With the first overall pick of the draft, the Atlanta Falcons selected linebacker Aundray Bruce. Notably, the first player selected at the quarterback position did not come until the third round (68th overall) with Tom Tupa (by the Phoenix Cardinals), who was also selected because of his ability as a punter. This is the last draft in which the first quarterback was selected this late.[3] In fact, only one draft since – 1996 – has gone without a quarterback being drafted in the first round.[4]
Michael Irvin, wide receiver from Miami, taken 1st round 11th overall by Dallas Cowboys
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2007[8][9]
Randall McDaniel, offensive guard from Arizona State, taken 1st round 19th overall by Minnesota Vikings
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2009[8]
Thurman Thomas, running back from Oklahoma State, taken 2nd round 40th overall by Buffalo Bills
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2007[8]
Dermontti Dawson, center from Kentucky, taken 2nd round 44th overall by Pittsburgh Steelers
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2012[8]
Tim Brown, wide receiver from Notre Dame, taken 1st round 6th overall by Los Angeles Raiders
Inducted: Professional Football Hall of Fame class of 2015
Trades
In the explanations below, (D) denotes trades that took place during the 1988 Draft, while (PD) indicates trades completed pre-draft.
Round one
^No. 2: Detroit → Kansas City (D). Detroit traded its first-round selection (2nd) to Kansas City in exchange for the Chiefs' first- and second-round selections (3rd and 29th).
^No. 9: multiple trades: No. 9: L.A. Rams → Houston (PD). L.A. Rams traded its first- and fifth-round selections in 1987 (20th and 133rd), this first-round selection (9th), G Kent Hill and the rights to DE William Fuller to Houston in exchange for the Oilers' rights to QB Jim Everett No. 9: Houston → L.A. Raiders (PD). Houston traded first-, third- and fourth-round selections (9th, 74th and 102nd) to L.A. Raiders in exchange for DE Sean Jones and the Raiders' second- and third-round selections (48th and 60th).
^No. 14: multiple trades: No. 14: Buffalo → Indianapolis (PD). Buffalo traded its first-round selection (14th), first- and second-round selections (26th and 53rd) in 1989 and RB Greg Bell to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for LB Cornelius Bennett. No. 14: Indianapolis → L.A. Rams (PD). Indianapolis then traded all three draft picks received from Buffalo, their own first- and second round selections (20th and 47th), their second-round selection in 1989, Greg Bell and RB Owen Gill to the Rams in exchange for RB Eric Dickerson.
^No. 25: San Francisco → L.A. Raiders (D). San Francisco traded its first-round selection (25th) to L.A. Raiders in exchange for the Raiders' second- and fourth-round selections (33rd and 102nd) and WR Dokie Williams.
^No. 27: Washington → Chicago (PD). Chicago received Washington's first-round selections in both this draft (27th) and 1989 and as compensation for the Redskins signing free agent LB Wilber Marshall.
^No. 30: Tampa Bay → Philadelphia (D). Tampa Bay traded its second-round selection (30th) to Philadelphia in exchange for the Eagles' second- and fourth-round selections (39th and 83rd).
^No. 39: multiple trades: No. 39: Philadelphia → Tampa Bay (D). see No. 30: Tampa Bay → Philadelphia No. 39: Tampa Bay → San Francisco (D). Tampa Bay traded this second-round selection (39th) to San Francisco in exchange for the 49ers' second- and fourth-round selections (53rd and 107th).
^No. 45: Minnesota → Denver (D). Minnesota traded its second-round selection (45th) to Denver in exchange for the Broncos' second-, fourth- and sixth-round selections (54th, 108th and 164th).
^No. 46: San Diego → L.A. Rams (PD). San Diego traded its second-round selection (46th), sixth-round selection in 1989 and RB Buford McGee to the Rams in exchange for RB Barry Redden.
^No. 48: multiple trades: No. 48: Houston → L.A. Raiders (PD). Houston traded its second-round selection (48th) to the Raiders in exchange for OT Bruce Davis. No. 48: L.A. Raiders → Houston (PD) see No. 9: Houston → L.A. Raiders.
^No. 60: multiple trades: No. 60: L.A. Raiders → Houston (PD) see No. 9: Houston → L.A. Raiders. No. 60: Houston → San Diego (D). Houston traded this third-round selection (60th) to San Diego in exchange for the Chargers' third- and fifth-round selections (72nd and 125th).
^No. 66: L.A. Rams → Washington (D). L.A. Rams traded its third-round selection (66th) to Washington in exchange for the Redskins' third-, fifth- and sixth-round selections (82nd, 137th and 165th).
^No. 74: multiple trades: No. 74: Houston → L.A. Raiders (PD) see No. 9: Houston → L.A. Raiders. No. 74: L.A. Raiders → N.Y. Jets (D). L.A. Raiders traded this third-round selection (72nd) to N.Y. Jets in exchange for the Jets' fourth- and fifth-round selections (90th and 131st).
^No. 79: New Orleans → Denver (D). New Orleans traded its third-round selection (79th) to Denver in exchange for the Broncos' third- and tenth-round selections (81st and 276th).
^No. 86: Kansas City → Tampa Bay (PD). Kansas City traded its fourth and eighth-round selections (86th and 198th) and S Mark Robinson to Tampa Bay in exchange for QB Steve DeBerg.
Round four
^No. 83: multiple trades: No. 83: Atlanta → Philadelphia (PD) Atlanta traded its fourth-round selection (83rd) to Philadelphia in exchange for DE Leonard Mitchell. No. 83: Philadelphia → Tampa Bay (D). see No. 30: Tampa Bay → Philadelphia.
^No. 87: Tampa Bay → New England (PD). Tampa Bay traded its fourth-round selection (87th) to New England in exchange for the Patriots' fifth-round selection in 1987 (135th).
^No. 88: L.A. Raiders → Green Bay (PD). L.A. Raiders traded its third-round selection in 1987 (71st) and fourth-round selection in this draft (88th) to Green Bay in exchange for WR James Lofton.
^No. 91: L.A. Rams → San Diego (PD). L.A. Rams traded its fourth-round selection (91st) to San Diego in exchange for TE Pete Holohan.
^No. 93: Buffalo → San Diego (PD). Buffalo traded its fourth-round selection (93rd) and LB David Brandon to San Diego in exchange for WR Trumaine Johnson and the Chargers' seventh-round selection (184th).
^No. 96: Pittsburgh → Kansas City (PD). Pittsburgh traded its fourth-round selection (96th) to Kansas City in exchange for QB Todd Blackledge.
^No. 97: Minnesota → New England (PD). Minnesota traded its fourth- and eleventh-round selections (97th and 294th) to New England in exchange for the rights to QB Rich Gannon, originally drafted by New England.
^No. 112: Kansas City → New Orleans (PD). Kansas City traded its fifth-round selection (112th) to New Orleans in exchange for LB Jack Del Rio.
^No. 115: L.A. Raiders → New England (PD). L.A. Raiders traded its fifth-round selection (115th) to New England in exchange for OT Brian Holloway.
^No. 120: multiple trades: No. 120: Dallas → Seattle (PD) Dallas traded its fifth-round selection (120th) to Seattle in exchange for OT Ron Essink. No. 120: Seattle → Phoenix (PD). Seattle traded this fifth-round selection (120th) and its first- and fifth-round selections in 1989 in exchange for the rights to QB Kelly Stouffer, originally drafted by Phoenix.
^No. 121: Phoenix → Pittsburgh (PD). Phoenix traded its fifth-round selection (120th) to Pittsburgh in exchange for QB Cliff Stoudt.
^No. 127: New England → Washington (D). New England traded its fifth-round selection (127th) to Washington in exchange for its fourth-round selection in 1989.
^No. 131: multiple trades: No. 131: Seattle → San Francisco (PD) Seattle traded its fifth-round selection (131st) to San Francisco in exchange for QB Jeff Kemp. No. 131: San Francisco → N.Y. Jets (PD). San Francisco traded this fifth-round selection (131st) and LB Onzy Elam to N.Y. Jets in exchange for WR Lam Jones. No. 131: N.Y. Jets → L.A. Raiders (D). see No. 74: L.A. Raiders → N.Y. Jets.
^No. 132: Cleveland → Phoenix (PD). Cleveland traded its fifth-round selection (132nd) to Phoenix in exchange for DE Al Baker.
^No. 135: San Francisco → Buffalo (PD). San Francisco traded its third-round selection in 1987 (78th) and fifth-round selection in this draft (135th) to Buffalo in exchange for RB Joe Cribbs.
^No. 140: Tampa Bay → Atlanta (PD). Tampa Bay traded its sixth-round selection (140th) to Atlanta in exchange for RB Cliff Austin.
^No. 156: Minnesota → Miami (PD). Minnesota traded its sixth-round selection (156th) and tenth-round selection in 1989 to Miami in exchange for OT Greg Koch.
^No. 159: Indianapolis → Washington (PD). Indianapolis traded its sixth-round selection (159th) to Washington in exchange for WR/PR Clarence Verdin.
^No. 160: Cleveland → Philadelphia (PD). Cleveland traded its sixth-round selection (160th) and DB D.D. Hoggard to Philadelphia in exchange for DT Chris Pike.
^No. 163: San Francisco → Tampa Bay (PD). San Francisco traded its sixth-round selection (163rd) to Tampa Bay in exchange for DE Keith Browner.
^No. 174: L.A. Rams → Denver (PD). L.A. Rams traded its eleventh-round selection in 1987 (299th) and its seventh-round selection in this draft (174th) to Denver in exchange for LB Steve Busick.