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2020
Trades
In the explanations below, (D) denotes trades that took place during the 1989 Draft, while (PD) indicates trades completed pre-draft.
Round one
^No. 11: L.A. Raiders → Chicago (PD). L.A. Raiders traded its first-round selection (11th) and third-round selection in 1990 to Chicago in exchange for WR Willie Gault.
^No. 12: Washington → Chicago (PD). Chicago received Washington's first-round selections in both 1988 (27th) and this draft (12th) as compensation for the Redskins signing free agent LB Wilber Marshall.
^No. 13: Denver → Cleveland (D). Denver traded its first-round selection (13th) to Cleveland in exchange for the Browns' first-, second-, fifth- and tenth-round selections (20th, 47th, 134th and 241st).
^No. 15: Indianapolis → Seattle (PD). Indianapolis traded its first-round selection (15th) and first-round selection in 1990 to Seattle in exchange for LB Fredd Young.
^No. 17: Seattle → Phoenix (PD). Seattle traded its first- and fifth-round selections (17th and 128th) and fifth-round selection in 1988 (120th) to Phoenix in exchange for QB Kelly Stouffer.
^No. 22: Philadelphia → Indianapolis (PD). Philadelphia traded its first-round selection (22nd) and fourth-round selection in 1990 to Indianapolis in exchange for G Ron Solt.
^No. 24: Minnesota → Pittsburgh (PD). Minnesota traded its first-round selection (24th) to Pittsburgh in exchange for LB Mike Merriweather.
^No. 25: Chicago → Miami (D). Chicago traded its first-round selection (25th) to Miami in exchange for the Dolphins' second- and third-round selections (36th and 65th).
^No. 26: multiple trades: No. 26: Buffalo → Indianapolis (PD). Buffalo traded its first-round selection in 1988 (14th), first- and second-round selections (26th and 53rd) in this draft and RB Greg Bell to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for LB Cornelius Bennett. No. 26: Indianapolis → L.A. Rams (PD). Indianapolis then traded all three draft picks received from Buffalo, their own first- and second round selections in 1988 (20th and 47th), their second-round selection (45th) in this draft, Greg Bell and RB Owen Gill to the Rams in exchange for RB Eric Dickerson.
^No. 27: Cincinnati → Atlanta (D). Cincinnati traded its first-round selection (27th) to Atlanta in exchange for the Falcons' second- and fourth-round selections (35th and 89th).
Round two
^No. 31: Green Bay → Cleveland (D). Green Bay traded its second- and fifth-round selections (31st and 114th) to Cleveland in exchange for the Browns' third- and fifth-round selections (74th and 127th), first-round selection in 1989 and RB Herman Fontenot.
^No. 38: Washington → Atlanta (D). Washington traded its second-round selection (38th) and firth-round selection in 1990 to Atlanta in exchange for RB Gerald Riggs and Atlanta's fifth-round selection in 1990.
^No. 39: L.A. Raiders → Dallas (D). L.A. Raiders traded its second-, third- and fifth-round selections (39th, 68th and 119th) to Dallas in exchange for the rights to G Steve Wisniewski (drafted by Dallas at 29th in this draft) and Dallas' sixth-round selection (140th).
^No. 51: N.Y. Giants → San Diego (D). The Giants traded its second-round selection (51st) to San Diego in exchange for the Chargers' third-, fourth- and seventh-round selections (64th, 93rd and 175th).
^No. 68: multiple trades: No. 68: L.A. Raiders → San Diego (PD). The L.A. Raiders traded its third- and fourth-round selections (68th and 95th) and OT John Clay to San Diego in exchange for OT Jim Lachey. No. 68: San Diego → L.A. Raiders (PD). San Diego traded both third- and fourth-round selections (68th and 95th) previously traded by the Raiders, and a fourth-round selection in 1990 back to the Raiders in exchange for RB Napoleon McCallum. No. 68: L.A. Raiders → Dallas (PD).see No. 39: L.A. Raiders → Dallas.
^No. 81: Chicago → Philadelphia (D). Chicago traded its third-round selection (81st) to Philadelphia in exchange for the Eagles' fifth-, seventh-, eighth-, ninth-, tenth-, eleventh- and twelfth-round selections (130th, 189th, 216th, 243rd, 270th, 297th and 330rd).
^No. 95: multiple trades: No. 95: L.A. Raiders → San Diego (PD). see No. 68: L.A. Raiders → San Diego. No. 68: San Diego → L.A. Raiders (PD). see No. 68: San Diego → L.A. Raiders. No. 68: L.A. Raiders → Chicago (D). The Raiders traded their fourth-round selection (95th) to Chicago in exchange for the Bears' fourth- and sixth-round selections (110th and 165th).
^No. 96: Washington → New England (D). Washington traded its fourth-round selection (96th) to New England in exchange for the Patriots' fifth-round selection in 1988 (127th).
^No. 103: Philadelphia → Seattle (PD). Philadelphia traded its fourth-round selection (103rd) to Seattle in exchange for OT Ron Heller.
^No. 110: multiple trades: No. 110: Chicago → L.A. Raiders (D). see No. 95: L.A. Raiders → Chicago. No. 110: L.A. Raiders → Washington (D). The Raiders traded OT Jim Lachey, fourth- and fifth-round selections (110th and 139th) to Washington in exchange for QB Jay Schroeder.
^No. 116: Kansas City → Cleveland (PD). Kansas City traded its fifth-round selection (116th) to Cleveland in exchange for LB Mike Junkin.
^No. 119: multiple trades: No. 119: Atlanta → L.A. Raiders (PD). Atlanta traded its fifth-round selection (119th) to L.A. Raiders in exchange for WR Jessie Hester. No. 119: L.A. Raiders → Dallas (D). see No. 39: L.A. Raiders → Dallas.
^No. 122: L.A. Raiders → San Francisco (D). The Raiders traded their fifth-round selection (122nd) to San Francisco in exchange for the 49ers' fifth- and eighth-round selections (139th and 223rd).
^No. 124: Washington → Green Bay (D). Washington traded their fifth- and eighth-round selections (124th and 206th) and rights to WR Erik Affholter (drafted by the Redskins at No. 110th) to Green Bay in exchange for the rights to QB Jeff Graham (drafted by the Packers at No. 87).
^No. 125: Denver → Dallas (PD). Denver traded its fifth-round selection (125th) to Dallas in exchange for RB Tony Dorsett.
^No. 127: multiple trades: No. 127: New England → Cleveland (PD). New England traded its fifth-round selection (127th) to Cleveland in exchange for C Mike Baab. No. 127: Cleveland → Green Bay (D). see No. 31: Green Bay → Cleveland.
^No. 129: Indianapolis → Washington (D). Indianapolis traded its fifth-round selection (129th) to Washington in exchange for the Redskins' fourth- and eighth-round selections in 1990.
^No. 148: San Diego → L.A. Rams (PD). San Diego traded its second-round selection in 1988 (46th), this sixth-round selection (148th) and RB Buford McGee to the Rams in exchange for RB Barry Redden.
^No. 151: L.A. Raiders → N.Y. Jets (PD). The Raiders traded their sixth-round selection (151st) to the Jets in exchange for CB Russell Carter.
^No. 154: Seattle → Tampa Bay (PD). Seattle traded its sixth-round selection (154th) and DL Randy Edwards to Tampa Bay in exchange for OT Ron Heller.
^No. 156: New England → L.A. Raiders (D). New England traded its sixth-round selection (156th) to L.A. Raiders in exchange for the Raiders' sixth- and eighth-round selections (165th and 223rd).
^No. 178: L.A. Raiders → New England (PD). L.A. Raiders traded its seventh-round selection (178th) and tenth-round selection in 1988 (267th) to New England in exchange for OT Brian Holloway.
^No. 183: New England → San Diego (PD). New England traded its seventh-round selection (183th) to San Diego in exchange for LB Thomas Benson.
^No. 185: N.Y. Giants → Indianapolis (PD). N.Y. Giants traded its seventh-round selection (185th) to Indianapolis in exchange for TE Tim Sherwin.
^No. 195: San Francisco → San Diego (PD). San Francisco traded C Fred Quillan, its seventh-round selection (195th) and seventh-round selection in 1990 to San Diego in exchange for WR Wes Chandler.
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Notes
^Players are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro Bowl at any time in their career.
References
^"NFL Draft Locations". FootballGeography.com. October 2, 2014. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2014.