Cowboys Best/Worst 1st round picks. Ever

[Plankton]

Zellner wasa decent role player the issue was they though he and Ellis together would relive the UNC days, they were both strong side DE in the NFL.

You're mistaking Peppi Zellner for Ebenezer Ekuban. Ekuban and Ellis both played at North Carolina. Zellner played for Fort Valley State in Georgia.

 

[jrumann59]

You're mistaking Peppi Zellner for Ebenezer Ekuban. Ekuban and Ellis both played at North Carolina. Zellner played for Fort Valley State in Georgia.

You are correct sir. Ekuban sucked so much he sucked for two people....

 

[Jake]

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

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

Running back Bill Thomas, the Cowboys first round pick in the 1972 draft, thanks you for his omission.

His career lasted 3 seasons, one each with Dallas, Houston, and Kansas City. Career totals?

13 carries for 36 yards
1 reception for 4 yards

Fortunately, the Cowboys selected Robert Newhouse in the second round of that draft.

 

[cowboyec]

He wasn't the star he was supposed to be, but he played well on Super Bowl winning teams, so I couldn't put him on the worst list.

one of my favorites from those 90s teams.
the dynamic DT duo of Maryland/Leon Lett was fantastic.
3 favorite DT duo's we had...
Lilly/Pugh
White/Pugh
Maryland/Lett

 

[RS12]

tho not taken until the 2nd Rd...LB Jesse Penn was one of the most frustrating.
he showed flashes but just wasnt consistent enough.
but there were moments where he showed why he was drafted in the 2nd round...just not enough of them.

He retired after a year with a neck injury Iirc.

 

[cowboyec]

He retired after a year with a neck injury Iirc.

i liked him.
hoped he would've been the next Mike Hegman.
we needed it.
i liked him and Ron Burton.

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

You just can’t compare. Randy was two Aaron Donald. Did you ever watch the man play

You’re arguing Jerry’s glitz and glamor. I’m speaking in terms of win shares. Here’s an example of what I mean:

Would you trade Jason Witten’s career for a 6th SB? You never drafted Witten, he’ll never be a Cowboys legend, instead plays his whole career for the Bengals. The tradeoff is Romo goes all the way in 2009, beats the Vikings in the playoffs and goes on to win the SB. Would that be worth it? Tarnish a Cowboys great’s reputation?

 

[plymkr]

Darn , you're right. Dware should've been among my list.too.... above Tyron and Zach.

Definitely above Tyron, I'm not 100% sold on being above Zach. Tied with Zach or I'd give Zach the nod over DWare and no disrespect to DWare. Just shows how much I respect Martin.

 

[KB1122]

Compared to the Landry era, the Jones era has been a blossoming of second-round picks.

In the Landry era, our successful second round picks: Mel Renfro, EJ Holub, Robert Newhouse, Golden Richards, Ken Norton. That's all.

 

[glimmerman]

Lots of recency bias going on in this thread. Some of the older picks were so bad no one remembers them:

1972 - RB Bill Thomas. He rushed for 36 yards his entire career
1984 - LB Billy Cannon, Jr. played 8 games his entire career
1997 - TE David LaFleur caught 85 passes his entire career

I remember the TE. Not the other 2..

 

[Reverend Conehead]

Roger was a 10th rounder. Rayfield was a 7th.

Yes, it was Craig Morton who was a first-round QB pick back then, I think in about 1965.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

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

I would remove Larry Bethea from the worst list. In the 1981 NFC Championship which Dallas almost won, Bethea filled in admirably for an injured John Dutton, including a fumble recovery.

 

[KJJ]

Emmitt Smith was the Cowboys best first round pick. The team doesn’t win those three Super Bowls in the 90s without him. No Cowboys first round pick ever accomplished as much as Emmitt.

 

[Whirlwin]

You’re arguing Jerry’s glitz and glamor. I’m speaking in terms of win shares. Here’s an example of what I mean:

Would you trade Jason Witten’s career for a 6th SB? You never drafted Witten, he’ll never be a Cowboys legend, instead plays his whole career for the Bengals. The tradeoff is Romo goes all the way in 2009, beats the Vikings in the playoffs and goes on to win the SB. Would that be worth it? Tarnish a Cowboys great’s reputation?

I understand exactly what you’re trying to do. And you can’t do it. That’s the point. A great defense is always better in my opinion than a great offense just ask Baltimore with Trent Dilfer. She that doesn’t work either. It’s just a Pinyan. There’s no winning this. So in my opinion Randy is way better than any quarterback

 

[buybuydandavis]

Not at all. Entirely fuzzy. Enlighten us about how the Cowboy coaches squandered Felix Jones with their unpardonable sin.

We eagerly await your answer.

Your reading comprehension problems are not my problem.

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

I understand exactly what you’re trying to do. And you can’t do it. That’s the point. A great defense is always better in my opinion than a great offense just ask Baltimore with Trent Dilfer. She that doesn’t work either. It’s just a Pinyan. There’s no winning this. So in my opinion Randy is way better than any quarterback

I agree with your statement. I also agree that 1 person is not a great defense. There have been unbelievably great defenses without a player of White’s caliber, and there have been unbelievably great players on not good defenses.

a great defense does not one player make, you’re shifting the goalpost.

 

[john van brocklin]

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

Bethea was a starter for several years
Was a jag , but not a bust.

 

[TequilaCowboy]

Bethea was a starter for several years
Was a jag , but not a bust.

Some are confusing jags with busts....there are enough busts like Bill Thomas, Kavika Pittman, Shante Carver, or David LeFleur. First rounders who did absolutely nothing. And i wouldn't list anyone who had their career cut short due to injury as a bust like Mike Sherrard, Billy Cannon Jr.. It was not due to talent or misevaluation. Just tough luck.

 

[KB1122]

When you look at the other players in that draft using PFF's probably imperfect but useful Career Approximate Value measurement, Russell Maryland does reasonably well compared to other draftees that year and other first rounders. The next pick, Eric Turner, was a little better. The third pick was Superbust Bruce Pickens. Todd Lyght at #5 was the only first rounder at the top of the draft who was significantly better. I don't think it was a great draft. Ismail was an electric college player who slowly began a high-quality NFL WR and eventually a Cowboy.

 

[KB1122]

I tended to give a pass to the injured players, like the Bills. Most people who remember his play put Billy Cannon in the man-what-could-have-been category. It seems like he was on a path to be a starter the next year if the injuries didn't end his career. Same with Robert Shaw.

To the Cowboys' credit, there doesn't seem to be a lot of can't-play guys. JAGs and injuries, yes. But maybe 5 or so who just did not have what it takes.