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The Dallas Cowboys have had some great drafts in their storied history, but using one metric, no other draft class matches the 2016 group in approximate value.
We just used Approximate Value, a metric developed by Pro Football Reference, to create a comparison between Ezekiel Elliott and Jalen Ramsey from the 2016 draft. Now we are going to use that same statistical metric to evaluate the Cowboys drafts all the way back to 1961.
Here’s the table. It’s a very long one, but it’s easiest to see the point this way. Thanks to Pro Football Reference’s player season finder query for these results.
Rk
Player
Year ▼
Age
Draft
Tm
G
GS
PB
AP1
AV
1
1
Ezekiel Elliott
2016
21
1-4
DAL
15
15
1
1
16
2
2
Dak Prescott
2016
23
4-135
DAL
16
16
1
0
16
3
3
Maliek Collins
2016
21
3-67
DAL
16
14
0
0
7
4
4
Anthony Brown
2016
23
6-189
DAL
16
10
0
0
4
5
5
La'el Collins
2015
22
UDFA
DAL
12
11
0
0
4
6
6
Byron Jones
2015
23
1-27
DAL
16
11
0
0
4
7
7
Zack Martin
2014
24
1-16
DAL
16
16
1
1
14
8
8
Anthony Hitchens
2014
22
4-119
DAL
16
11
0
0
6
9
9
Travis Frederick
2013
22
1-31
DAL
16
16
0
0
8
10
10
Terrance Williams
2013
24
3-74
DAL
16
8
0
0
7
11
11
Morris Claiborne
2012
22
6-Jan
DAL
15
15
0
0
6
12
12
Tyron Smith
2011
21
1-9
DAL
16
16
0
0
9
13
13
DeMarco Murray
2011
23
3-71
DAL
13
7
0
0
7
14
14
Dan Bailey
2011
23
UDFA
DAL
16
0
0
0
4
15
15
Dez Bryant
2010
22
1-24
DAL
12
2
0
0
7
16
16
Tashard Choice
2008
24
4-122
DAL
16
3
0
0
4
17
17
Nick Folk
2007
23
6-178
DAL
16
0
1
0
4
120
120
Pat Watkins
2006
24
5-138
DAL
14
9
0
0
4
18
18
DeMarcus Ware
2005
23
1-11
DAL
16
16
0
0
8
19
19
Rob Petitti
2005
23
6-209
DAL
16
16
0
0
7
20
20
Marcus Spears
2005
22
1-20
DAL
16
10
0
0
6
21
21
Marion Barber
2005
22
4-109
DAL
13
2
0
0
4
22
22
Al Johnson
2004
25
2-38
DAL
16
15
0
0
7
23
23
Julius Jones
2004
23
2-43
DAL
8
7
0
0
6
24
24
Terence Newman
2003
25
1-5
DAL
16
16
0
0
8
25
25
Willie Blade
2003
24
3-93
DAL
15
14
0
0
7
26
26
Roy Williams
2002
22
1-8
DAL
16
16
0
0
10
27
27
Derek Ross
2002
22
3-75
DAL
14
9
0
0
6
28
28
Antonio Bryant
2002
21
2-63
DAL
16
15
0
0
4
29
29
Andre Gurode
2002
24
2-37
DAL
14
14
0
0
4
30
30
Kelvin Garmon
2001
25
7-243
DAL
16
16
0
0
6
31
31
Markus Steele
2001
22
4-122
DAL
15
10
0
0
5
108
108
Solomon Page
1999
23
2-55
DAL
14
6
0
0
4
117
117
Jason Tucker
1999
23
6-167
DAL
15
4
0
0
4
32
32
Greg Ellis
1998
23
1-8
DAL
16
16
0
0
8
33
33
Flozell Adams
1998
23
2-38
DAL
16
12
0
0
6
34
34
Mike Kiselak
1998
31
UDFA
DAL
15
7
0
0
4
35
35
Dexter Coakley
1997
25
3-65
DAL
16
16
0
0
9
36
36
Richie Cunningham
1997
27
UDFA
DAL
16
0
0
1
5
37
37
Antonio Anderson
1997
24
4-101
DAL
16
5
0
0
4
38
38
Randall Godfrey
1996
23
2-49
DAL
16
6
0
0
4
39
39
Larry Allen*
1994
23
2-46
DAL
16
10
0
0
5
40
40
Darrin Smith
1993
23
2-54
DAL
16
13
0
0
7
122
122
Kevin Williams
1993
22
2-46
DAL
16
1
0
0
4
41
41
Robert Jones
1992
23
1-24
DAL
15
13
0
0
8
112
112
Kevin Smith
1992
22
1-17
DAL
16
6
0
0
4
42
42
Larry Brown
1991
22
12-320
DAL
16
13
0
0
6
43
43
Alvin Harper
1991
23
1-12
DAL
15
5
0
0
4
105
105
Russell Maryland
1991
22
1-1
DAL
16
7
0
0
4
44
44
Emmitt Smith*
1990
21
1-17
DAL
16
15
1
0
8
45
45
Jimmie Jones
1990
24
3-64
DAL
16
6
0
0
4
123
123
Ken Willis
1990
24
UDFA
DAL
16
0
0
0
4
46
46
James Dixon
1989
22
UDFA
DAL
16
7
0
0
4
47
47
Michael Irvin*
1988
22
1-11
DAL
14
10
0
0
5
121
121
Dave Widell
1988
23
4-94
DAL
14
9
0
0
4
48
48
Ron Francis
1987
23
2-39
DAL
11
11
0
0
6
49
49
Kevin Gogan
1987
23
8-206
DAL
11
10
0
0
5
50
50
Roger Ruzek
1987
27
UDFA
DAL
12
0
0
0
5
111
111
Daryle Smith
1987
23
UDFA
DAL
9
7
0
0
4
51
51
Herschel Walker
1986
24
5-114
DAL
16
9
0
0
12
52
52
Mike Sherrard
1986
23
1-18
DAL
16
4
0
0
6
53
53
Eugene Lockhart
1984
23
6-152
DAL
15
8
0
0
5
54
54
Everson Walls
1981
22
UDFA
DAL
16
12
1
0
10
55
55
Michael Downs
1981
22
UDFA
DAL
15
15
0
0
8
113
113
Ron Springs
1979
23
5-136
DAL
16
3
0
0
4
116
116
Bruce Thornton
1979
21
8-219
DAL
16
0
0
0
4
56
56
Larry Bethea
1978
22
1-28
DAL
16
0
0
0
4
109
109
Tom Randall
1978
22
7-194
DAL
11
0
0
0
4
57
57
Tony Dorsett*
1977
23
1-2
DAL
14
4
0
0
16
58
58
Guy Brown
1977
22
4-108
DAL
14
0
0
0
4
59
59
Jim Cooper
1977
22
6-164
DAL
14
0
0
0
4
60
60
Andy Frederick
1977
23
5-137
DAL
13
0
0
0
4
61
61
Bruce Huther
1977
23
UDFA
DAL
14
0
0
0
4
62
62
Mike Hegman
1976
23
7-173
DAL
14
0
0
0
4
110
110
Greg Schaum
1976
22
7-186
DAL
12
0
0
0
4
63
63
Burton Lawless
1975
22
2-44
DAL
14
10
0
0
6
64
64
Thomas Henderson
1975
22
1-18
DAL
13
0
0
0
5
65
65
Bob Breunig
1975
22
3-70
DAL
10
0
0
0
4
66
66
Kyle Davis
1975
23
5-113
DAL
14
0
0
0
4
67
67
Randy Hughes
1975
22
4-96
DAL
14
0
0
0
4
68
68
Billy Joe DuPree
1973
23
1-20
DAL
14
14
0
0
6
69
69
Drew Pearson
1973
22
UDFA
DAL
14
6
0
0
6
70
70
Jim Arneson
1973
22
12-307
DAL
12
0
0
0
4
71
71
Rodrigo Barnes
1973
23
7-176
DAL
14
0
0
0
4
104
104
Harvey Martin
1973
23
3-53
DAL
14
0
0
0
4
119
119
Bruce Walton
1973
22
5-126
DAL
7
0
0
0
4
72
72
John Babinecz
1972
22
2-39
DAL
14
0
0
0
4
73
73
Ike Thomas
1971
24
2-51
DAL
7
1
0
0
5
74
74
John Fitzgerald
1971
23
4-101
DAL
14
0
0
0
4
118
118
Rodney Wallace
1971
22
10-259
DAL
11
0
0
0
4
75
75
Duane Thomas
1970
23
1-23
DAL
14
8
0
0
9
76
76
Mark Washington
1970
23
13-335
DAL
14
0
0
0
5
77
77
Charlie Waters
1970
22
3-66
DAL
14
6
0
0
5
78
78
Bob Asher
1970
22
2-27
DAL
6
0
0
0
4
79
79
Cliff Harris
1970
22
UDFA
DAL
11
5
0
0
4
80
80
Steve Kiner
1970
23
3-73
DAL
14
0
0
0
4
81
81
Calvin Hill
1969
22
1-24
DAL
13
13
1
1
11
82
82
Halvor Hagen
1969
22
3-74
DAL
12
0
0
0
4
114
114
Thomas Stincic
1969
23
3-68
DAL
14
0
0
0
4
83
83
Larry Cole
1968
22
16-428
DAL
14
10
0
0
7
101
101
D.D. Lewis
1968
23
6-159
DAL
14
0
0
0
4
107
107
Blaine Nye
1968
22
5-130
DAL
13
0
0
0
4
84
84
Willie Townes
1966
23
2-22
DAL
13
8
0
0
6
106
106
John Niland
1966
22
1-5, 13-116AFL
DAL
13
4
0
0
4
85
85
Bob Hayes*
1965
23
7-88, 14-105AFL
DAL
13
13
1
0
11
86
86
Obert Logan
1965
24
UDFA
DAL
14
9
0
0
6
87
87
Ralph Neely
1965
22
2-28, 2-15AFL
DAL
14
14
0
0
6
88
88
Mel Renfro*
1964
23
2-17, 10-79AFL
DAL
14
14
1
0
15
89
89
Dave Edwards
1963
24
25-194, 25-194AFL
DAL
14
6
0
0
4
90
90
Lee Roy Jordan
1963
22
1-6, 2-14AFL
DAL
7
7
0
0
4
91
91
George Andrie
1962
22
6-82, 12-96AFL
DAL
14
14
0
0
6
92
92
John Meyers
1962
22
3-31, 4-25AFL
DAL
14
14
0
0
6
93
93
Guy Reese
1962
23
15-200, 11-83AFL
DAL
14
14
0
0
6
94
94
Mike Gaechter
1962
22
UDFA
DAL
14
9
0
0
5
95
95
Clyde Brock
1962
22
2-20, 8-63AFL
DAL
14
0
0
0
4
96
96
Lynn Hoyem
1962
23
19-254, 29-226AFL
DAL
14
0
0
0
4
97
97
Joe Bob Isbell
1962
22
20-159, 20-159AFL
DAL
9
0
0
0
4
115
115
Don Talbert
1962
23
8-100, 34-271AFL
DAL
14
4
0
0
4
98
98
Don Perkins
1961
23
9-106
DAL
14
14
1
0
8
99
99
Bob Lilly*
1961
22
1-13, 2-14AFL
DAL
14
14
0
0
6
100
100
Charley Granger
1961
23
26-202, 26-202AFL
DAL
8
7
0
0
4
102
102
Warren Livingston
1961
23
UDFA
DAL
8
8
0
0
4
103
103
Amos Marsh
1961
22
UDFA
DAL
14
7
0
0
4
(To read the table, rank, player, year and age are easy to understand. Draft is the round and the overall pick number. For 1966 and before, some players were drafted by the NFL and the AFL, thus the two numbers. Games, games started, Pro Bowl, All-Pro, and approximate value round out the chart.)
Only players with an AV of 4 were included to keep this manageable. And this is only for the player’s rookie season. So Hall of Famer Randy White does not appear, because he played out of position as a rookie and had an AV of 2. Even in his second year it was a 4. Then he was moved to defensive tackle, scored a 9, and was in double digits for the next eight years. Roger Staubach started only one game as a rookie, and put up a 2 AV. He didn’t hit a consistent stride until his fifth season. Troy Aikman was 0-11 as a rookie, and scored a 2 AV.
With that in mind, the 2016 draft was off-the-charts good.
- It was the only Cowboys’ draft with more than two rookies scoring double digit AVs.
- It had the two highest scoring rookies of all time, scoring 16 AV. Only Tony Dorsett also scored a 16 AV his rookie year. Mel Renfro is next at 15 AV, followed by Zack Martin at 14 AV, Herschel Walker at 12 AV, Calvin Hill and Bob Hayes at 11 AV, Everson Walls and Roy Williams at 10 AV.
- The cumulative total of the four players who ranked in 2016 - Elliott, Prescott, Maliek Collins and Anthony Brown - was 43. The next highest was the 1962 draft, with eight players scoring 39 AV, then 1977 with 32 AV, 1970 with 31 AV, 1973 with 28 AV, 1961 with 26 AV, 2005 with 25 AV, 2002 with 24 AV, 1975 with 23 AV, and 1987 and 2011 with 20 AV.
- Maliek Collins, who scored a 7 AV as a rookie, is tied with eight others for 22nd all-time.
The 2016 draft also has three red-shirt players in Jaylon Smith, Charles Tapper, and Rico Gathers. Kavon Frazier played very little.
The claim here is not that 2016 was the best Cowboys’ draft of all time, though it has the potential to be if Prescott, Elliott, and Smith have stellar careers, and Collins, Tapper, and Brown turn into solid to above-average contributors, with Frazier and Gathers as wild cards.
The claim is that it was the highest value draft in the player’s rookie season, which is all we have to go on at the moment.
It also means, as the Cowboys approach the 2017 draft, that fans shouldn’t expect anything approaching a repeat of last year’s draft. For some perspective, please see this article on the Cowboys’ last seven drafts.
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