News: DMN: The 10 greatest draft steals in Dallas Cowboys history

[NewsBot]

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[jobberone]

Leon Lett should be there but....

 

[Tusan_Homichi]

Romo has to be in consideration too. We didn't even have to use a damn pick on him. That's some serious value.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

Romo has to be in consideration too. We didn't even have to use a damn pick on him. That's some serious value.

He should be listed as the team's greatest free agent acquisition of all time, but not as a draft steal. Nate Newton was another great free agent steal.

 

[fredp22]

Ironic that this team is known for taking TE's in the 2nd except for Witten. I remember screaming at the TV when we didnt take him in the 2nd.

 

[Biggems]

Didnt we steal half of minnesotas early 90s picks for 1 player......i would say all of those players belong on the list as a collective unit.

 

[rockj7]

Would love to get a Bob Hayes Woodson and Renfro types as a steal in this draft I can dream

 

[Afigueroa22]

You would think Dez would be in the conversation.

 

[CF74]

Dorsette?

 

[JoeyBoy718]

You would think Dez would be in the conversation.

You could argue he wasn't even the biggest steal for a WR picked in the 20s in that year. Thomas was chosen 2 picks before him.

 

[Afigueroa22]

You could argue he wasn't even the biggest steal for a WR picked in the 20s in that year. Thomas was chosen 2 picks before him.

True but the fact that dez fell and we traded up for him, to me that's a steal.

 

[lkelly]

Walker should be on the list based on what they were able to get for him.

 

[tyke1doe]

Walker should be on the list based on what they were able to get for him.

I think this is dealing with the value of the player based on where we picked him.

 

[PJTHEDOORS]

I put Larry Allen ahead of Erik Williams. For the total body of work of Allen vs Williams. Not even close. Yes Williams had the injury, but can't play the what if game.

LARRY ALLEN
11× Pro Bowl (1995–2001, 2003–2006)
7× All-Pro (1995–2001)
NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
NFL 2000s All-Decade Team
Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor

ERIK WILLIAMS
4× Pro Bowl (1993, 1996, 1997, 1999)
3× All-Pro (1993, 1995, 1996)

 

[Silver N Blue]

Leon Lett should be there but....

Walker has a legit argument as well. Not just for where he was drafted but also his career and bounty the team received for him.

 

[bb721]

Dorsette?

I don't think that you can call a guy taken with the second overall pick of the draft a "draft steal"

 

[jazzcat22]

My first thought was where is Tony Dorsett on that list. But we stole him via a trade with Seattle to get the 2nd pick overall in that draft. Then realized it was about where they were drafted.
TB took RB Ricky Bell, we took Tony D. Wow, wonder what would have happened if that was the other way around.

 

[jazzcat22]

Walker should be on the list based on what they were able to get for him.

I think this is dealing with the value of the player based on where we picked him.

Yes, but Staubach would have been a 1st round pick. But his navy commitment kept teams away, except Dallas of course. Same for Walker, he was in the USFL, so teams stayed away. We traded to get a 5th round pick from Houston, and selected him. That alone should go as a top 10. Then what did that eventually turned in to, even a better deal.
Same thing in my book.

 

[muck4doo]

Romo has to be in consideration too. We didn't even have to use a damn pick on him. That's some serious value.

Drew Pearson also wasn't drafted.

 

[plasticman]

Sorry, i cant consider a 2nd round draft pick to be a steal. We are talking about a player that is understood to be a top 50 college player in the nation.

And if you are going to call a 3rd round player a steal then you can certainly start with Jason Witten but it certainly doesnt end there:

Other 3rd round steals:

Harvey Martin: probably the Cowboys leading sacker before they were recorded, SB co-MVP

Charlie Waters, PRO Bowl safety

And:

DeMarco Murray, the "average back" whose first ever start broke the Cowboys single game rushing record. First Cowboy since Emmitt to record back to back 1000 yard season, the last one broke the Cowboys single season record.

But here are the real steals:
Tony Dorsett
Randy White
Ed Jones

Yes, they were all either #1 or #2 overall. But how does a team with 20 consecutive winning seasons get these three picks within a 6 year span?
Did they have to sacrifice a half dozen premium picks? Hardly.

They got Jones #1 overall when they traded underacheiving DE Tody Smith to the Oilers for their #1 pick. After which they tanked the season. Same goes for Randy White for Craig Morton to the Giants. They got Dorsett with a bunch of spare picks and 3rd tier players.

Here are the late round steals that were not mentioned.

Larry Cole 16th round
Jethro Pugh 11th round
Herb Scott 13th round
Dennis Thurman 11th round

The first twi were ten year starters that played in 4 Super Bowls. Scott was a three time Pro Bowl Guard.Thurman was the leader of the most prolific D backfield in Cowboy history.