#1 Pick
Tom Cousineau, LB, Ohio State
Cleveland Browns, 1982-85; San Francisco 49ers, 1986-87
Interceptions: 10
Sacks: 6.5
Drafted by the Buffalo Bills, but refused to sign with the team, opting to play in the Canadian Football League
| Draft# | Team | Player, Position, College |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buffalo Bills 1 | Tom Cousineau, LB, Ohio State |
| 2 | Kansas City Chiefs | Mike Bell, DE, Colorado State |
| 3 | Cincinnati Bengals | Jack Thompson , QB, Washington State |
| 4 | Chicago Bears 2 | DAN HAMPTON, DE, Arkansas |
| 5 | Buffalo Bills | Jerry Butler, WR, Clemson |
| 6 | Baltimore Colts | Barry Krauss, LB, Alabama |
| 7 | New York Giants | Phil Simms, QB, Morehead State |
| 8 | St. Louis Cardinals | Ottis Anderson , RB, Miami (FL) |
| 9 | Chicago Bears | Al Harris, DE, Arizona State |
| 10 | Detroit Lions | Keith Dorney, OT, Penn State |
| 11 | New Orleans Saints | Russell Erxleben, P, Texas |
| 12 | Cincinnati Bengals 3 | Charles Alexander, RB, LSU |
| 13 | San Diego Chargers 4 | KELLEN WINSLOW, TE, Missouri |
| 14 | New York Jets | Marty Lyons, DE, Alabama |
| 15 | Green Bay Packers | Eddie Lee Ivery, RB, Georgia Tech |
| 16 | Minnesota Vikings | Ted Brown, RB, North Carolina State |
| 17 | Atlanta Falcons | Don Smith, NT, Miami (FL) |
| 18 | Seattle Seahawks | Manu Tuiasosopo, DT, UCLA |
| 19 | Los Angeles Rams 5 | George Andrews, LB, Nebraska |
| 20 | Cleveland Browns 6 | Willis Adams, WR, Houston |
| 21 | Philadelphia Eagles | Jerry Robinson, LB, UCLA |
| 22 | Denver Broncos | Kelvin Clark, OT, Nebraska |
| 23 | Kansas City Chiefs 7 | Steve Fuller, QB, Clemson |
| 24 | Miami Dolphins | Jon Geisler, OT, Michigan |
| 25 | New England Patriots | Rick Sanford, DB, South Carolina |
| 26 | Los Angeles Raiders | Kent Hill, OG, Georgia Tech |
| 27 | Dallas Cowboys | Robert Shaw, C, Tennessee |
| 28 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Greg Hawthorne, RB, Baylor |
Pick Acquired From
- 1 - Acquired from San Francisco 49ers
- 2 - Acquired from Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 3 - Acquired from Washington Redskins
- 4 - Acquired from Cleveland Browns
- 5 - Acquired from Oakland Raiders
- 6 - Acquired from San Diego Chargers
- 7 - Acquired from Houston Oilers
Hall of Famers selected in 1979 NFL Draft
- DAN HAMPTON (1st Round, 4th Overall)
- KELLEN WINSLOW (1st Round, 13th Overall)
- JOE MONTANA (3rd Round, 82nd Overall)