The 1979 NFL draft was the procedure by which

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

teams selected amateur

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The

draft Draft, the draft, or draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a v ...

was held May 3–4,

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, New York. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and before the regular season. The

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...

held the first overall pick in the draft, acquired from the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

in the trade which sent O. J. Simpson to his hometown team. The Bills' selection at No. 1, Ohio State linebacker

Tom Cousineau Thomas Michael Cousineau (born May 6, 1957) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He played ...

, refused to sign with the Bills and instead signed a lucrative deal with the

Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: ''Les Alouettes de Montréal'') are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has disbanded twice and been re-established thrice. The Alouettes compe ...

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...

Player selections

Supplemental draft

Hall of Famers

* Kellen Winslow, tight end from Missouri, taken 1st round 13th overall by San Diego Chargers :Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 1995.List of 1990s Hall of Fame Inductee's at profootballhof.com * Joe Montana, quarterback from Notre Dame, taken 3rd round 82nd overall by San Francisco 49ers :Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2000.List of 2000s Hall of Fame Inductee's at profootballhof.com * Dan Hampton, defensive tackle from Arkansas, taken 1st round 4th overall by Chicago Bears :Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2002. * Bill Cowher, linebacker from North Carolina State, undrafted and signed by Philadelphia Eagles :Inducted: For his Coaching achievements Professional Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020.

Notable undrafted players

References

External links

NFL.com – 1979 Draft
*
Pro Football Hall of Fame
* {{DEFAULTSORT:1979 Nfl Draft NFL draft

NFL Draft The NFL draft, officially known as the Annual Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the most common source of player recruitment in the National Football League. Each team is given a position in the drafting order in reve ...

Draft Draft, the draft, or draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a v ...

American football in New York City 1970s in Manhattan Sporting events in New York City Sports in Manhattan