April 23, 1989: Troy Aikman leads 4 Hall of Famers picked in top 5 of NFL Draft
Thirty-one years ago today, the 1989 NFL Draft was stacked at the top with four future Hall of Famers.
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Has there ever been an NFL Draft better among the first five picks in terms of future Pro Football Hall of Famers than the 1989 version? The first round of that draft was 31 years ago Thursday from the New York Marriott Marquis.
The Dallas Cowboys went a league-worst 3-13 in 1988, the final season on the sideline for future Hall of Fame coach Tom Landry, which earned the Cowboys and new head coach Jimmy Johnson the top pick in 1989. They got it right and started building their dynasty by selecting UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman.
There was no drama then as the Cowboys had signed Aikman before the actual draft, although Aikman did make some history in that he was the only player present at the draft in New York City. Starting the next year, the NFL would start inviting more players and now dozens usually attend (just not this year). Aikman, of course, led the Cowboys to three Super Bowls titles.
The Green Bay Packers picked second in 1989 and they blew it by selecting Michigan State offensive tackle Tony Mandarich, arguably the most touted offensive line prospect in history. Mandarich will go down as one of the biggest busts in draft annals and is the only player picked in the Top 5 in '89 not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
At No. 3, the Detroit Lions picked Oklahoma State running back Barry Sanders, the 1988 Heisman Trophy winner who still holds the all-time NCAA single-season rushing record. Back then, the NFL wasn't allowing juniors like Sanders in the draft but made an exception for him because Oklahoma State was going on probation.
The Kansas City Chiefs selected Alabama linebacker Derrick Thomas at No. 4 and the Atlanta Falcons took some Florida State cornerback named Deion Sanders at No. 5. Four Hall of Famers in five picks – we may never see that again.
There is one more first-round pick from that draft headed for Canton: Denver chose Arkansas safety Steve Atwater at No. 20 overall. Atwater was elected to the Hall Class of 2020 in Feb. 1 and will be enshrined this summer.