The 1979 NFL Draft: The Day Joe Montana Fell to Pick 82

Before he was “Joe Cool,” he was a third-round gamble. The 1979 NFL Draft began with a linebacker at number one but ended up defining a dynasty through a quarterback nearly every team passed on—twice.

Darin Hayes took the image at AT&T Stadium in 2022 and cropped the original picture of the sign.

Draft Storyline

May 3, 1979 – The 1979 NFL Draft: Tom Cousineau from Ohio State was the first pick by the Buffalo Bills. The linebacker played in the League through 1987, enjoying a nice career, but has not yet received a Gold Jacket. According to PFR, the 1979 NFL Draft produced three Pro Football Hall of Famers:

1) The Chicago Bears used the fourth pick to select Arkansas defensive end Dan Hampton.

2) The San Diego Chargers drafted tight end Kellen Winslow at number 13.

3) The San Francisco 49ers landed the steal of the draft by taking Notre Dame quarterback Joe Montana with the 82nd overall pick.

The 1979 draft proves that scouting isn’t always an exact science. While Buffalo secured a solid defender at the top, San Francisco changed the trajectory of the sport by finding a legend in the third round. This class ultimately bolstered three iconic franchises with foundational Hall of Fame talent.

Complete List of Players in the 1979 NFL Draft

The following list shows the order that players were selected in the 12 rounds of the 1979 NFL Draft.

Pick	Tm	Player	Pos
1	BUF	Tom Cousineau	LB
2	KAN	Mike Bell	DE
3	CIN	Jack Thompson	QB
4	CHI	Dan Hampton HOF	DE
5	BUF	Jerry Butler	WR
6	BAL	Barry Krauss	LB
7	NYG	Phil Simms	QB
8	STL	Ottis Anderson	RB
9	CHI	Al Harris	DE
10	DET	Keith Dorney	T
11	NOR	Russell Erxleben	P
12	CIN	Charles Alexander	RB
13	SDG	Kellen Winslow HOF	TE
14	NYJ	Marty Lyons	DE
15	GNB	Eddie Lee Ivery	RB
16	MIN	Ted Brown	RB
17	ATL	Don Smith	NT
18	SEA	Manu Tuiasosopo	DT
19	RAM	George Andrews	LB
20	CLE	Willis Adams	WR
21	PHI	Jerry Robinson	LB
22	DEN	Kelvin Clark	T
23	KAN	Steve Fuller	QB
24	MIA	Jon Giesler	T
25	NWE	Rick Sanford	DB
26	RAM	Kent Hill	G
27	DAL	Robert Shaw	C
28	PIT	Greg Hawthorne	RB
29	SFO	James Owens	RB
30	CIN	Dan Ross	TE
31	HOU	Mike Stensrud	NT
32	BUF	Fred Smerlas	NT
33	TAM	Greg Roberts	G
34	TAM	Gordon Jones	WR
35	STL	Theotis Brown	RB
36	NYG	Earnest Gray	WR
37	DET	Ken Fantetti	LB
38	NOR	Reggie Mathis	LB
39	CHI	Rickey Watts	WR
40	CLE	Lawrence Johnson	DB
41	NYJ	Mark Gastineau	DE
42	OAK	Willie Jones	DE
43	MIN	Dave Huffman	G
44	GNB	Steve Atkins	RB
45	SEA	Joe Norman	LB
46	STL	Calvin Favron	LB
47	CLE	Sam Claphan	T
48	PHI	Petey Perot	G
49	ATL	Pat Howell	G
50	HOU	Jesse Baker	DE
51	BUF	Jim Haslett	LB
52	NWE	Bob Golic	NT
53	MIA	Jeff Toews	G
54	RAM	Eddie Hill	RB
55	DAL	Aaron Mitchell	DB
56	PIT	Zack Valentine	LB
57	SEA	Michael Jackson	LB
58	RAM	Jeff Moore	WR
59	CIN	Barney Cotton	G
60	TAM	Jerry Eckwood	RB
61	MIA	Tony Nathan	RB
62	BUF	Jon Borchardt	G
63	MIA	Mel Land	LB
64	STL	Joe Bostic	G
65	MIA	Ronnie Lee	T
66	CHI	Willie McClendon	RB
67	DET	Bo Robinson	RB
68	NYJ	Donald Dykes	DB
69	BAL	Kim Anderson	DB
70	CLE	Jim Ramey	DE
71	GNB	Charles Johnson	NT
72	HOU	Kenny King	RB
73	SDG	Cliff Thrift	LB
74	PHI	Tony Franklin	K
75	ATL	James Mayberry	RB
76	DAL	Doug Cosbie	TE
77	DEN	Bruce Radford	NT
78	TAM	Reggie Lewis	DE
79	ATL	William Andrews	RB
80	TAM	Rick Berns	RB
81	RAM	Mike Wellman	C
82	SFO	Joe Montana HOF	QB
83	BUF	Ken Johnson	DE
84	CIN	Mike White	DT
85	KAN	Frank Manumaleuga	LB
86	PIT	Russell Davis	RB
87	BUF	Jeff Nixon	DB
88	DET	Ulysses Norris	TE
89	STL	Roy Green	WR
90	NYG	Phil Tabor	DE
91	CIN	Vaughn Lusby	DB
92	DET	Jon Brooks	LB
93	NOR	Jim Kovach	LB
94	PHI	Ben Cowins	RB
95	CLE	Matt Miller	T
96	NYJ	Eric Cunningham	G
97	MIN	Steve Dils	QB
98	NYJ	Johnny Lynn	DB
99	RAM	Derwin Tucker	DB
100	ATL	Lynn Cain	RB
101	ATL	Charles Johnson	DB
102	SEA	Mark Bell	DE
103	WAS	Don Warren	TE
104	SDG	John Floyd	WR
105	DEN	Charles Jefferson	DB
106	NWE	Eddie Hare	P
107	MIA	Steve Howell	FB
108	RAM	Jerry Wilkinson	DE
109	DAL	Ralph DeLoach	DE
110	PIT	Calvin Sweeney	WR
111	SFO	Tom Seabron	LB
112	KAN	Earl Gant	RB
113	CIN	Casey Merrill	DE
114	BUF	Rod Kush	DB
115	BAL	Larry Braziel	DB
116	BUF	Dan Manucci	QB
117	NYG	Cleveland Jackson	TE
118	STL	Steve Henry	DB
119	SFO	Jerry Aldridge	RB
120	NOR	Harlan Huckleby	RB
121	DAL	Bob Hukill	G
122	RAM	Victor Hicks	TE
123	NYJ	Kelly Kirchbaum	LB
124	CLE	Rich Dimler	DT
125	NYJ	Stan Blinka	LB
126	PHI	Scott Fitzkee	WR
127	ATL	Mike Zele	NT
128	DAL	Curtis Anderson	DE
129	MIN	Jerry Meter	LB
130	STL	Mark Bell	WR
131	DET	Walt Brown	C
132	DEN	Rick Leach	QB
133	TAM	Chuck Fusina	QB
134	MIA	Don Bessillieu	DB
135	NWE	John Zamberlin	LB
136	DAL	Ron Springs	RB
137	PIT	Dwaine Board	DE
138	SFO	Ruben Vaughan	DT
139	CIN	Steve Kreider	WR
140	KAN	Robert Gaines	WR
141	BUF	Mike Burrow	G
142	OAK	Ira Matthews	RB
143	HOU	Daryl Hunt	LB
144	STL	Thomas Lott	RB
145	NYG	Bob Torrey	RB
146	NOR	Ricky Ray	DB
147	CHI	John Sullivan	LB
148	DEN	Jeff McIntyre	LB
149	NYJ	Bill Dufek	G
150	BAL	Jimmy Moore	G
151	CLE	Clinton Burrell	DB
152	MIN	Joe Senser	TE
153	GNB	Dave Simmons	LB
154	ATL	Mike Moroski	QB
155	DAL	Tim Lavender	DB
156	OAK	Henry Williams	DB
157	PIT	Bill Murrell	TE
158	NYG	Eddie Hicks	RB
159	HOU	Mike Murphy	LB
160	DAL	Mike Salzano	G
161	PIT	Dwayne Woodruff	DB
162	MIA	Steve Lindquist	G
163	CLE	Jim Ronan	DT
164	DAL	Chris DeFrance	WR
165	PIT	Matt Bahr	K
166	SFO	Phil Francis	RB
167	KAN	Ken Kremer	NT
168	CIN	Max Montoya	G
169	SEA	Larry Polowski	LB
170	BUF	Tom Mullady	TE
171	HOU	Tim Ries	DB
172	NYG	Steve Alvers	TE
173	STL	Kirk Gibson	WR
174	CHI	Lee Kunz	LB
175	OAK	Jack Matia	T
176	NOR	Stan Sytsma	LB
177	NWE	Judson Flint	DB
178	PHI	Don Swafford	T
179	NYJ	Emmett King	RB
180	GNB	Henry Monroe	DB
181	MIN	Bob Winkel	DT
182	WAS	Rich Milot	LB
183	CLE	Cody Risien	T
184	GNB	Rich Wingo	LB
185	PHI	Curtis Bunche	DE
186	ATL	Roger Westlund	T
187	NYJ	Keith Brown	DB
188	DEN	Luke Prestridge	P
189	MIA	Uwe von Schamann	K
190	RAM	Jeff Delaney	DB
191	DAL	Greg Fitzpatrick	LB
192	PIT	Bruce Kimball	G
193	GNB	Ron Cassidy	WR
194	CIN	Howard Kurnick	LB
195	KAN	Mike Williams	TE
196	PHI	Chuck Correal	C
197	BAL	Steve Heimkreiter	LB
198	NYJ	Marshall Harris	DE
199	STL	Larry Miller	LB
200	NYG	D.K. Perry	DB
201	NYG	Roy Simmons	G
202	NOR	Doug Panfil	G
203	CHI	Rick Moss	DB
204	CLE	Kent Perkov	DE
205	NYJ	Willie Beamon	LB
206	MIA	Jeff Groth	WR
207	BAL	Nesby Glasgow	DB
208	GNB	Rick Partridge	P
209	OAK	Robert Hawkins	RB
210	SDG	Wilbert Haslip	RB
211	PHI	Max Runager	P
212	ATL	Keith Miller	LB
213	DET	John Mohring	LB
214	HOU	Carter Hartwig	DB
215	MIA	Glenn Blackwood	DB
216	NWE	Randy Love	RB
217	TAM	Gene Sanders	T
218	KAN	Robert Brewer	G
219	DAL	Bruce Thornton	DE
220	PIT	Tom Graves	LB
221	SFO	Steve Hamilton	DT
222	KAN	James Folston	TE
223	CIN	Scott Burk	DB
224	BAL	Russ Henderson	P
225	TAM	Henry Vereen	WR
226	BUF	Kevin Baker	DE
227	NYG	Tom Rusk	LB
228	STL	Bob Rozier	DE
229	KAN	Joe Robinson	T
230	CHI	Jerome Heavens	RB
231	DET	Jeff Komlo	QB
232	NYJ	Gordy Sprattler	RB
233	WAS	Kris Haines	WR
234	CLE	Carl McGee	LB
235	GNB	John Thompson	TE
236	MIN	Billy Diggs	WR
237	SDG	Alvin Garrett	WR
238	OAK	Jim Rourke	T
239	ATL	Dave Parkin	DB
240	SEA	Ezra Tate	RB
241	CLE	Curtis Weathers	LB
242	DEN	Charlie Taylor	WR
243	HOU	Rich Ellender	RB
244	MIA	Jeff Weston	T
245	NWE	John Spagnola	TE
246	RAM	Jeff Rutledge	QB
247	DAL	Garry Cobb	LB
248	PIT	Richard Kirk	DE
249	SFO	Dwight Clark	WR
250	CIN	Nathan Poole	RB
251	KAN	Mike Dupree	LB
252	SFO	Howard Ballage	DB
253	BUF	David Marler	QB
254	BAL	Steve Stephens	TE
255	STL	Jerry Holloway	TE
256	NYG	Dan Fowler	G
257	CHI	Joe Restic	DB
258	MIA	Jerome Stanton	DB
259	OAK	Ricky Smith	DB
260	KAN	Gerald Jackson	DB
261	CLE	John Smith	WR
262	NYJ	Steve Sybeldon	T
263	NYJ	Ed McGlasson	C
264	GNB	Frank Lockett	WR
265	SDG	Tony Petruccio	DT
266	ATL	Bruce Beekley	LB
267	SEA	Robert Hardy	DT
268	KAN	Larry Willis	WR
269	SDG	Al Green	DB
270	NWE	Martin Cox	WR
271	NWE	Allan Clark	RB
272	MIA	Mike Kozlowski	DB
273	RAM	Grady Ebensberger	DT
274	DAL	Mike Calhoun	DT
275	PIT	Tod Thompson	TE
276	SFO	Billy McBride	DB
277	KAN	Stan Rome	WR
278	CIN	Ken Bungarda	T
279	BUF	Paul Lawler	DB
280	BAL	John Priestner	LB
281	TAM	Bob Rippentrop	TE
282	NYG	Mike Mince	DB
283	STL	Nate Henderson	T
284	NYG	Ken Johnson	RB
285	NOR	David Hall	WR
286	CHI	Bob Wright	T
287	CLE	Randy Poeschl	DE
288	NYJ	Dan Sanders	QB
289	WAS	Monte Coleman	LB
290	GNB	Mark Thorson	DB
291	MIN	Brian Nelson	WR
292	ATL	Bill Leer	C
293	SEA	Jim Hinesly	G
294	OAK	Bruce Davis	T
295	SDG	Dave Rader	QB
296	PHI	Al Chesley	LB
297	DEN	Zachary Dixon	RB
298	HOU	Mike Taylor	T
299	MIA	Mike Blanton	DE
300	WAS	Tony Hall	WR
301	RAM	Jesse Deramus	DT
302	DET	Eddie Cole	LB
303	PIT	Charlie Moore	C
304	CIN	Jim Browner	DB
305	KAN	Michael Forrest	RB
306	BAL	Charlie Green	WR
307	TAM	David Logan	NT
308	BUF	Mike Harris	RB
309	STL	Ricky McBride	LB
310	NYG	Tim Gillespie	G
311	NOR	Kelsey Finch	RB
312	CHI	Dave Becker	DB
313	DET	Bob Forster	C
314	NYJ	Paul Darby	WR
315	CLE	Dewitt Methvin	C
316	OAK	Dirk Abernathy	DB
317	MIN	David Stephens	LB
318	GNB	Bill Moats	P
319	SEA	Jeff Moore	RB
320	OAK	Reggie Kinlaw	NT
321	SDG	Frank Duncan	DB
322	PIT	Ed Smith	LB
323	ATL	Stuart Walker	LB
324	HOU	Wayne Wilson	RB
325	DEN	Dave Jacobs	K
326	DET	Bryan Sweeney	WR
327	MIA	Larry Fortner	QB
328	RAM	Drew Hill	WR
329	DAL	Quentin Lowry	LB
330	PIT	Mike Almond	WR

Big thank you to Pro-Football-Reference.com for the information used above.

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