1989 NFL draft

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title: "1989 NFL draft" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["nfl-draft", "1989-in-american-football", "1989-nfl-season", "1989-in-sports-in-new-york-city", "april-1989-sports-events-in-the-united-states", "american-football-in-new-york-city", "1980s-in-manhattan", "sporting-events-in-new-york-city", "sports-in-manhattan"] description: "Selection of college football players" topic_path: "sports" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_NFL_draft" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Selection of college football players ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox sports draft"]

Field	Value
name	1989 NFL draft
image	New York Marriott Marquis (54077363060).jpg
caption	New York Marriott Marquis (draft venue), photographed in 2024
date	April 23–24, 1989
location	New York Marriott Marquis
in New York City, NY
network	ESPN
league	NFL
mr_irrelevant	Everett Ross, WR
Minnesota Vikings
first	Troy Aikman, QB
Dallas Cowboys
fewnum	4
fewest	Philadelphia Eagles
mostnum	20
most	Chicago Bears
overall	335
rounds	12
hofnum	{{ Collapsible list
title	5
1	QB Troy Aikman
2	RB Barry Sanders
3	LB Derrick Thomas
4	CB Deion Sanders
5	S Steve Atwater
prev	1988
next	1990
::

| name = 1989 NFL draft | logo = | logosize = | logoalt = | image = New York Marriott Marquis (54077363060).jpg | imagesize = | alt = | caption = New York Marriott Marquis (draft venue), photographed in 2024 | date = April 23–24, 1989 | time = | location = New York Marriott Marquis in New York City, NY | network = ESPN | sponsor = | league = NFL | mr_irrelevant = Everett Ross, WR Minnesota Vikings | first = Troy Aikman, QB Dallas Cowboys | first_round = | fewnum = 4 | fewest = Philadelphia Eagles | mostnum = 20 | most = Chicago Bears | overall = 335 | rounds = 12 | hofnum ={{ Collapsible list | title = 5 | 1 = QB Troy Aikman | 2 = RB Barry Sanders | 3 = LB Derrick Thomas | 4 = CB Deion Sanders | 5 = S Steve Atwater | prev = 1988 | next = 1990 The 1989 NFL draft (also known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting) was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft was held April 23–24, 1989, at the Marriott Marquis in New York City, New York. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and before the regular season.

Four of the first five players selected in the draft – quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Barry Sanders, linebacker Derrick Thomas, and cornerback Deion Sanders – would be inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Tackle Tony Mandarich, the only top five pick not inducted, is considered a draft bust.

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. 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.

Player selections

::data[format=table]

	= Pro Bowler			Hall of Fame]]r
::

::data[format=table]

‡	Hall of Fame]]r
::

| cellspacing="2"| |}

Supplemental draft

:* The supplemental draft was held on Friday, July 7.

Notable undrafted players

::data[format=table]

†	= Pro BowlerPlayers are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro Bowl at any time in their career.
::

Hall of Famers

• 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
• Troy Aikman, quarterback from UCLA, taken first overall by Dallas Cowboys. :Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2006
• Derrick Thomas, linebacker from Alabama, taken fourth overall by Kansas City Chiefs. :Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2009 (posthumous)
• Deion Sanders, cornerback from Florida State, taken fifth overall by Atlanta Falcons. :Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2011
• 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

;Round two

;Round three

;Round four

;Round five

;Round six

;Round seven

Notes

References

References

1. . (October 2, 2014). ["NFL Draft Locations"](http://www.footballgeography.com/nfl-draft-sites/).
2. (October 2, 2014). "NFL Draft headed to Chicago in 2015". [[New York Giants]].
3. "Timeline Detail {{!}} Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site".
4. "Draft Timeline - Football History {{!}} Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site".
5. Eskenazi, Gerald. (1990-02-16). "N.F.L. Set To Allow Juniors In Draft". The New York Times.
6. Steinberg, Leigh. "Behind The Scenes At Five Decades Of The NFL Draft".
7. Players are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro Bowl at any time in their career.
8. Players are identified as a Hall of Famer if they have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
9. "54th Heisman Trophy winner". Heisman.com.
10. No relation to Deion.
11. (July 7, 1989). "Rosenbach expects to be top NFL pick". Eugene Register-Guard.
12. (July 8, 1989). "Cards nab Rosenbach; Walsh to Dallas". Eugene Register-Guard.
13. "Hall of Famers by Year of Induction: Class of 2004". Pro Football Hall of Fame website.
14. "Hall of Famers by Year of Induction: Class of 2006". Pro Football Hall of Fame website.
15. "Hall of Famers by Year of Induction: Class of 2009". Pro Football Hall of Fame website.
16. "Deion Sanders {{!}} Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site".

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