CFZ Best Drafts in Cowboys History

[quickccc]

Instead of drafting Zeke in the 1st and Smith in the 2nd of the 2016 draft, how much better would this team could have been if we drafted Ramsey in the 1st and Henry in the 2nd.

Ramsey would not have change the dynamics of both sides of the ball, the way 2016 Zeke Elliott did.

Dominating run game on offense that not only sustain and controlled the clock,(while we scored our points) but also wore out opposing defenses
- and with Zeke's homerun speed, they simply could not let up on any given play,
Plus that elite run game not only gave our defense plenty rest, but we were not forced to be on the field as much, not as opposed as much.

What some still do not realize to this day, is our coaches- (per Jason Garrett) ruined Zeke by grinding and pounding him into the ground.
Constantly keeping him on the field, .. heck, even when we finally upgraded from sorry backup Rod Smith and drafted Pollard, we seldom got him the
deserve time needed - Coaches did not trust him.

Henry is pure hindsight. Who knew Henry would be as good as he was, despite a stellar career at Bama.
Ditto with a Nick Chubb, Alvin Kamara, etc.

But imo, it was not a mistake drafting Zeke, he showed every bit worthy of the 4th overall. ..the mistake was keeping Garrett as long as we did.

 

[morasp]

Thanks for brining this up. He was a solid starter for a 12th rounder....and a TCU guy. Got my pic with him at a game one time in a player alumni box.

That's fun, I'd definitely have that framed and on the wall in my office. Brown was a very good player for us and an absolute steal in round 12. I don't think today's younger fans realize how stacked those teams were talent wise.

 

[75boyz]

With all due respect, the 1975 draft was the best in Cowboys history, IMO.

Just look at the top 7 rounds, to make is a fair comparison to the more recent drafts.

1. Randy White - DT - No explanation needed. All-Pro, HOF.
1. Thomas Henderson - LB - Changed the game. He was LT before LT. Henderson may have been better than LT had he not gone off the rails.
2. Burton Lawless - OG - Started as a rookie. Made the All-Rookie team. He was replaced by Herb Scott, also drafted in 1975 in the 13th round.
3. Bob Breunig - LB - He was a four-time team captain, a three-time Pro Bowler, a second-team All-Pro and a four-time All-NFC selection. At one point started 117 consecutive games.
4. Pat Donovan - OT - He was drafted as a DE and converted to OT. Donovan made 4 pro-bowls as an OT.
4. Randy Hughes - DB - Played 6 seasons for Dallas. Tied a record for 3 INTs in 3 consecutive playoff games.
5. Kyle Davis - C - Okay, can't win them all!
6. Roland Woolsey - DB - He made the team in 1975 but was selected in the expansion draft off the Cowboys roster in 1976. Just a special teams player really.
7. Mike Hegman - LB - He played for 12 years and started 116 games. He backed up Hollywood Henderson for a few years then suffered a few bad injuries to curtain his playing time. Still, he was a decent player for a long time.

The 1975 team won a Super Bowl and these draftees made a difference. The other drafts you listed are quality drafts but for quality and quantity of players, the 1975 draft was, IMHO, the best draft in Cowboys history.

Nicely supported opinion.
Good job.

 

[Bobhaze]

With all due respect, the 1975 draft was the best in Cowboys history, IMO.

Just look at the top 7 rounds, to make is a fair comparison to the more recent drafts.

1. Randy White - DT - No explanation needed. All-Pro, HOF.
1. Thomas Henderson - LB - Changed the game. He was LT before LT. Henderson may have been better than LT had he not gone off the rails.
2. Burton Lawless - OG - Started as a rookie. Made the All-Rookie team. He was replaced by Herb Scott, also drafted in 1975 in the 13th round.
3. Bob Breunig - LB - He was a four-time team captain, a three-time Pro Bowler, a second-team All-Pro and a four-time All-NFC selection. At one point started 117 consecutive games.
4. Pat Donovan - OT - He was drafted as a DE and converted to OT. Donovan made 4 pro-bowls as an OT.
4. Randy Hughes - DB - Played 6 seasons for Dallas. Tied a record for 3 INTs in 3 consecutive playoff games.
5. Kyle Davis - C - Okay, can't win them all!
6. Roland Woolsey - DB - He made the team in 1975 but was selected in the expansion draft off the Cowboys roster in 1976. Just a special teams player really.
7. Mike Hegman - LB - He played for 12 years and started 116 games. He backed up Hollywood Henderson for a few years then suffered a few bad injuries to curtain his playing time. Still, he was a decent player for a long time.

The 1975 team won a Super Bowl and these draftees made a difference. The other drafts you listed are quality drafts but for quality and quantity of players, the 1975 draft was, IMHO, the best draft in Cowboys history.

That great ‘75 team won an NFC championship but not a SB. IMO, this is either the 3rd or 4th best draft in our history. The ‘75 team remains one of my favorite all time Cowboys team along with ‘71, ’92 and ‘77. The “Dirty Dozen” boys were so close to upsetting the Steelers In SB X. Such a f7n season that year!

 

[shabazz]

That great ‘75 team won an NFC championship but not a SB. IMO, this is either the 3rd or 4th best draft in our history. The ‘75 team remains one of my favorite all time Cowboys team along with ‘71, ’92 and ‘77. The “Dirty Dozen” boys were so close to upsetting the Steelers In SB X. Such a f7n season that year!

That 75 team turned a lot of the country into Cowboys fans even in the loss.

It was a Cinderella team that had the Best characters, best uniforms and best Cheerleaders.

 

[CowboyinMD]

That was one of the best Cowboys drafts ever. The Cowboys appeared to be in decline missing the playoffs for the first time in many years in 1974. They had 12 rookies make the team and came away with Randy White and Thomas Hollywood Henderson. That draft helped them reach three more Super Bowls.

Yes.

In order to fully evaluate the success of a draft, you have to look at the success (playoffs) of the team. That '75 draft helped the Cowboys to 3 SBs before the 70s were done.

Which is why I would choose '91 over '05. It's honestly going to be very difficult to rate any of the Cowboys drafts in this century high *until* the team can make it to the championship round. I mean, there's no better metric to evaluate than playoff success, no?

Back to that 1989 draft. Jimmy was so good. He had it worked out with the Raiders to select Wisnewski, a G from Penn State, in the 2nd round, in exchange for the Raiders' 2nd and another pick (3rd?) that Dallas would ultimately be used to select Johnston and Stepnoski. Genius.

 

[eromeopolk]

Jerry deserves plenty of criticism, but he doesn't pretend to be the HC. He does limit the abilities of the HC.

1984 draft 12th round Carl Lewis

That is because he is the de facto Head Coach. We are back to a HC of offense and HC of Defense with Jerry Dumbo GM Jones the Head Coach overall.

 

[Diehardblues]

I would rank that 1975 “Dirty Dozen” draft 4th. It was a great draft. Randy White, Hollywood Henderson, Bob Bruenig. But 64, 89 and 91 were better IMO.

The 1975 Dirty Dozen is considered one of best Cowboys draft ever. Not just in Cowboys history but in NFL history.

Here’s a list of just the starters drafted :
Randy White
Thomas Henderson
Bob Bruenig
Too Tall Jones
Herb Scott
Burton Lawless
Pat Donovan
Randy Hughes
Mike Hegman

https://thelandryhat.com/2015/04/11/dallas-cowboys-1975-draft-the-dirty-dozen-one-of-the-best-ever/

 

[john van brocklin]

What? No Dirty Dozen of 75?

Was getting ready to post the same thing!
Lol
The Manster draft!

 

[john van brocklin]

The 1975 Dirty Dozen is considered one of best Cowboys draft ever. Not just in Cowboys history but in NFL history.

Here’s a list of just the starters drafted :
Randy White
Thomas Henderson
Bob Bruenig
Too Tall Jones
Herb Scott
Burton Lawless
Pat Donovan
Randy Hughes
Mike Hegman

https://thelandryhat.com/2015/04/11/dallas-cowboys-1975-draft-the-dirty-dozen-one-of-the-best-ever/

Too tall was not in the 75 draft class

 

[T-RO]

With all due respect, the 1975 draft was the best in Cowboys history, IMO.

Just look at the top 7 rounds, to make is a fair comparison to the more recent drafts.

1. Randy White - DT - No explanation needed. All-Pro, HOF.
1. Thomas Henderson - LB - Changed the game. He was LT before LT. Henderson may have been better than LT had he not gone off the rails.
2. Burton Lawless - OG - Started as a rookie. Made the All-Rookie team. He was replaced by Herb Scott, also drafted in 1975 in the 13th round.
3. Bob Breunig - LB - He was a four-time team captain, a three-time Pro Bowler, a second-team All-Pro and a four-time All-NFC selection. At one point started 117 consecutive games.
4. Pat Donovan - OT - He was drafted as a DE and converted to OT. Donovan made 4 pro-bowls as an OT.
4. Randy Hughes - DB - Played 6 seasons for Dallas. Tied a record for 3 INTs in 3 consecutive playoff games.
5. Kyle Davis - C - Okay, can't win them all!
6. Roland Woolsey - DB - He made the team in 1975 but was selected in the expansion draft off the Cowboys roster in 1976. Just a special teams player really.
7. Mike Hegman - LB - He played for 12 years and started 116 games. He backed up Hollywood Henderson for a few years then suffered a few bad injuries to curtain his playing time. Still, he was a decent player for a long time.

The 1975 team won a Super Bowl and these draftees made a difference. The other drafts you listed are quality drafts but for quality and quantity of players, the 1975 draft was, IMHO, the best draft in Cowboys history.

The winner

 

[Diehardblues]

The Cowboys have a great overall draft history. Some of the best drafts in NFL history were by the Cowboys.
Here are the 3 BEST drafts IMO:

• The 1964 Draft- easily the greatest draft in Cowboys history and one of the greatest in NFL history. A whopping 3 HOFers were in this draft. Here are some of the picks:
  • HOF CB Mel Renfro- taken in round 2. Played in 3 SBs and was a 10 time pro bowler in his 14 seasons. One of the greatest athletes in Cowboys history. A great return man as well as DB.
  • HOF WR Bob Hayes- a 7th round pick because most people thought he was just a track guy who was a gold medalist in the 100 meters in the 64 Olympics. He proved immediately in his rookie year he belonged scoring 13 TDs in one of the greatest rookie seasons in NFL history. His speed was responsible for changing the game forcing defenses to use zone coverages.
  • HOF QB Roger Staubach- because Roger had to serve a 5 year military commitment, Roger slid to the 12th round! He was not able to play until 1969 when he played as a 28 year old rookie. The greatest Cowboy played eleven seasons and won 12 playoff games including 4 NFC championships and 2 SBs.

• The 1989 draft- The first draft of the Jerry Jones era kickstarted the team toward its dominant SB run of the 90s. Jimmy Johnson was an excellent talent evaluator and this draft was his first. Several key players in the 90s run were from the ‘89 draft.
  • HOF QB Troy Aikman (the last QB the Cowboys drafted in round one) Troy won 11 playoff games, 3 NFC championships and 3 SBs. Arguably the most accurate passer to play QB.
  • Darryl “Moose” Johnston- taken in round 2, Moose became a key component to Cowboys success as a blocker for Emmitt Smith and a solid receiver out of the backfield. Also was a STs monster on punt coverage too.
  • Center Mark Stepnoski- also taken in round 2, Step became the anchor of the greatest OL to lace em up. Although undersized he used his intelligence and quickness to master the position.
  • DE Tony Tolbert- a 4th round pick from UTEP, Tolbert became an excellent pass rusher opposite HOFer Charles Haley, making the Cowboys pass rush deadly in their 90s run.

• The 1991 Draft- Jimmy Johnson once again hit on a great draft with several key players in the 90s SB run:
  • DT Russell Maryland- the first overall pick in the draft that year, Maryland became the inside anchor of a dominant DL that included Charles Haley, Tony Tolbert and Chad Hennings.
  • WR Alvin Harper- taken in 2nd round, Harper became an immediate impact player opposite HOF WR Michael Irvin. Harper made tons of big plays in playoff games.
  • OT Erik Williams- a third rounder who became an absolute beast at RT and a favorite of the late great John Madden. A car accident shortened what would have been a HOF career.
  • DT Leon Lett- a 7th round gem, Lett was a physically dominant DT who is famous for his good and bad plays. Lett has gone on to be an assistant coach for the Cowboys.

Here’s hoping the 2023 draft will become one of the best drafts we’ve had and propels us to a SB run.

Bullet Bob Hayes was an immediate impact but not until 1965. He was a future pick hoping he’d play professional sports after completing his college football eligibility. In 1964he was also drafted by the Broncos in 14th round.

And Roger was taken in 10th round.

It turned out to be a significant draft because of the future picks which obviously payed big dividends later but not generally considered one of Cowboys best drafts. But one worth mentioning.

 

[Diehardblues]

Too tall was not in the 75 draft class

My bad . I read thru list and saw Ed Jones. But that wasn’t Too Tall who was drafted year before in 74.

 

[Bobhaze]

The 1975 Dirty Dozen is considered one of best Cowboys draft ever. Not just in Cowboys history but in NFL history.

Here’s a list of just the starters drafted :
Randy White
Thomas Henderson
Bob Bruenig
Too Tall Jones
Herb Scott
Burton Lawless
Pat Donovan
Randy Hughes
Mike Hegman

https://thelandryhat.com/2015/04/11/dallas-cowboys-1975-draft-the-dirty-dozen-one-of-the-best-ever/

Right. I commented on this earlier. It was one of the great drafts in Cowboys history. I have it as 4th best behind 1964, 1989 and 1991.

 

[UncleOscar]

Lots of good healthy debate here! But what no one can debate is the 2009 draft was the Cowboys worst draft. Jerry traded down to the third round and we drafted an All JAG team. Jerry said it was for depth and special teams. Others said Jerry was having cash flow problems and didn't want the expense of 1st & 2nd round picks.

Sorry Bob Haze, didn't mean to derail thread. It's just years of Jerry PTSD...Post Trade Stess Syndrome kicking in.

 

[Diehardblues]

Right. I commented on this earlier. It was one of the great drafts in Cowboys history. I have it as 4th best behind 1964, 1989 and 1991.

Ok. We are all entitled to our own opinions . But I’ve never seen a mention of greatest Cowboys drafts without the Dirty Dozen considered as one of them or not the best. Definitely considered best in Landry era.

The fact you didn’t at least have it in your top 3 I’d argue misses. And mentioning it after it was pointed out isn’t enough IMO.

Sorry Bob.. otherwise I wouldn’t have needed to interject in a nice informative thread. I was just shocked it was mentioned initially. I’ve never seen a column or write up about Cowboys greatest drafts without Dirty Dozen. Thanks

 

[atlantacowboy]

Ramsey would not have change the dynamics of both sides of the ball, the way 2016 Zeke Elliott did.

Dominating run game on offense that not only sustain and controlled the clock,(while we scored our points) but also wore out opposing defenses
- and with Zeke's homerun speed, they simply could not let up on any given play,
Plus that elite run game not only gave our defense plenty rest, but we were not forced to be on the field as much, not as opposed as much.

What some still do not realize to this day, is our coaches- (per Jason Garrett) ruined Zeke by grinding and pounding him into the ground.
Constantly keeping him on the field, .. heck, even when we finally upgraded from sorry backup Rod Smith and drafted Pollard, we seldom got him the
deserve time needed - Coaches did not trust him.

Henry is pure hindsight. Who knew Henry would be as good as he was, despite a stellar career at Bama.
Ditto with a Nick Chubb, Alvin Kamara, etc.

But imo, it was not a mistake drafting Zeke, he showed every bit worthy of the 4th overall. ..the mistake was keeping Garrett as long as we did.

A lot of people on this board were clamoring for Henry in round 2 if he was there. A big, fast back like that running behind that OL would have been epic and a much better value than Zeke at #4 overall which most everyone agrees was an error. Chub was injured a lot at UGA and Kamara was a surprise.

No RB is worth the 4th overall pick b/c they are a dime a dozen and available deep in the draft. Zeke wasn't even Hershel Walker special and has no shot at the HOF.

 

[Flamma]

A lot of people on this board were clamoring for Henry in round 2 if he was there. A big, fast back like that running behind that OL would have been epic and a much better value than Zeke at #4 overall which most everyone agrees was an error. Chub was injured a lot at UGA and Kamara was a surprise.

No RB is worth the 4th overall pick b/c they are a dime a dozen and available deep in the draft. Zeke wasn't even Hershel Walker special and has no shot at the HOF.

You can get good backs, and really good backs in the 2nd and 3rd. Pollard was a 4th round pick, right? Run a few of those backs behind a really good OL, you're set. If you draft a RB in the top 10 you're passing up players that won't be there in the later rounds.

 

[quickccc]

A lot of people on this board were clamoring for Henry in round 2 if he was there. A big, fast back like that running behind that OL would have been epic and a much better value than Zeke at #4 overall which most everyone agrees was an error. Chub was injured a lot at UGA and Kamara was a surprise.

No RB is worth the 4th overall pick b/c they are a dime a dozen and available deep in the draft. Zeke wasn't even Hershel Walker special and has no shot at the HOF.

It was a reason why Henry, who was the Heisman Trophy winner, prolific college career, and national championship winner, marvelous physical measurement size/speed ration
and pre-draft workout wonder dropped into the second round. And at that time, there wasn't the No RB in 1st round epidemic as it is now.

- Every since Trent Richardson bust factor, Bama RBs were getting a reputation for being " straight-liners ", who college support cast/coaches made them better at college level
than what they will be in NFL. And at that draft time per 2016, i was hearing the same with Henry.

- NFL teams do it every year without fail....right at draft time, they will over-draft, start building some type of perceived notions and minuses about a player
and then dropped them further down their draft board.

- Ditto the opposite, with over-valuing a player based off mere pre-draft wonder workouts and instantly sky-rocketing his stock up their draft value boards on that alone.

 

[gtb1943]

I completely disagree. There's something "extra" about a collection of players that are able to come together enough to win a championship that separates them from the great players that never get there. So, while I understand what you're saying, it's really just a different way of ranking the drafts.

It really sounds like you need to do a similar write-up to the OP did and present it on its own merit.

and I see no reason to support a post that just has common sense in it.