The best picks of each round

[Manster68]

I thought I would share my thoughts of the best draft picks Dallas had from each round in their history.

1st Round – I will not single anyone out of this group: Bob Lilly (1961), Lee Roy Jordan (1963), John Niland (1966), Calvin Hill (1969), Duane Thomas (1970), Billy Joe DuPree (1973), Ed Jones (1974), Randy White (1975), Tony Dorsett (1977), Jim Jeffcoat (1983), Michael Irvin (1988), Troy Aikman (1989), Emmitt Smith (1990), Greg Ellis (1998), Roy Williams (2002), Terrance Newman (2003), and Demarcus Ware (?)(2005)

I may not single out any of these, but I bet you sure will have your debate. I just think Dallas did extremely well with each of these picks. Of course, the jury is still out on Williams, Newman, and Ware.

2nd round – Tough, tough choice between (soon to be Hall of Famer) Larry Allen (1994) and Hall of Famer Mel Renfro (1964). I will go with Larry Allen though.

Honorable Mentions go to Robert Newhouse (1972), Golden Richards (1973), Ken Norton Jr. (1988), Darren Woodson (1992), and Flozell Adams (1998).

3rd Round – Erik Williams (NUFF CEDD!!!) (1991)

Honorable Mentions go to Charlie Waters (1970), Harvey Martin (1973), Bob Breunig (1975), Butch Johnson (1976), Tony Hill (1977), Doug Cosbie (1979), Mark Stepnoski (1989), and Jason Witten (2003).

4th Round – Tom Rafferty (1976)

Honorable Mentions go to John Fitzgerald (1970), Pat Donovan & Randy Hughes (1975), Kelvin Martin (1987), Tony Tolbert (1989), and hopefully Marion Barber & Chris Canty (2005).

5th Round – Hershal Walker (1985) Not only for his playing days, but also for his sacrifice leading to the greatest trade in Cowboys history.

Honorable Mentions go to Walt Garrison (1966), and Blaine Nye (1968).

Yes folks, Dallas hasn’t had a good fifth rounder since Hershal 21 years ago.

6th round – George Andrie (1962)

Honorable Mentions go to D.D. Lewis (1968), Pat Toomay (1970), Timmy Newsome (1980), and Eugene Lockhart (1984).

7th Round – Bob Hayes (1964)

Honorable Mentions go to Hall of Famer Rayfield Wright (1967), Mike Hegman (1975), Ron Springs (1981), Leon Lett (1991), and hopefully Jacques Reeves & Patrick Crayton (2004)

8th Round – Kevin Gogan (1987)

9th Round – Kenny Gant (1990)

10th Round – Roger Staubach (1964) I think Dallas made the best of this pick.

11th Round – Jethro Pugh (1965)

Honorable Mentions go to Dennis Thurman (1978) and Chad Hennings (1988).

12th Round – Larry Brown (1991)

13th Round – Herb Scott (1975)

Honorable Mentions go to Mark Washington (1970) and Jean Fugett (1972)

14th Round – Scott Laidlaw (1975)

15th Round – None

16th Round – Larry Cole (1968)

Okay, let the debating begin!!!

 

[J-DOG]

How about the best free agent?

Thanksgiving day miracle...the Hail Mary catch...

Was Cliff Harris a FA also??
If so he would be a good choice.

 

[SilverStarCowboy]

3rd Round – Erik Williams (NUFF CEDD!!!) (1991)

Honorable Mentions go to Charlie Waters (1970), Harvey Martin (1973), Bob Breunig (1975), Butch Johnson (1976), Tony Hill (1977), Doug Cosbie (1979), Mark Stepnoski (1989), and Jason Witten (2003).


Everyone you wrote down was better than Big E.

 

[Manster68]

3rd Round – Erik Williams (NUFF CEDD!!!) (1991)

Honorable Mentions go to Charlie Waters (1970), Harvey Martin (1973), Bob Breunig (1975), Butch Johnson (1976), Tony Hill (1977), Doug Cosbie (1979), Mark Stepnoski (1989), and Jason Witten (2003).


Everyone you wrote down was better than Big E.

Erik Williams dominated his position and constanly beat the pi$$ out of the likes of Reggie White, William Fuller, Simeon Rice, Michael Strahan...

you name him, and he pounded him.

 

[Woods]

Erik Williams dominated his position and constanly beat the pi$$ out of the likes of Reggie White, William Fuller, Simeon Rice, Michael Strahan...

you name him, and he pounded him.

I'd prefer Harvey Martin over Big E.

 

[THUMPER]

I thought I would share my thoughts of the best draft picks Dallas had from each round in their history.

1st Round – I will not single anyone out of this group: Bob Lilly (1961), Lee Roy Jordan (1963), John Niland (1966), Calvin Hill (1969), Duane Thomas (1970), Billy Joe DuPree (1973), Ed Jones (1974), Randy White (1975), Tony Dorsett (1977), Jim Jeffcoat (1983), Michael Irvin (1988), Troy Aikman (1989), Emmitt Smith (1990), Greg Ellis (1998), Roy Williams (2002), Terrance Newman (2003), and Demarcus Ware (?)(2005)

I may not single out any of these, but I bet you sure will have your debate. I just think Dallas did extremely well with each of these picks. Of course, the jury is still out on Williams, Newman, and Ware.

Out of that group I would have to say Bob Lilly, Randy White, and Emmitt Smith would be at the top. But of course I will go with "Mr. Cowboy" himself as the best player the Cowboys have ever had. Tom Landry called Bob Lilly "the best player I ever coached".

3rd Round – Erik Williams (NUFF CEDD!!!) (1991)

Honorable Mentions go to Charlie Waters (1970), Harvey Martin (1973), Bob Breunig (1975), Butch Johnson (1976), Tony Hill (1977), Doug Cosbie (1979), Mark Stepnoski (1989), and Jason Witten (2003).

I would go with "The Beautiful" Harvey Martin over Big-E by a small margin. Big-E was the better player but wasn't at his peak for long. His car accident cost him, and us, big time.

Nice list though, I enjoyed reading all of those names from the past. Thanks.

 

[Rack]

3rd Round – Erik Williams (NUFF CEDD!!!) (1991)

Honorable Mentions go to Charlie Waters (1970), Harvey Martin (1973), Bob Breunig (1975), Butch Johnson (1976), Tony Hill (1977), Doug Cosbie (1979), Mark Stepnoski (1989), and Jason Witten (2003).

Disagree. Williams COULD HAVE been the best pick if he wasn't an idiot.

Harvey Martin tops this list. 23 sacks in a season. Nuff said.

 

[morasp]

Don't know which round it was but Everson Walls needs to be in there he was clutch.

 

[Rack]

Don't know which round it was but Everson Walls needs to be in there he was clutch.

Everson Walls was an undrafted Free Agent.

 

[NinePointOh]

Of course, the jury is still out on Williams, Newman, and Ware.

Roy has already been to 3 Pro Bowls. What else does he have to do to be considered a good draft pick?

 

[Manster68]

I can see the arguement for Harvey Martin. He was a fabulous pass rusher. Maybe the best pure pass rusher the Cowboys ever had (including Haley).

However, I am not backing down from Erik Williams either. He put together a great career in Dallas.

To me, what puts Williams over the top is not only the way he dominated great pass rushers like Reggie White, but also he pounded them into submission.

Big E received NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors in early November of 1992 for the way he kicked White's ***!

In 1995, after William Fuller cheap shotted Aikman, Big E beat him up so bad that he QUIT! The 4th quarter came around and Fuller didn't want any part of him! I have never seen another offensive lineman do that.

Dallas would play the Cardinals and Giants and we fans would not have to worry about Simeon Rice and Michael Strahan.

And Big E did that to EVERYONE!

I was so happy to have Erik Williams on the Cowboys.

And to be fair, I was also very happy to have Harvey Martin as well.

 

[THUMPER]

Had Erik Williams not been a bonehead he could have been a first-ballot HoFer. He was the best RT in football at the time and the most dominant lineman in the league.

It was a tossup for a while who was the better OL, Williams or Allen but Larry stayed healthy while Big-E went and darn near killed himself in a car wreck while being an idiot.

I loved watching Big-E make guys like Wedgie Whine become totally frustrated and take them out of the game.

I wonder which of our SB O-Lines would be considered the best:

1992: LT-Tuinei, LG-Newton, C-Stepnoski, RG-Gesek, RT-Williams

1993: LT-Tuinei, LG-Newton, C-Gesek, RG-Gogan, RT-Williams

1995: LT-Tuinei, LG-Newton, C-Kennard, RG-Allen, RT-Williams

I tend to lean towards the 1995 O-Line as the best but a case can be made for any of them.

 

[trickblue]

1995: LT-Tuinei, LG-Newton, C-Kennard, RG-Allen, RT-Williams

I tend to lean towards the 1995 O-Line as the best but a case can be made for any of them.

All three were fantastic, but in the 1995 OL Derrick Kennard was a back-up guard... I think you mean Pro Bowler Ray Donaldson at C...

 

[Jarv]

7th Round – Bob Hayes (1964)

Honorable Mentions go to Hall of Famer Rayfield Wright (1967), Mike Hegman (1975), Ron Springs (1981), Leon Lett (1991), and hopefully Jacques Reeves & Patrick Crayton (2004)



Okay, let the debating begin!!!

Nice work there bro.

For some reason tho I thought Ron Springs came from Pittsburgh ? Thought I heard Cosell mention it in a game once ? Maybe it was Preston Pearson tho....

 

[AbeBeta]

All three were fantastic, but in the 1995 OL Derrick Kennard was a back-up guard... I think you mean Pro Bowler Ray Donaldson at C...

That line showed that it didn't really matter who you put in at center, as long as it wasn't Clay Shiver.

 

[THUMPER]

All three were fantastic, but in the 1995 OL Derrick Kennard was a back-up guard... I think you mean Pro Bowler Ray Donaldson at C...

Nope, Kennard started at Center against the Steelers in the SB. If you put Donaldson in (since he started for most of the year) then I would have to say it was the 1995 O-Line without a doubt.

 

[trickblue]

Nope, Kennard started at Center against the Steelers in the SB. If you put Donaldson in (since he started for most of the year) then I would have to say it was the 1995 O-Line without a doubt.

I missed the SB qualifier...

 

[Manster68]

Nice work there bro.

For some reason tho I thought Ron Springs came from Pittsburgh ? Thought I heard Cosell mention it in a game once ? Maybe it was Preston Pearson tho....

Preston Pearson did play for the Steelers and before that, the Colts.

 

[Manster68]

Nope, Kennard started at Center against the Steelers in the SB. If you put Donaldson in (since he started for most of the year) then I would have to say it was the 1995 O-Line without a doubt.

That was such a bummer when Donaldson went out for the season on Thanksgiving against Kansas City.

That was the same game where Novachek leaped over the defensive back for a TD. I'll never forget that.

 

[ravidubey]

I thought I would share my thoughts of the best draft picks Dallas had from each round in their history...

Great post!!