Atlanta Falcons top 10 first-rounders: Deion Sanders
We continue our “Falcons 50” countdown with a look at the Atlanta Falcons’ top 10 first-round draft picks. Falcons football is just 31 days away. You can follow along with the full countdown here.
They called him Primetime.
Rightfully so when your ego is as skilled as your coverage.
When it comes to Deion Sanders, he was the Atlanta Falcons first legitimate superstar. Brash, confident, fast, versatile, you name it. Many can say that the elite cover corner was ahead of his time and that statement is difficult to dispute. As we close out the countdown of the Atlanta Falcons top 10 first round picks in team history, Sanders takes the crown as number one:
1. CB Deion Sanders – 1st Round, 5th Overall, 1989 NFL Draft
Sanders only contributed five seasons worth of work for Atlanta after being drafted out of Florida State University. Yet, those five seasons were spectacular in numerous ways. Sanders rookie season in 1989 saw the corner tally 39 tackles, five interceptions, two forced fumbles and 1,032 combined return yards with a touchdown.
He followed that up with a 1990 season with 50 tackles, three interceptions (two for TDs), and 1,101 combined return yards with another score.
Sanders then strung together three straight Pro Bowl seasons from 1991 to 1993 as well as two first team All-Pro selections in ’92 and ’93. Ultimately, Primetime equaled 238 tackles, 24 interceptions (three for TDs), seven forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, as well as 4,177 total return yards with five return touchdowns in his five seasons as a Atlanta Falcons.
There is no denying that Sanders was everything the team hoped for and more. Cornerbacks drafted within the top 10 in NFL history places high expectations. Corners drafted in the top five indicates that the player is of a rare class. Sanders in particular was a defender that the league never saw before upon his arrival.
Never the one to shy away from the spotlight, Sanders embraced the villain role that was handed to him because of his urban style. He applied focus to his game day wardrobe. He was a true show-off as a player with his trademark high-steps en route to the end zone. Sanders was also a constant trash-talker, which constantly got under the skin of opposing players and coaches. Despite all of that, Sanders still impacted game days, which is the ultimate result.
Sanders even dabbled with a professional baseball career while with the Falcons which showed how special of an athlete he really was. The NFL Hall-of-Famer and Falcons Ring of Honor member defined excellence and is the greatest first round pick in Atlanta Falcons history.