"The number of good quarterbacks has a lot to do with the depth of a draft," said [Dick Steinberg]. "This is a quarterback-starved league, and teams will quickly gobble up the quarterback candidates and push better players at other positions down into the draft."

After [Troy Aikman] the blue-chip quality will come from offensive tackle Tony Mandarich of Michigan State, Heisman Trophy-winning running back Barry Sanders of Oklahoma State, cornerback Deion Sanders of Florida State, and linebacker Derrick Thomas of Alabama.

Mandarich, at 6-5 and 310 pounds, grades out as the best player in the draft, the one guaranteed to make the most immediate impact on the team that drafts him. And Deion Sanders, whose clocking of 4.27 in the 40-yard dash is the second-fastest ever behind Bo Jackson's 4.25, is regarded as the best pure athlete and a certain All-Pro.