Manster68
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 2,538
- Reaction score
- 1,709
Folks, this is my 50th year of being a Cowboys fan. Now I have not actually watched an NFL Draft until 1988. I was in the Navy and living onboard ship in the mid 80s. In the late 80s, I was stationed at a Naval Air Station and had my own room. I could not always watch the draft.
In the 60s & 70s, Landry hit on a number of 1st round picks:
1961 - Lilly
1963 - Jordan
1965 - Morton (later traded for 1st rd pick Randy White)
1966 - Niland
1967 - pick traded for Neely
1969 - Hill
1970 - Duane Thomas
1973 - DuPree
1974 - Too Tall Jones
1975 - Randy White & Hollywood Henderson
1977 - Dorsett
1979 - Shaw (career cut off from injury)
Since I was a Cowboys fan, the two drafts that created a buzz were the Dirty Dozen in 1975 and trading up for Tony Dorsett in 1977. I clearly remember the anticipated excitement of seeing Dorsett in the summer of 1977. I was starting 8th Grade.
The drafts from 1988 thru 1993 were wonderful. One way or another, the Cowboys knocked these out of the park for the most part.
1988 - Irvin, Norton Jr., & future USAF pilot Chad Hennings made Landry's final draft outstanding.
1989 - Aikman, Moose, Stepnoski, & Tolbert made this one of the greatest drafts in history.
1990 - Emmitt Smith, Alexander Wright, Jimmie Jones & Kenny Gant. Jimmy traded most of these picks.
1991 - Maryland, Harper, Dixon Edwards, Godfrey Myles, Erik Williams, Leon Lett, and Larry Brown. The third greatest Cowboys draft of all time behind the Dirty Dozen in 1975 & 1964 (Renfro, Hayes, & Staubach all in the Hall of Fame)
1992 - Kevin Smith, Robert Jones, Woodson, & Clayton Holmes. Too bad Dallas gave up on Jimmy Smith too soon.
1993 - Kevin Williams, Darrin Smith, Brock Marion, & picks traded for Charles Haley & Thomas Everett.
I didn't get excited over another draft until 2002. This is the only time the first two players selected were the ones I wanted all along. Roy Williams and Andre Gurode. Both of them played in 5 Pro Bowls. Too bad Antonio Bryant and Derek Ross were head cases. This draft could have been a stellar one.
2005 - The best draft this century. Ware (HOF), Spears, Kevin Burnett, Chris Canty, Marion Barber, & Jay Ratliff. Too bad Justin Beriault couldn't make it on the field.
There were some good drafts here I liked
2008 - Felix Jones, Mike Jenkins, Martellus Bennett, & Orlando Scandrick.
2010 - Dez Bryant & Sean Lee
2011 - Tyron Smith, Bruce Carter, DeMarco Murray, & Dwayne Harris
2014 - Zach Martin, D-Law, & Hitchins
Then there was 2016 - Elliott, Jaylon Smith, Collins, Prescott, Brown, & Frazier. Currently, the second best draft this century.
2018 - LVE, Williams, Gallup, & Armstrong.
However, NONE of these drafts excite me like the Cowboys 2020 draft. Time remains to be seen, but this draft could propel the Cowboys back in the Super Bowl. I love every single pick.
In the 60s & 70s, Landry hit on a number of 1st round picks:
1961 - Lilly
1963 - Jordan
1965 - Morton (later traded for 1st rd pick Randy White)
1966 - Niland
1967 - pick traded for Neely
1969 - Hill
1970 - Duane Thomas
1973 - DuPree
1974 - Too Tall Jones
1975 - Randy White & Hollywood Henderson
1977 - Dorsett
1979 - Shaw (career cut off from injury)
Since I was a Cowboys fan, the two drafts that created a buzz were the Dirty Dozen in 1975 and trading up for Tony Dorsett in 1977. I clearly remember the anticipated excitement of seeing Dorsett in the summer of 1977. I was starting 8th Grade.
The drafts from 1988 thru 1993 were wonderful. One way or another, the Cowboys knocked these out of the park for the most part.
1988 - Irvin, Norton Jr., & future USAF pilot Chad Hennings made Landry's final draft outstanding.
1989 - Aikman, Moose, Stepnoski, & Tolbert made this one of the greatest drafts in history.
1990 - Emmitt Smith, Alexander Wright, Jimmie Jones & Kenny Gant. Jimmy traded most of these picks.
1991 - Maryland, Harper, Dixon Edwards, Godfrey Myles, Erik Williams, Leon Lett, and Larry Brown. The third greatest Cowboys draft of all time behind the Dirty Dozen in 1975 & 1964 (Renfro, Hayes, & Staubach all in the Hall of Fame)
1992 - Kevin Smith, Robert Jones, Woodson, & Clayton Holmes. Too bad Dallas gave up on Jimmy Smith too soon.
1993 - Kevin Williams, Darrin Smith, Brock Marion, & picks traded for Charles Haley & Thomas Everett.
I didn't get excited over another draft until 2002. This is the only time the first two players selected were the ones I wanted all along. Roy Williams and Andre Gurode. Both of them played in 5 Pro Bowls. Too bad Antonio Bryant and Derek Ross were head cases. This draft could have been a stellar one.
2005 - The best draft this century. Ware (HOF), Spears, Kevin Burnett, Chris Canty, Marion Barber, & Jay Ratliff. Too bad Justin Beriault couldn't make it on the field.
There were some good drafts here I liked
2008 - Felix Jones, Mike Jenkins, Martellus Bennett, & Orlando Scandrick.
2010 - Dez Bryant & Sean Lee
2011 - Tyron Smith, Bruce Carter, DeMarco Murray, & Dwayne Harris
2014 - Zach Martin, D-Law, & Hitchins
Then there was 2016 - Elliott, Jaylon Smith, Collins, Prescott, Brown, & Frazier. Currently, the second best draft this century.
2018 - LVE, Williams, Gallup, & Armstrong.
However, NONE of these drafts excite me like the Cowboys 2020 draft. Time remains to be seen, but this draft could propel the Cowboys back in the Super Bowl. I love every single pick.
