Actually, in the 1990 Draft, the Cowboys ended with 6 players selected (Emmitt Smith, Alexander Wright, Jimmie Jones, Stan Smagala, Kenny Gant, Dave Harper). They traded a boatload of picks associated with that draft, a number of transactions happening in 1989:
1989 transactions
- They lost their own first round pick (#1 overall) due to selecting Steve Walsh in the 1989 supplemental draft.
- They also lost their own twelfth round pick (#305 overall) due to selecting Mike Lowman in the 1989 supplemental draft.
- They traded DT Kevin Brooks and their 1990 fourth round pick (#82 overall) to Denver for their 1990 third round pick (#80 overall).
- They traded QB Steve Pelleur to Kansas City for their 1990 third round pick (#68 overall) and a conditional third rounder in 1991 (became Bill Musgrave).
- They also traded RB Darrin Nelson (part of the Walker trade - refused to play in Dallas) to San Diego for a 1990 fifth round pick (#116 overall) - reverted to Minnesota as part of Walker deal.
- They traded QB Scott Secules to Miami for a 1990 fifth round pick (#120 overall).
- They traded LB Steve DeOssie to the Giants for a 1990 sixth round pick (#163 overall).
- They traded OT Daryle Smith to Seattle for a 1990 ninth round pick (#230 overall).
- They traded OT Zefross Moss to Indianapolis for a 1990 tenth round pick (#259 overall).
- They traded their original eighth rounder in 1990 (#194 overall) to Detroit for RB Paul Palmer.
- They traded their original fifth rounder (#110 overall) to Washington for DT Dean Hamel.
1990 transactions
- In the Herschel Walker deal, they picked up Minnesota's 1990 first round pick (#21 overall), 1990 second round pick (#47 overall), and 1990 sixth round pick (#158 overall). They traded Minnesota their third round pick (#54 overall), fifth round pick (#116 overall) and tenth round pick in 1990 (#249 overall) as part of that deal.
- To get Emmitt Smith, the Cowboys traded their first round pick (#21 overall), and their third round pick (#81 overall) to Pittsburgh for the #17 overall pick.
- Before the draft, they traded their second round pick (#47 overall) and their third round pick (#68 overall) to San Francisco for DE Daniel Stubbs, RB Terrence Flagler, a 1990 third round pick (#81 overall) and a 1990 eleventh round pick (#304 overall).
- Traded up to get Jimmie Jones in the third round (#64 overall) by trading their third round pick (#80 overall), their fifth round pick (#120 overall) and their seventh round pick (#143 overall) for the third round pick used for Jones, a 1990 sixth round pick (#143 overall) and a 1990 eighth round pick (#197 overall).
- Traded three 1990 sixth round picks (#138, 143, 163 overall) to San Diego for a 1991 third round pick (#62 overall - became Godfrey Myles).
- Traded a 1990 sixth round pick (#158 overall), a eighth round pick (#197 overall), a ninth round pick (#230 overall), a tenth round pick (#259 overall) and an eleventh round pick (#304 overall) for CB Stan Smagala (picked by the Raiders at Pick #122 in round five).
In the 1990 draft, the Cowboys entered the draft with the following picks (Cowboy picks in
bold):
21 (TE Eric Green)
26 (WR Alexander Wright)
80 (WR Greg McMurtry)
81 (DE Craig Veasey)
120 (RB James Gray)
138 (QB John Friesz)
158 (LB James Williams)
163 (TE Derrick Walker)
166 (OT Brent Griffith)
221 (DB Kenny Gant)
230 (FB Leon Perry)
259 (DE Jim Szymanski)
277 (LB Dave Harper)
They exited the draft with the following picks:
17 - RB Emmitt Smith
26 - WR Alexander Wright
64 - DT Jimmie Jones
122 - CB Stan Smagala
221 - DB Kenny Gant
277 - LB Dave Harper
two 1991 third rounders (became LB Godfrey Myles and QB Bill Musgrave)
Sometimes, bundling and trading does work out. I'm tired after all of this.
