Is 2005 the best Cowboys draft class ever?

[ConceptCoop]

1-11 DeMarcus Ware OLB Troy State
1-20 Marcus Spears DE Louisiana State
2-42 Kevin Burnett LBT ennessee
4-109 Marion Barber RB Minnesota
4-132 Chris Canty DE Virginia
6-208 Justin Beriault DB Ball State
6-209 Rob Petitti T Pittsburgh
7-224 Jay Ratliff DE Auburn

How beautiful is that? 1x HOFer, 3x Pro Bowlers and 6x multi-year staters. And remember, Petitti started every game as a rookie. Beriault is the only guy who didn't contribute - and that was due to injury.

It's hands down the best since I've been following the draft. I'm early 30s, so perhaps some older guys can weigh in. How does 2005 stack up to other great Cowboys draft classes?

 

[PJTHEDOORS]

Someone mentioned in a thread another draft class from the 70's produced 4 HOF's.

 

[Cowboy from New York]

look up dallas cowboys and the dirty dozen

 

[Plankton]

I can think of three that were better:

• 1964 - Cowboys got Mel Renfro, Bob Hayes and Roger Staubach
• 1975 - Dirty Dozen - Cowboys got Randy White, Thomas Henderson, Bob Bruenig, Pat Donovan, Herb Scott, amongst others.
• 1991 - Cowboys get Russell Maryland, Alvin Harper, Dixon Edwards, Erik Williams, Leon Lett and Larry Brown, amongst others.

All three of those drafts resulted in future Super Bowl champs.

 

[MichaelValentino]

I can think of three that were better:

• 1964 - Cowboys got Mel Renfro, Bob Hayes and Roger Staubach
• 1975 - Dirty Dozen - Cowboys got Randy White, Thomas Henderson, Bob Bruenig, Pat Donovan, Herb Scott, amongst others.
• 1991 - Cowboys get Russell Maryland, Alvin Harper, Dixon Edwards, Erik Williams, Leon Lett and Larry Brown, amongst others.

All three of those drafts resulted in future Super Bowl champs.

I agree Plankton, those are probably the top three.

1989 is up there too: Aikman, Johnston, Stepnoski and Tolbert. 1992 was close with Kevin Smith, Robert Jones and Darren Woodson. Jimmy Smith was a great pick too but he got the injury bug.

While the '64 and '75 classes may have been the best, the '74 class could have been. The Cowboys selected Too Tall Jones and Danny White that year. But they also left Jack Lambert, John Stallworth and Mike Webster on the board. What could have been. The Steelers took those three along with Lynn Swann at no. 21 and the rest is history. Pittsburgh had 21 picks in '74, whiffed on 17 and selected four future HOFers - it was and still is the gold standard of draft classes.

 

[darthseinfeld]

1-11 DeMarcus Ware OLB Troy State
1-20 Marcus Spears DE Louisiana State
2-42 Kevin Burnett LBT ennessee
4-109 Marion Barber RB Minnesota
4-132 Chris Canty DE Virginia
6-208 Justin Beriault DB Ball State
6-209 Rob Petitti T Pittsburgh
7-224 Jay Ratliff DE Auburn

How beautiful is that? 1x HOFer, 3x Pro Bowlers and 6x multi-year staters. And remember, Petitti started every game as a rookie. Beriault is the only guy who didn't contribute - and that was due to injury.

It's hands down the best since I've been following the draft. I'm early 30s, so perhaps some older guys can weigh in. How does 2005 stack up to other great Cowboys draft classes?

Funny that Petitti was the first starter of tbat group

 

[Ashwynn]

A good one, but not the best. As mentioned earlier, 1975 Dirty Dozen draft class will always be the best in my book. Or hard to top at the least, if we ever do better, WOW!

The 64 draft class was before my time, so not real familiar with that one, but that could be the best of all time for the Boys. But I lived through the 75 class and I loved it.