Cowboys Draft Picks (last 5 years)

[slotshot]

Listed below for discussion. Does it seem to ya'll like we either hit a home run or a complete dud?? Feels like our 2008 season.

We have had a few years where we got a decent player in a bad draft...Crayton and Anderson in the later rounds come to mind. Also we obviously have picked up bad players in otherwise good drafts. But we seem to be boom or bust.

Let's pray for 2 booms in a row! I really feel that, over the last 3 drafts, 2008 was the only really productive one SO FAR.






2003
Round Pick Player Pos School
1 5(5) Terence Newman CB Kansas St.
2 6(38) Al Johnson C Wisconsin
3 5(69) Jason Witten* TE Tennessee
4 6(103) Bradie James OLB LSU
6 5(178) B.J. Tucker CB Wisconsin
6 13(186) Zuriel Smith WR Hampton
7 5(219) Justin Bates OT Colorado


2004
RoundPickPlayerPosSchool
211(43)Julius JonesRBNotre Dame
220(52)Jacob RogersOTSouthern Cal
320(83)Stephen PetermanOGLSU
425(121)Bruce ThorntonCBGeorgia
512(144)Sean RyanTEBoston Coll.
74(205)Nathan JonesCBRutgers7
15(216)Patrick CraytonWRNW Oklahoma St.
722(223)Jacques ReevesCBPurdue


2005
RoundPick Player Pos School
111(11) Demarcus WareOLBTroy
120(20)Marcus SpearsDELSU
210(42)Kevin BurnettOLBTennessee
48(109)Marion BarberHBMinnesota
431(132)Chris CantyDEVirginia
634(208)Justin BerlaultSBall St.
635(209)Rob PetittiOTPittsburgh
710(224)Jay RatliffDEAuburn


2006
RoundPick PlayerPosSchool
118(18)Bobby CarpenterOLB Ohio State
221(53)Anthony Fasano TENotre Dame
328(92)Jason HatcherDEGrambling State
428(125)Skyler GreenWRLouisiana State
55(138)Pat WatkinsSFlorida State
613(182)Montavious StanleyDTLouisville
73(211)Paul McQuistanTWeber State
716(224)E.J. WhitleyTTexas Tech

2007
126 (26)Anthony SpencerDE Purdue University
33 (67)James MartenTBoston College
44 (103)Isaiah StanbackQBWashington
423 (122)Doug FreeTNorthern Illinois
64 (178)Nicholas FolkPKArizona
621 (195)Deon AndersonFBConnecticut
72 (212)Courtney BrownCBCal Poly
727 (237)Alan BallCBIllinois


2008
Round Pick PlayerPositionSchool
122 (22)

Felix Jones RB Arkansas
125 (25)

Mike JenkinsCBSouth Florida
230 (61)

Martellus BennettTETexas A&M
423 (122)

Tashard Choice RBGeorgia Tech
58 (143)

Orlando ScandrickCBBoise State
61 (167)

Erik WaldenOLBMiddle Tennessee

 

[slotshot]

darn...big formatting issues...will try to fix

 

[TheCount]

We have plenty of players, teams are winning with less than what we have. What we don't have is good coaching, scheming, experience or team disipline.

I used to laugh when people said we were a group of individuals, but I don't find it so funny anymore.

 

[AbeBeta]

I don't know - -seems pretty much like most NFL teams do. You win some and you lose some. We have managed to draft several pro bowl players. Newman, Ware, Ratliff, Witten, and Barber - and a couple of guys who are solid contributors in James, Crayton, Spears, Canty, and Spencer.

That's decent drafting - 10 really good additions, including two guys who are arguably the best in the league at their positions.

 

[arglebargle]

If you get two starting players out of a standard number of draft picks, you have done okay.

The 2005 draft as a whole, was not very good, and the Cowboys probably had the best choices of any team that year.

Notable here is the number of OLinemen that have not panned out. Also, for a guy who brought the term 'pet cats' to the Cowboys, Parcells sure ended up with a lot of 'em.

 

[Arch Stanton]

9 x OLinemen drafted. Only Free and McQ left.

 

[AbeBeta]

Notable here is the number of OLinemen that have not panned out. Also, for a guy who brought the term 'pet cats' to the Cowboys, Parcells sure ended up with a lot of 'em.

The OL issue is the real problem. Part of it was being snakebit. Al Johnson is a decent NFL player (he wouldn't still be in the league if he wasn't) but he got derailed early by a knee injury and never seemed to be able to get bigger following losing weight to rehab the knee. Peterman also was derailed by injury, Rogers was a disaster. Marten crap as well. Free has a crack still. Everyone else was taken 6th round or later - those picks are always a crapshoot anyway.

 

[slotshot]

9 x OLinemen drafted. Only Free and McQ left.

And even those had limited or no contribution last year...sad.

 

[Shinywalrus]

I don't know. I mean, we have good years and bad years, but we get a lot of decent players sprinkled in. I don't think we're any more boom or bust than anyone else, with the possible exceptions of 2005 and 2006, on opposite sides of the coin, of course.

Look at '07 - Deon's "OK", and a starter, and Ball has gotten on the field and been medicore at best, but you still look at those as OK picks. Even 2004 wasn't a disaster. Julius Jones produced for a while, at least, and Nathan Jones and Jacques Reeves both made the field. They weren't world-stoppers, but both were worthy picks who did a lot better than most late rounders.

As long as we can avoid another 2006, the quality of any of the other years there would be fine by me.

 

[Arch Stanton]

And even those had limited or no contribution last year...sad.

Is it any wonder why there is no quality OLine depth?

Insert trade for Holland and signings of Kozier, Columbo and Bigg.

We cannot draft an OLineman for.......

 

[Thick 'N Hearty]

Is it any wonder why there is no quality OLine depth?

Insert trade for Holland and signings of Kozier, Columbo and Bigg.

We cannot draft an OLineman for.......

I agree. I don't understand why drafting OL who pan out is such an Achilles Heel for us.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Dallas needs a coach who will bring the best out of players with discipline and tough love.

 

[AbeBeta]

Dallas needs a coach who will bring the best out of players with discipline and tough love.

Why? So we can then, a few years down the line want a guy who is a "player's coach" again.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Why? So we can then, a few years down the line want a guy who is a "player's coach" again.

I believe Dallas needs a coach who's in the middle of the road. Shanahan would be a perfect choice.

 

[KingintheNorth]

425(121)Bruce ThorntonCBGeorgia

Jared Allen went 5 picks after this guy. Yikes.


On a separate note, it would seem to me that whatever it is that the Cowboys staff uses to identify offensive linemen as prospects is very wrong and we should abandon that philosophy immediately. We have missed badly on offensive linemen. With the age of the linemen now we really need to think about adding 2-3 guys who are good enough to play now in a back-up role but also have the potential to start down the line. Or we can just keep paying big money for free agents who have developed on other teams.

 

[Nightshade]

I believe Dallas needs a coach who's in the middle of the road. Shanahan would be a perfect choice.

No more retreads. Somewhere out there is lurking a new guy with genius and fire like Sporano or Spangunola with the Giants.

Proven new blood.

Shanahan hasn't won since Elway. That's why he was fired. Zone blocking with our O-line?

 

[slotshot]

Some of these responses got me to thinking. I went and looked at the players stats on NFL.com for every OL player we drafted since 1991. (1991, by the way, is the first year on that site that lists games started/year by each player)

Anyway, I found the following. Since 1991 -

There were five OL players that started the majority (more than half) of games for at least 2 seasons with the Cowboys.

1. Al Johnson - (C) Drafted in 2nd round of 2003 draft.
2. Andre Gurode- (G) Drafted in 2nd round of 2002 draft.
3. Flozell Adams - (G) Drafted in 2nd round of 1998 draft.
4. Larry Allen - (T) Drafted in the 2nd round of the 1994 draft.
5. Erik Williams - (T) Drafted in the 3rd round of the 1991 draft.

The criteria is pretty subjective, but I think the bar is set pretty low. Starting in half of the games for a couple of years should show we got at least some value for the player we drafted.

The BAD news...we have only drafted a well-contributing OL every 4 years since 1991 (on the average).

The GOOD news---we are really overdue at this point (6 years and counting)

 

[jobberone]

The OL issue is the real problem. Part of it was being snakebit. Al Johnson is a decent NFL player (he wouldn't still be in the league if he wasn't) but he got derailed early by a knee injury and never seemed to be able to get bigger following losing weight to rehab the knee. Peterman also was derailed by injury, Rogers was a disaster. Marten crap as well. Free has a crack still. Everyone else was taken 6th round or later - those picks are always a crapshoot anyway.

I don't which is worse. Backup QB, OL or S. Those are our biggest holes. You can throw MLB and FB up there if you want. Some people maybe even NT. But I'm getting too detailed as usual.

It's not only OL but the lack of ability to draft there. We shouldn't be this bad. We have drafted two Pro Bowl players but the rest are acquired. What's up with that?

 

[slotshot]

Some of these responses got me to thinking. I went and looked at the players stats on NFL.com for every OL player we drafted since 1991. (1991, by the way, is the first year on that site that lists games started/year by each player)

Anyway, I found the following. Since 1991 -

There were five OL players that started the majority (more than half) of games for at least 2 seasons with the Cowboys.

1. Al Johnson - (C) Drafted in 2nd round of 2003 draft.
2. Andre Gurode- (G) Drafted in 2nd round of 2002 draft.
3. Flozell Adams - (G) Drafted in 2nd round of 1998 draft.
4. Larry Allen - (T) Drafted in the 2nd round of the 1994 draft.
5. Erik Williams - (T) Drafted in the 3rd round of the 1991 draft.

The criteria is pretty subjective, but I think the bar is set pretty low. Starting in half of the games for a couple of years should show we got at least some value for the player we drafted.

The BAD news...we have only drafted a well-contributing OL every 4 years since 1991 (on the average).

The GOOD news---we are really overdue at this point (6 years and counting)

I didn't mention that we seem to be even worse pre-1991...

 

[Idgit]

I don't which is worse. Backup QB, OL or S. Those are our biggest holes. You can throw MLB and FB up there if you want. Some people maybe even NT. But I'm getting too detailed as usual.

It's not only OL but the lack of ability to draft there. We shouldn't be this bad. We have drafted two Pro Bowl players but the rest are acquired. What's up with that?

We're not a team that's willing to play young players on the OL, for one. McQuistan looked pretty good under fire in Philly. I'd like to see Doug Free get some reps. I think the OL, more so than other positions, has a visible learning curve where players can start off confused and get significantly better, if you're lucky. Or else they just stay confused and get your QB killed. It's hard to justify giving young players valuable snaps, though, when you've got solid starters and you're protecting a franchise QB.

In short, there may be a few players on our bench who just haven't been validated. I don't know if we're unusual in this, either. I'd wager that most good young OL either get drafted and handed starting roles on bad teams, or they are forced into play due to injuries on good teams and either sink or swim accordingly. Proctor's been our only opportunity to watch in this situation, and he essentially sank.