CFZ 10 years of drafts. best 10 Cowboys picks?

[quickccc]

I thought I'd switch things up and post something different from the usual.......

Going back to the 2013 draft, who do you think our best 10 picks have been? You decide on your criteria as to what your top 10 looks like. It may just be "best 10 players" however, I've tried to look at draft slot and to a degree, comp pick to come up with my list.

1. Micah Parsons - just because!
2. Dak Prescott - round 4 pick, EVERY team would love this pick in round 4 (please, please don't turn this thread into a Dak-bash).
3. Zak Martin - Best, most reliable player we drafted in forever.
4. Trevon Diggs - All pro in the 2nd round, position of need.....say no more.
5. Tank Lawrence - forget the contract and sack numbers. A super-solid player picked in the 2nd round. Draft "a Lawrence" every year in round 2 and you have a good roster.
6. Travis Fredrick - What a pick.............what a shame his career was so short.
7. Michael Gallup - really solid round 3 pick who just does his job
8. Dalton Schultz - now hear me out! Round 4 pick, playing like a top 5 TE.....and the comp pick may be a 4 if he's gone next year (I'll take that).
9. Anthony Brown - round 6..........again, round 6 draft and he's solid, really solid.
10. Tony Pollard - it's been a slow burn but he's on fire now and will climb my list when he scores 2 TDs in the Super Bowl this year..

so no Zeke? If it was a top 10 best player list, then all day but I've taken account of his draft capital.
No Byron Jones? He was good for 1 year at CB, meh at safety before that.
No CeeDee Lamb? A bit like Zeke, draft slot has him out my list but I'm torn here.
No-one from 2022 draft? For me, too early to add them in but there's optimism.

So where are you all with your list folks?

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/dal/draft.htm

Thanks for sharing but it helps to give a source link where ones can look over the years..the draft classes ...the players in those last 10 years.
Here above is a link to Cowboys history of NFL draft.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Parsons
Martin
Frederick
Tyler Smith
Dak
Diggs
Pollard
Sam Williams

There it is. Dak.

The most valuable rookie contract in recent memory. More "in the money" than any other contract. Franchise QB for 4th round pick money.

Not best player, but best *pick*, by far. Too bad the windfall mainly just paid for the winding down of a bunch of out of the money veteran contracts, instead of propelling us to a SB.

 

[quickccc]

Since 10 years - 2012:

1) Micah Parsons
2) Zack Martin
3) Zeke Elliott
4) Dak Prescott
5) Travis Fredrick
6) Trevor Diggs
7) Tyler Smith
8) Tony Pollard
9) Sam Williams
10) CeeDee Lamb

 

[buybuydandavis]

Jaylon smith was arguably one of the top 10 worst cowboys pick of all time

What made it really bad was the defensive class on the top 50 was super sacked that year so there wasn't really any significant upside for a project that early

The next 3 defensive players on the board after Jaylon where freaking Chris Jones, Xavien Howard, and Myles Jack...... (Nothing else really needs to be said)

Jaylon was a known gamble that looked like was paying off in 2018, then he clearly physically regressed instead of continuing to progress.

I think I was on the Jack Train, but he was a risk too and seen as the greater long term risk. There are always great players you didn't take. Brady went in the 6th. Doesn't make every pick before him a bad pick.

 

[Scottishcowboy]

The OP takes the draft position into account. So we follow him. Its his thread.

That was my plan, it's not a list of best 10 in which case Zeke would be in and Anthony Brown on page 3. I've tried to stir debate and account for draft status too.......even though that's not got a definitive measure, just subjective.

 

[Scottishcowboy]

Pollard may be better than Zeke now, but running backs have a very short shelf life, so it is questionable to put him ahead of Zeke , since we don't know how long he will be at the level he is at. Saying that Zeke is not looking bad this year.

I like Zeke a lot. My kids even bought me a zeke Funkopop figure for my desk at work. If this list was done in 2019, he'd be in. But.....

That pick 4 draft slot means more. I think it's the highest position we've picked since the early 90s so I wanted a better return. I'm definitely not throwing shade on Zeke or saying TP was/is better, just factoring draft status.

 

[Rockport]

I thought I'd switch things up and post something different from the usual.......

Going back to the 2013 draft, who do you think our best 10 picks have been? You decide on your criteria as to what your top 10 looks like. It may just be "best 10 players" however, I've tried to look at draft slot and to a degree, comp pick to come up with my list.

1. Micah Parsons - just because!
2. Dak Prescott - round 4 pick, EVERY team would love this pick in round 4 (please, please don't turn this thread into a Dak-bash).
3. Zak Martin - Best, most reliable player we drafted in forever.
4. Trevon Diggs - All pro in the 2nd round, position of need.....say no more.
5. Tank Lawrence - forget the contract and sack numbers. A super-solid player picked in the 2nd round. Draft "a Lawrence" every year in round 2 and you have a good roster.
6. Travis Fredrick - What a pick.............what a shame his career was so short.
7. Michael Gallup - really solid round 3 pick who just does his job
8. Dalton Schultz - now hear me out! Round 4 pick, playing like a top 5 TE.....and the comp pick may be a 4 if he's gone next year (I'll take that).
9. Anthony Brown - round 6..........again, round 6 draft and he's solid, really solid.
10. Tony Pollard - it's been a slow burn but he's on fire now and will climb my list when he scores 2 TDs in the Super Bowl this year..

so no Zeke? If it was a top 10 best player list, then all day but I've taken account of his draft capital.
No Byron Jones? He was good for 1 year at CB, meh at safety before that.
No CeeDee Lamb? A bit like Zeke, draft slot has him out my list but I'm torn here.
No-one from 2022 draft? For me, too early to add them in but there's optimism.

So where are you all with your list folks?

Micah Parsons is a once in a 100 year player. End of discussion.

 

[Rockport]

This post is a little too positive, it needs to come down.

However, throw in a mention of second round misses, and I’ll allow it.

If you can squeeze in a mention of 27 years, it might get pinned to the top.

Miserable people will be miserable.

 

[lukemartin79]

Most of those guys you listed either left, where injured, or got overpaid.

None of those 3 things are desirable. Guys like Hill, Joseph, Escobar, and Jaylon were borderline waste. Tank I actually like but alot of people would say overpaid and plays injured too often. Gregory played like the total snaps of a complete season in like 6 years and then left. Williams and Awuzie showed upside during the final year but we didn't keep them (we basically rented/developed them and now the other teams reaping the reward). Carter played a complete season once then just became an injury prone journeyman as he bounced around multiple teams

There was like an 8 year period where Tank was the only legitimate 2nd contract franchise player they signed with any of there 2nd round picks, that's not exactly good........

Yeah there was a rough 8 or 9 year stretch where almost all of there 2nd round picks either become injury prone, left for another team, or got overpaid. All 3 of those things I don't consider "cowboys are good at 2nd rounders".

I consider guys who if they are starters in Dallas or leave and are starters elsewhere to not be misses. A miss to me is Joesph so far, Hill. In the salary cap era you can't keep everybody. I would love if they had Byron Jones or Awuzie opposite Diggs at CB, but scary cap issues cause you to make difficult decisions and let many go. Just because they aren't here anymore doesn't mean its a miss. You can't gibe everybody nice contracts and stay under the salary cap.

 

[Fastpitch Dad]

Dak Prescott. Saved us from becoming the Denver Broncos post-Romo.

Zack Martin. Will be putting on a gold jacket one day. Martin has set a generational standard for guards, and he's still an All-Pro today.

Micah Parsons. Playing at a gold jacket level, and longetivity is the only question left. Let's hope his career trajectory continues more like DeMarcus Ware than Aldon Smith.

Travis Frederick. Would have put on a gold jacket, but a freak illness cost him it. His game on the field was Canton worthy for 4 seasons and he wasn't slowing down. Frederick is the Garrett-era Erik Williams.

DLaw. People loved DLaw in 2017-18, ragged on him from 19-21, and now they love him again. But he's just been the same Pro Bowl caliber DE for 6 years straight.

Trevon Diggs. Emerging as a top-five CB in the league. Like most really young guys, longetivity is the question, but the talent is undeniable.

Connor Williams. Believe it or not, he was one of the better guards in the league for his last two years in Dallas, and now he's grading out as the best center in the NFL. Major IOL talent, and just because he didn't peak in Dallas doesn't mean the scouting department missed on him.

Byron Jones. Hit an All-Pro peak in Dallas, hasn't really recaptured that in Miami, but he's playing year 8 in the league and he's never been a worse than average starting CB. We definitely wasted a few of his seasons at FS.

Anthony Brown. He's been a solid player for a very long time now, but he never hit Byron's peak.

CeeDee Lamb. The #1 vs #2 debates are fair IMO. What isn't in question is that he's been a legit starting WR.

Honorable mentions for Tony Pollard, Anthony Hitchens, Gallup, and Chido.

Zeke isn't in the running IMO. For 2 or 3 years, he was straight-up one of the best players in football. But he's been dead weight for at least another 3 and has been actively hurting this team for nearly as long as he helped it. Look at Tony Pollard running these past two weeks... we could have been doing that since 2020.

Great list!

I might put Martin at one because he will be an all-time great, but I see your reasoning. Love to see Brown on a lot of lists because of the draft capital he cost and he level of play.

 

[T-RO]

Super thread, and great original post!

I'll just go top five:
1- Dak. A franchise QB in 4th round, c'mon
2- Parsons. Generational talent.
3- Pollard. Gale Sayers of this era, grabbed in middle round, if owner/franchise could see it
4- Martin. He's earned his premium 1st round, and then some. Franchise pillar.
5- Diggs

 

[Acceptablename]

I am stunned at how anybody would question him being on the list. Of course he is on the list. One of the best qbs in franchise history.

Oh I agree I was just stunned at others putting him on so many putting him on the list.

 

[Tussinman]

Jaylon was a known gamble that looked like was paying off in 2018, then he clearly physically regressed instead of continuing to progress.

I think I was on the Jack Train, but he was a risk too and seen as the greater long term risk. There are always great players you didn't take. Brady went in the 6th. Doesn't make every pick before him a bad pick.

My point was there was a still a handful of defensive guys with pro bowl level talent and immediate day 1 tags that were still available (guys like Chris Jones and Xavien Howard)

There really wasn't any upside, it's like let's Gamble and have him not even play maybe a year or two (with the possibility of him never coming back 100 percent) just so he can maybe be as good or maybe slightly better than the guys that are already available to start now ?????

It's a classic case of them trying to be the smartest person in the room

 

[robertfchew]

Zeke belongs in that list somewhere in that list.

not at all. Picked so high and was only really good for a few years

 

[Tussinman]

I consider guys who if they are starters in Dallas or leave and are starters elsewhere to not be misses. A miss to me is Joesph so far, Hill. In the salary cap era you can't keep everybody. I would love if they had Byron Jones or Awuzie opposite Diggs at CB, but scary cap issues cause you to make difficult decisions and let many go. Just because they aren't here anymore doesn't mean its a miss. You can't gibe everybody nice contracts and stay under the salary cap.

I agree that you can't sign everybody but at the same time if you're not going to sign anybody with a premier pick you need three or four good years of starting out of them to get value out of the pick

Almost all of those second rounders I listed either were backups or they only played two seasons worth of games or less before getting send packing to another team. That's a waste it's either one or the other, you either develop them and resign them or you get 40 plus games out of them and reap the cost effective benefits of the rookie deal

 

[Gangsta Spanksta]

Morris Clayborne—Who doesn’t still thump their chest over that trade up. Man. Great. Pick.

B. W. Webb—Small school steal and who doesn’t love having a player who just goes by initials?

Mark Nzeocha — All world potential and who doesn’t love a steal like that?

Rico Gathers—-So glad we used a roster spot on this Uber talented individual.

Chaz Green—Dominant player who set individual sack records. Immortal.

Joey Ivey——The most coveted and celebrated draft pick of Marinelli’s tenture.

Bo Scarborough——Massive bruiser of a back out of Alabama. Roll Tide, Baby.

Taco Charlton——Who doesn’t love a taco? Draft em based on a favorite food and force a pick. What could go wrong with that. “Fist Bump”.

Trysten Hill—-Big cat with movement skills. We probably retired his roster spot and play short handed simply out of respect for his greatness.

Joe “Shoeless” Jackson——what a pick that was! If you pick based on name recognition this man has it in spades!


You are welcome!

“Thank you! Thank you! I’ll be here all week!”

What no love for, Bobby Carpenter and Shante Carver?

 

[lukemartin79]

I agree that you can't sign everybody but at the same time if you're not going to sign anybody with a premier pick you need three or four good years of starting out of them to get value out of the pick

Almost all of those second rounders I listed either were backups or they only played two seasons worth of games or less before getting send packing to another team. That's a waste it's either one or the other, you either develop them and resign them or you get 40 plus games out of them and reap the cost effective benefits of the rookie deal

Thats a fair point, and of course is the ideal thing from a 2nd Rounder, I get that. I guess my problem is with the term - miss. I guess my definition of a miss is different from yours, and I am sure tons of others would differ from ours as well. I just don't see a person as a miss if they are starting in a highly competitive NFL. Trysten Hill is a miss to me. Not those others.

 

[BigD5]

not at all. Picked so high and was only really good for a few years

I can’t put Zeke on here bc of where he was drafted and who we missed out on in his place. You can look up my posts from back then. I spent many a days on this board arguing they should take whatever defensive player they liked the best at the 4th pick and Derrick Henry in the 2nd rd. And I got shouted down by everyone on this site

I will not say I told you so

 

[Verdict]

What no love for, Bobby Carpenter and Shante Carver?

I wanted to add them to the list but they were more than 10 years out.

 

[Robbieac]

I can’t put Zeke on here bc of where he was drafted and who we missed out on in his place. You can look up my posts from back then. I spent many a days on this board arguing they should take whatever defensive player they liked the best at the 4th pick and Derrick Henry in the 2nd rd. And I got shouted down by everyone on this site

I will not say I told you so

I agree with with what you said.

But getting shouted down by “everyone” on this site?
That’s nothing but hyperbole.

Many, many people wanted Bosa #1. After the Chargers selected him, many of us wanted Jalen Ramsey.