Cowboys Best/Worst 1st round picks. Ever

quickccc

Well-Known Member
Messages
16,062
Reaction score
13,981
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/dal/draft.htm

Cowboys Top 10 Best first round picks Ever (you rank 'em- here's mine)

1) Bob Lilly
2) Roger Staubach
3) Randy white
4) Emmitt smith
5) Tony Dorsett
6) Michael Irvin
7) Troy Aikman
8) Rayfield wright
9) Zack martin
10) Tyron smith
__________________

Cowboys Top 10 Worst first round picks Ever: (you rank 'em - here's mine)

1) Rod Hill
2) Morris Claiborne
3) Taco Charleton
4 Danny Noonan
5 Kevin Brooks
6) Howard Richard
7) Shante Carver
8) David LaFluer
9) Felix jones
10) Bobby Carpenter
 

Aerolithe_Lion

Well-Known Member
Messages
10,783
Reaction score
11,691
Randy White may have been better in your eyes than Aikman, but he’s not close to as valuable a pick as getting your franchise qb with the first overall. Positional value. Without Randy, Too Tall and Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett are still champions. How far do you honestly get in the 90’s without Aikman?

Morris Claiborne actually played and started for good Cowboys teams. It’s not possible to value that lower than what you got out of Taco Charlton, even if you spent a lot to get Claiborne. Charlton did nothing and was cut after his second season. A disappointment is always superior to a wasted pick. 10 times 0 is still 0.

Staubach was drafted in the 10th round....
 
Last edited:

silver

Well-Known Member
Messages
6,786
Reaction score
1,610
Best:
1. Troy Aikman
2. Bob Lilly
3. Emmitt Smith
4. Michael Irvin
5. Tony Dorsett
6. Randy White
7. Ed 'Too Tall' Jones
8. Tyron Smith
9. Zach Martin
10. Billy Joe Dupree

Worst:
1. Rod Hill
2. Billy Cannon Jr
3. Shante Carver
4. Taco Charlton
5. Larry Bethea
6. Robert Shaw
7. Kevin Brooks
8. David LaFleur
9. Charley Young
10. Tody Smith
 

dmq

If I'm so pretty, why am I available?
Messages
7,358
Reaction score
854
I knew we were doomed when people called Bobby Carpenter the safest pick in the draft. Also hearing David LaFleur with back issues when we drafted him.
 

cowboyec

Well-Known Member
Messages
33,579
Reaction score
40,418
☆Bob Lilly '61
☆Lee Roy Jordan '63
☆John Niland '66
☆Calvin Hill '69
☆Duane Thomas '70
☆Billy Joe Dupree '73
☆Ed "too tall" Jones '74
☆Randy White '75
☆Thomas "hollywood" Henderson '75
☆Aaron Kyle '76
☆Tony Dorsett '77
☆Jim Jeffcoat '83
☆Michael Irvin '88
☆Troy Aikman '89
☆Emmitt Smith '90
☆Russell Maryland '91
☆Alvin Harper '91
☆Kevin Smith '92
☆Robert Jones '92
☆Greg Ellis '98
☆Roy Williams '02
☆Terrence Newman '03
☆Demarcus Ware '05
☆Marcus Spears '05
☆Dez Bryant '010
☆Tyron Smith '011
☆Travis Frederick '013
☆Zack Martin '014

my top 12 from the above group
the dirty dozen:
1.bob lilly '61
2.lee roy jordan '63
3.ed too tall jones '74
4.randy white '75
5.tony dorsett '77
6.michael irvin '88
7.troy aikman '89
8.emmitt smith '90
9.demarcus ware '05
10.tyron smith '11
11.travis frederick '13
12.zack martin '14
 
Last edited:

HungryLion

Well-Known Member
Messages
26,533
Reaction score
60,407
Best:
1. Troy Aikman
2. Bob Lilly
3. Emmitt Smith
4. Michael Irvin
5. Tony Dorsett
6. Randy White
7. Ed 'Too Tall' Jones
8. Tyron Smith
9. Zach Martin
10. Billy Joe Dupree

Worst:
1. Rod Hill
2. Billy Cannon Jr
3. Shante Carver
4. Taco Charlton
5. Larry Bethea
6. Robert Shaw
7. Kevin Brooks
8. David LaFleur
9. Charley Young
10. Tody Smith


Good lists man. Though I would place Demarcus Ware above Dupree, Martin and Tyron.

though Tyron and Martin may still one day go above Ware. Depends because they’re still playing.
 

quickccc

Well-Known Member
Messages
16,062
Reaction score
13,981
Best:
1. Troy Aikman
2. Bob Lilly
3. Emmitt Smith
4. Michael Irvin
5. Tony Dorsett
6. Randy White
7. Ed 'Too Tall' Jones
8. Tyron Smith
9. Zach Martin
10. Billy Joe Dupree

Worst:
1. Rod Hill
2. Billy Cannon Jr
3. Shante Carver
4. Taco Charlton
5. Larry Bethea
6. Robert Shaw
7. Kevin Brooks
8. David LaFleur
9. Charley Young
10. Tody Smith

Nice list but Billy Joe Dupree ? :p
 

fivetwos

Well-Known Member
Messages
19,056
Reaction score
25,881
Best:
1. Troy Aikman
2. Bob Lilly
3. Emmitt Smith
4. Michael Irvin
5. Tony Dorsett
6. Randy White
7. Ed 'Too Tall' Jones
8. Tyron Smith
9. Zach Martin
10. Billy Joe Dupree

Worst:
1. Rod Hill
2. Billy Cannon Jr
3. Shante Carver
4. Taco Charlton
5. Larry Bethea
6. Robert Shaw
7. Kevin Brooks
8. David LaFleur
9. Charley Young
10. Tody Smith
Yep.

The OP likely overlooked Billy Cannon. He definitely needed to be on that list.
 

quickccc

Well-Known Member
Messages
16,062
Reaction score
13,981
Randy White may have been better in your eyes than Aikman, but he’s not close to as valuable a pick as getting your franchise qb with the first overall. Positional value. Without Randy, Too Tall and Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett are still champions. How far do you honestly get in the 90’s without Aikman?

Morris Claiborne actually played and started for good Cowboys teams. It’s not possible to value that lower than what you got out of Taco Charlton, even if you spent a lot to get Claiborne. Charlton did nothing and was cut after his second season. A disappointment is always superior to a wasted pick. 10 times 0 is still 0.

Staubach was drafted in the 10th round....

yes, I rushed and errored with Staubach and Rayfield, ( even with the draft history link I even provided.)

- You have a good point with Mo Claiborne, though he was a bust for what he was hyped up and expected to be,..
thanks to our scouts touted him as “ best defensive back we ever scouted since Deion Sanders “ .. and we gave up a 2nd rd pick to move up to get him.
At least Mo was decent at best, whereas guys like Noonan (who I suspect was juicing) , Richard, Carver and Taco and just couldn’t flat play.

- With Aikman, you’re valuing just the need of a franchise starting QB, ..over pure dominant player .
Aikman was not even close to being what Randy White was as a pure pound for pound player. Aikman was never dominant or elite, imo He was very good.
In what structure the team chose to go and build around, the coaches knew how to best fit Aikman’s skill set into the mix in what the team did best ..with Emmitt. and that awesome, dominant OL.

As a cowboys fan, I am forever elated for Aikman being in the HOF, glad he was very instrumental in getting us 3 SB rings, but when we were in our toughest crunches and the player we relied on the most, and rode his back was Emmitt Smith, ..not Troy Aikman.

Case in point:
1) 0-2 to start the season with Emmitt in contract hold out , .” .ooh where’s emmitt, ..we cant win without emmitt “ with Jimmie Johnson sighing in frustration

2) Emmitt dislocates his shoulder in a needed win to secure NFC East division vs NY Giants, . do we go to the guy that’s supposed to be more dominant and elite a player than Randy White, a guy that was the No.1 overall pick and highest paid QB in NFL ? .. Nope !

3) When the offense was stalling from failures of the passing and down 13-6 at halftime, in the 2nd SB vs Bills, ..we quickly resorted to grinding and pounding Emmitt in 2nd half, and flat worn down and punished Bills defense, we rode Emmitt’s back to a trophy.

4) For Deion Sanders to openly criticized Aikman after a Cardinals playoff game upset loss because Troy is paid so handsomely and he needed to step up ..?? sorry Deion you can’t make him into Dan Marino, despite what Jerry is paying him.

If there is anyone that I do regret I somehow forgot to include in my Top 10 best 1st rd List - DeMarcus Ware :banghead:
 

Aerolithe_Lion

Well-Known Member
Messages
10,783
Reaction score
11,691
yes, I rushed and errored with Staubach and Rayfield, ( even with the draft history link I even provided.)

- You have a good point with Mo Claiborne, though he was a bust for what he was hyped up and expected to be,..
thanks to our scouts touted him as “ best defensive back we ever scouted since Deion Sanders “ .. and we gave up a 2nd rd pick to move up to get him.
At least Mo was decent at best, whereas guys like Noonan (who I suspect was juicing) , Richard, Carver and Taco and just couldn’t flat play.

- With Aikman, you’re valuing just the need of a franchise starting QB, ..over pure dominant player .
Aikman was not even close to being what Randy White was as a pure pound for pound player. Aikman was never dominant or elite, imo He was very good.
In what structure the team chose to go and build around, the coaches knew how to best fit Aikman’s skill set into the mix in what the team did best ..with Emmitt. and that awesome, dominant OL.

As a cowboys fan, I am forever elated for Aikman being in the HOF, glad he was very instrumental in getting us 3 SB rings, but when we were in our toughest crunches and the player we relied on the most, and rode his back was Emmitt Smith, ..not Troy Aikman.

Case in point:
- 0-2 to start the season with Emmitt in contract hold out , .” .ooh where’s emmitt, ..we cant win without emmitt “ with Jimmie Johnson sighing in frustration
- Emmitt dislocates his shoulder in a needed win to secure NFC East division vs NY Giants … do we go to the guy that’s supposed to be more dominant and elite a player than Randy White
– a guy that was the No.1 overall pick and highest paid QB in NFL ? .. Nope !

- When the offense was stalling from failures of the passing and down 13-6 at halftime, in the 2nd SB vs Bills, ..we quickly resorted to grinding and pounding Emmitt in 2nd half, and flat worn down and punished Bills defense, we rode Emmitt’s back to a trophy.

- For Deion Sanders to openly criticized Aikman after a Cardinals playoff game upset loss because Troy is paid so handsomely and he needed to step up ..?? sorry Deion you can’t make him into Dan Marino, despite what Jerry is paying him.
If there is anyone that I do regret I somehow forgot to include in my Top 10 best 1st rd List - DeMarcus Ware :banghead:


I don’t disagree with those points, but you still needed Aikman. Maybe the most impressive part of the 90’s Cowboys was the adversity they encountered in their playoff runs: The teams you beat in those NFCCG’s, SF and GB, immediately went on to win Super Bowls afterward. As good as those other players you named were, you still needed Aikman to overcome the odds.


A good QB is worth more than a HoF at any other position. It’s just the reality of football. Dallas benefited much more from taking Aikman in the first than they did Randy, no matter how much better a player he was.
 
Top