Draft Rewind: An alternative look at the 1979 NFL Draft and its aftermath
Draft Rewind: An alternative look at the 1979 NFL Draft and its aftermath
When evaluating picks in an NFL Draft, there is always the question of how long you need to properly judge each selection. For the start of this Draft Rewind series, perhaps 40 years is enough time. Like in recent drafts, for every steal (Joe Montana, Dwight Clark, and Drew Hill), there are several players selected in the first round that didn’t pan out. Here is a revisionist history look at the 1979 Draft.
No. 1 (Bills) Actual pick - Tom Cousineau, LB Redraft - Ottis Anderson, RB
The first overall pick originally belonged to the 49ers, but was one of five draft choices San Francisco traded to Buffalo for future Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson, who only played two more seasons in the Bay Area before retiring. The Bills whiffed on the pick, as Cousineau never played for the team. He instead opted to play in the Canadian Football League after the Montreal Alouettes doubled Buffalo’s offer. In 1982, Cousineau came back to the U. S. and his rights were traded to Cleveland for a first-round pick the following year. Cousineau played four seasons with the Browns, but the pick the Bills received (No. 14) turned out to be Jim Kelly, who helped Buffalo reach four straight Super Bowls.
Instead, the Bills should have infused their offense (which was second-worst in the AFC in scoring in 1979) with the former Miami running back. Anderson ran for 1,000 or more yards six times and totaled 10,273 yards and 81 touchdowns in 14 seasons. He also ran for 102 yards and a touchdown and was named MVP of the Giants’ 20-19 victory over Buffalo in Super Bowl XXV.
No. 2 (Chiefs) Actual - Mike Bell, DE Redraft - Joe Montana, QB
While Bell played 135 games and amassed 40 sacks over 12 seasons in Kansas City, the Chiefs would go on to have the third-worst scoring offense in the league in 1979 (with only seven touchdowns through the air). Montana (who was drafted by the 49ers with the last pick of the third round) would have given Kansas City an instant bump in the offense, and the four-time champion could have made receivers Henry Marshall and J. T. Smith into one of the better tandems in the NFL. Ironically enough, Montana was traded to the Chiefs before the 1993 Draft and spent his final two seasons in Kansas City.
No. 3 (Bengals) Actual - Jack Thompson, QB Redraft - Mark Gastineau, DE
Thompson started just five games in four years in Cincinnati, and the Bengals finished 1979 allowing the most points in the NFL. Enter Gastineau, one of the most feared defensive players of his generation. Gastineau was one of the leaders of the Jets defensive line that was dubbed the “New York Sack Exchange,” and his 74 sacks over 10 seasons were the most of any player selected in the Draft. Playing in Cincinnati might have also kept Gastineau away from the drug and nightlife scene that plagued him later in life.
No. 4 (Bears) Actual - Dan Hampton, DT Redraft - Hampton
No need to change things up in Chicago, where Hampton played 157 games over 12 seasons and was part of arguably the most dominating defense in NFL history. He was second behind Gastineau with 57 sacks. The four-time Pro Bowler and 1984 All-Pro was part of a Super Bowl XX victory for Chicago and was one of only three Hall of Famers selected this year.
No. 5 (Bills) Actual - Jerry Butler, WR Redraft - Roy Green, WR
Butler was a Pro Bowler for the Bills in his sophomore season, but never had 1,000 yards over seven years. Green, who started his pro career as a defensive back and kick returner, had three 1,000-yard seasons with the Cardinals. He led the league with 14 touchdowns in 1983 and 1,555 yards the following year for his only two Pro Bowl and All-Pro nominations. Green totaled 8,496 yards and 66 scores in 14 years.
No. 6 (Colts) Actual - Barry Krauss, LB Redraft – Jerry Robinson, LB
Krauss played 152 games and was a starter for eight of his 11 seasons in the NFL, but Robinson made the All-Rookie team for the Eagles in 1979 and was a Pro Bowler two years later. He registered 12 interceptions in 13 seasons with Philadelphia and Oakland.
No. 7 (Giants) Actual - Phil Simms, QB Redraft - Simms
This selection is a no-brainer with Montana off the board. Simms had the second-best professional career of those in the draft by a wide margin. After taking the reigns from Joe Pisarcik, Simms made two Pro Bowls and led the Giants to five playoff appearances and two championships (although he broke his foot late in the season and Jeff Hostetler took New York to the title). Simms made the All-Rookie Team and was the MVP of the Super Bowl XXI victory over the Broncos.
No. 8 (Cardinals) Actual - Ottis Anderson, RB Redraft – Ted Brown, RB
The redraft hurts the Cardinals, who finished with the third-best rushing attack in the NFL in 1979 thanks to Anderson. Brown went on to rush for 4,546 yards and 40 scores in eight seasons with the Vikings, including 1,063 yards in 1981.
No. 9 (Bears) Actual - Al Harris, DE Redraft – Mike Bell, DE
Kansas City’s loss would be Chicago’s gain in this scenario. The makings of a dominant defense are already in place with Hampton, and now the Bears add Bell, who started for seven seasons with the Chiefs. He posted double-digit sacks twice, including a career-high 13½ in 1984.
No. 10 (Lions) Actual - Keith Dorney, OT Redraft – Max Montoya, OT
The Bengals found a steal in Montoya, a tackle from UCLA, at the top of the seventh round in the actual Draft. In the re-draft, the Lions snap up the future four-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl participant. Montoya played in 223 games in 16 seasons with Cincinnati and Oakland.
No. 11 (Saints) Actual - Russell Erxleben, K/P Redraft – Tony Franklin, K
More than 20 years before the Raiders shocked the football world by selecting kicker Sebastian Janikowski in the first round of the 2000 Draft, the Saints took Erxleben, who lasted just five seasons in New Orleans. Although defensive back proved to be the team’s biggest need during the 1979 season, no future stars were selected from either the cornerback or safety position. So if the Saints are going to think outside the box, why not take Franklin, who turned out to be the best kicker from the Draft? He was on the All-Rookie Team, scored 100 or more points five times between Philadelphia and New England, and was a Super Bowl XX participant and a 1986 Pro Bowler with the Patriots.
No. 12 (Bengals) Actual - Charles Alexander, RB Redraft – William Andrews, RB
Cincinnati would not need to draft a quarterback with future star Ken Anderson already on the roster, so they focused on the running game. Alexander only scored 13 touchdowns in seven seasons with the Bengals, while Andrews was a four-time Pro Bowler who also had four seasons with 1,000 or more yards, including a career-high 1,567 in 1983. Andrews lost the next two years because of a serious injury suffered in a preseason game, but he returned for one final go-round with the Falcons in 1986.
No. 13 (Chargers) Actual - Kellen Winslow, TE Redraft - Winslow
San Diego made a trade with Cleveland to move to this spot, giving up picks 20 and 47 to draft the All-American tight end from Missouri. Winslow went on to have a Hall of Fame career, catching 541 passes for 6,741 yards and 45 touchdowns over nine seasons in San Diego. He was a four-time Pro Bowler, a three-time All-Pro, had three 1,000-yard seasons and led the league in receptions twice.
No. 14 (Jets) Actual - Marty Lyons, DE Redraft - Lyons
The Jets suffered a big hit in the re-draft, losing out on Gastineau, who they originally took in the middle of the second round. Lyons was another member of the “New York Sack Exchange.” He started 135 of 147 games over 11 seasons, sacked opposing quarterbacks 29 times and was the NFL’s Man of the Year in 1984.
No. 15 (Packers) Actual - Eddie Lee Ivery, RB Redraft - Cody Risien, OT
Ivery was inconsistent over eight seasons in Green Bay, and the Packers certainly needed help in the running game. However, all of the starting-quality backs were taken, leaving the Packers to address other areas of their fourth-worst NFL offense. With Mark Koncar at left tackle, Green Bay could have moved Risien to that side. Risien was a two-time Pro Bowler who started 140 games in 10 seasons with the Browns and was a part of seven playoff teams. Cleveland found their gem late in round seven originally.
No. 16 (Vikings) Actual - Ted Brown, RB Redraft -Doug Cosbie, TE
With Brown already taken and no top running backs left on the board, the Vikings address another major offensive need, tight end. After Winslow, the best at the position was Cosbie, who went to three straight Pro Bowls and appeared in the playoffs six times with the Cowboys after Dallas selected him late in the third round.
No. 17 (Falcons) Actual - Don Smith, DE/DT Redraft – Fred Smerlas, DT
Smith played 87 games before eventually joining Smerlas in Buffalo for two seasons in the mid-1980s. Meanwhile, Smerlas played in 200 games in 14 years, and was a five-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 1982. Unfortunately, he left Buffalo before they appeared in four straight Super Bowls.
No. 18 (Seahawks) Actual - Manu Tuiasosopo, DT Redraft – Bob Golic, DT
Tuiasosopo spent five seasons as a solid but not spectacular tackle in Seattle and three more in San Francisco. Golic was drafted late in the second round by New England, but had his best years in Cleveland, where he made five playoff appearances and was a three-time Pro Bowler.
No. 19 (Rams) Actual - George Andrews, LB Redraft – Monte Coleman, LB
Andrews played six uneventful years with the Rams. After Washington selected him midway through the 11th round, Coleman spent his entire 16-year career with Redskins. He played 215 games and was a part of three Super Bowl championship teams while amassing 1,002 tackles, 43½ sacks and 17 interceptions.
No. 20 (Browns) Actual - Willis Adams, WR Redraft – Drew Hill, WR
Adams started just 10 games and caught 61 passes in seven seasons in Cleveland. Talk about your draft steals. The Rams selected Hill with the 328th pick (third to last) in the 12th round. He went on to have the most catches (634) and yards (9,831) out of all wide receivers and tight ends in this draft and was second to Green with 60 touchdowns. Hill was mostly a kick returner during his five years with Los Angeles, but he had five 1,000-yard seasons and two Pro Bowl selections with the Oilers.
No. 21 (Eagles) Actual - Jerry Robinson, LB Redraft – Kent Hill, G
With Robinson off the board, the Eagles would choose to address their weakest spot on the offensive line, left guard. Hill became a stalwart at the position over the next eight seasons with the Rams. He started 132 games and was selected to five Pro Bowls. Hill played in five playoff seasons, including a Super Bowl XIV Rams loss to the Steelers.
No. 22 (Broncos) Actual - Kelvin Clark, OT Redraft – Keith Dorney, OT
Clark played three seasons in Denver and four more in New Orleans, with only 25 starts in total. Dorney started 110 games in nine seasons with the Lions and made the Pro Bowl in the strike-shortened 1982 season. He was also a part of back-to-back playoff teams.
No. 23 (Chiefs) Actual - Steve Fuller, QB Redraft – Dwight Clark, WR
Fuller had a 13-18 record over four seasons in Kanas City before Bill Kenney took over. Despite having Mike Livingston as the starter instead of Fuller, Clark would have been an instant weapon for the Chiefs. He was a two-time Pro Bowler and was an All-Pro in 1982 after leading the league with 60 catches. In nine seasons teaming with Montana, Clark amassed 506 receptions, 6,750 yards, and 48 touchdowns. The two hooked up on one of the most famous plays in NFL history, “The Catch,” in which Clark made a leaping fingertip grab in the back of the end zone with less than a minute left to give the 49ers a win over the Cowboys in the 1981 NFC Championship Game. Clark would go on to play in six playoff seasons and win two titles with San Francisco. Not bad for a player taken with the first pick in the 10th round.
No. 24 (Dolphins) Actual - Jon Giesler, OT Redraft - Giesler
At this point, Miami had a stout defense but a middle-of-the-pack offense, so the Dolphins shored up their line. Giesler did not start any games in his first season, but he appeared in 126 games (105 starts) in total over the next 10 years. He appeared in 12 playoff games, including two Super Bowls (both Dolphins losses).
No. 25 (Patriots) Actual - Rick Sanford, DB Redraft – Glenn Blackwood, S
Sanford had 16 interceptions in 89 games over the next six seasons (mostly at safety) with the Patriots. Blackwood started 106 games in nine years with Miami, picking off 29 passes and joining Geisler in two Super Bowls.
No. 26 (Rams) Actual - Kent Hill, G Redraft – Jerry Butler, WR
With Hill off the board, the Rams would focus on their receiving corps, which would be led by Preston Dennard’s 43 receptions and 766 yards. Butler was selected fifth overall by the Bills in the actual Draft, and he had more than 800 yards in each of his first three seasons. He made the All-Rookie Team, the Pro Bowl in his 1980 sophomore season and was a two-time playoff participant. Hopefully, this pick would still have helped the Rams reach Super Bowl XIV.
No. 27 (Cowboys) Actual - Robert Shaw, C Redraft – David Logan, DT
Shaw only played 33 games in three seasons, and that total is the most by a center who was selected in the actual draft. Dallas had the top record and the best offense in the NFC in 1979, so the defense will be the focus. Logan was a leader on Tampa Bay’s defensive line, playing 110 games in eight seasons and helping the Buccaneers reach the 1979 NFC Championship Game.
No. 28 (Steelers) Actual - Greg Hawthorne, RB Redraft – Dan Ross, TE
The eventual champions had the best offense and one of the best defenses in the league in 1979. Hawthorne was more of a receiver out of the backfield in five Pittsburgh seasons. Benny Cunningham had a solid career with the Steelers, but Ross made the Pro Bowl in 1982 and caught two touchdowns against the 49ers in Super Bowl XVI the year before.
Pro Bowlers not selected in the redraft: RB Kenny King (72nd by the Oilers, 1980 Pro Bowler with the Raiders), TE Joe Senser (152nd by the Vikings, 1981 Pro Bowl) and P Luke Prestige (188th by the Broncos, 1982 Pro Bowler and All-Pro)
Next: A glimpse into the 1984 Draft
-By: Kevin Rakas