The Dirty Dozen, the 91-92 Draft Class, 2015 Draft Class

[tyke1doe]

For those Cowboys fans who remember, the 1975 draft class was considered the Dirty Dozen, the collection of talent that put us into Super Bowl 10 and had us playing in two others, including a victory in Super Bowl 12. I'm bolding the players who made the greatest impact:
Randy White
Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson
Bob Breunig
Pat Donovan
Herb Scott
Mitch Hoopes
Percy Howard
Randy Hughes
Scott Laidlaw
Burton Lawless
Kyle Davis
Roland Woolsey

In 1991, we built the nucleus of our Super Bowl team that would come the following year.
Russell Maryland
Alvin Harper
Kelvin Pritchett
Dixon Edwards
Godfrey Myles
James Richards
Erik Williams
Curvin Richards
Bill Musgrave
Tony Hill
Kevin Harris
Darrick Brownlow
Mike Sullivan
Leon Lett
Damon Mays
Sean Love
Tony Boles
Larry Brown

In 1992, we added the draft class that put us into Super Bowl 27 ...
Kevin Smith
Robert Jones
Jimmy Smith
Darren Woodson
Clayton Holmes
James Brown
Tom Myslinski
Greg Briggs
Rod Milstead
Fallon Wacasey
Nate Kirtman
Chris Hall
John Terry
Tim Daniel
Don Harris

Of course, this current class still has much to prove, but should this class get us to a Super Bowl ...

Byron Jones
Randy Gregory
Chaz Green
Damien Wilson
Ryan Russell
Mark Nzeocha
Laurence Gibson
Geoff Swaim
La'el Collins (free agent)

So my question is where do you think the current class will rank in the pantheon of great Cowboys drafts? Of course, this is speculation, but that's what this discussion board is for.

 

[PoundTheRock]

They haven't played a down in the NFL. They haven't even gone through a training camp.

CHILL.

 

[ScipioCowboy]

They haven't played a down in the NFL. They haven't even gone through a training camp.

CHILL.

Your use of allcaps suggests you are the one who needs to chill.

 

[EST_1986]

They haven't played a down in the NFL. They haven't even gone through a training camp.

CHILL.

its a forum where we talk about things, calm down or don't visit if talking about stuff gets you so worked up

 

[EMMITTnROY]

I gotta say, this is the most excited I've been about a draft class since the Ware/Spears draft.

I think that Gregory and Collins are Pro Bowl level talents. Jones I think will develop into an important leader on defense. And if Wilson and Russell becomes solid role players off the bench and Green or Gibson become a solid swing tackle, this will go down as an all time draft.

 

[joshjwp]

The 05 draft was an amazing draft but it didn't get us a Superbowl. However, the 04 team wasn't strarting with near the firepower the 14 team is.

 

[tyke1doe]

its a forum where we talk about things, calm down or don't visit if talking about stuff gets you so worked up

Ah, the Fan Zone, where discussions must be factual and must only revolve around what is and not what could be or should be.

 

[AmericasTeam81]

You highlighted Percy Howard? He only had one catch his entire career albeit a touchdown in super bowl 10 I think.

 

[tyke1doe]

You highlighted Percy Howard? He only had one catch his entire career albeit a touchdown in super bowl 10 I think.

You're right. Is most important contribution came when he caught a touchdown pass in the Super Bowl. A most underwhelming career. But if you have to have one career moment, I guess that would be one of the highlights.

 

[Idgit]

Love the draft on paper but some of our best drafts in recent history I haven't loved as much on paper, so who knows? I think Jones will be a hit. He might be a really big hit based off of his athletic ability alone. I think Collins is going to be a hit. The payoff in this draft really comes in if Gregory hits, and that one's a lot less likely, I think (not that I don't like the player, but he's playing a tough position, needs to add weight, and needs to stay on top of his personal issues. It's a long road for a pass rusher).

The only other player in our haul that I really like is Damien Wilson. I don't particularly dislike the others. Green and Swaim I'm not all that high on, frankly, but I do like the big three and Wilson quite a bit.

 

[jday]

Love the draft on paper but some of our best drafts in recent history I haven't loved as much on paper, so who knows? I think Jones will be a hit. He might be a really big hit based off of his athletic ability alone. I think Collins is going to be a hit. The payoff in this draft really comes in if Gregory hits, and that one's a lot less likely, I think (not that I don't like the player, but he's playing a tough position, needs to add weight, and needs to stay on top of his personal issues. It's a long road for a pass rusher).

The only other player in our haul that I really like is Damien Wilson. I don't particularly dislike the others. Green and Swaim I'm not all that high on, frankly, but I do like the big three and Wilson quite a bit.

I'm with you on this. The big 3 and Wilson are really the only guy's that stand out. Not that the other guy's are cast-away's...just, more or less, unknown quantities fighting against some unflattering scouting reports. The genius though in talent acquisition falls in a scouts ability to project what a player is capable of doing in the right system...not so much what they were able to accomplish in the system they are coming from. My guess is, that was the line of thinking behind the Chaz pick and everyone picked thereafter for the exception of Collins and Wilson.

 

[big dog cowboy]

They haven't played a down in the NFL. They haven't even gone through a training camp.

CHILL.

Welcome to the off season.

 

[QT]

You left something big off... Like the '90 draft.. Emmitt Smith. We don't have an Emmitt Smith on this current team.

BTW, Aikman was '89 and Irvin was '88. Also big parts of the superbowl runs.

I mean it's fun to compare teams, but in reality, Aikman was up and coming. Romo might be going past his prime. Plus we had better backup QB's in the 90s. Beuerlein was way better then Weedon. Beuerlein took us to the playoff game in 91 vs Detroit when Aikman got hurt.

If Romo goes down this year... bye bye playoffs...

 

[bark]

Ok since this has turned into a complaint thread. I've got one.... Randy Hughes needs to be a bolded player.
And for what it's worth, love the potential of this draft class

 

[dwreck27]

Im on the Ryan Russell bandwagon..

This kid looks like he is already a leg up on Gregory in the size department and with someone like coach rod you just know hes going to get better and better...

I feel hes going to be this years Hitchens who was a late round steal/gem

 

[guag]

You highlighted Percy Howard? He only had one catch his entire career albeit a touchdown in super bowl 10 I think.

I think he only did that because @percyhoward is a member of this forum

 

[Ratmatt]

You highlighted Percy Howard? He only had one catch his entire career albeit a touchdown in super bowl 10 I think.

Yeah,I agree.I wouldn't have highlighted Percy Howard at all.Randy Hughes gave them more than Percy Howard did.

 

[Manster68]

For those Cowboys fans who remember, the 1975 draft class was considered the Dirty Dozen, the collection of talent that put us into Super Bowl 10 and had us playing in two others, including a victory in Super Bowl 12. I'm bolding the players who made the greatest impact:
Randy White
Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson
Bob Breunig
Pat Donovan
Herb Scott
Mitch Hoopes
Percy Howard
Randy Hughes
Scott Laidlaw
Burton Lawless
Kyle Davis
Roland Woolsey

In 1991, we built the nucleus of our Super Bowl team that would come the following year.
Russell Maryland
Alvin Harper
Kelvin Pritchett
Dixon Edwards
Godfrey Myles
James Richards
Erik Williams
Curvin Richards
Bill Musgrave
Tony Hill
Kevin Harris
Darrick Brownlow
Mike Sullivan
Leon Lett
Damon Mays
Sean Love
Tony Boles
Larry Brown

In 1992, we added the draft class that put us into Super Bowl 27 ...
Kevin Smith
Robert Jones
Jimmy Smith
Darren Woodson
Clayton Holmes
James Brown
Tom Myslinski
Greg Briggs
Rod Milstead
Fallon Wacasey
Nate Kirtman
Chris Hall
John Terry
Tim Daniel
Don Harris

Of course, this current class still has much to prove, but should this class get us to a Super Bowl ...

Byron Jones
Randy Gregory
Chaz Green
Damien Wilson
Ryan Russell
Mark Nzeocha
Laurence Gibson
Geoff Swaim
La'el Collins (free agent)

So my question is where do you think the current class will rank in the pantheon of great Cowboys drafts? Of course, this is speculation, but that's what this discussion board is for.

I like what you had to say here. Let me add in something else for all to ponder.

It wasn't this one draft. It is the other drafts around them that truly made those drafts powerful.

The 70s:
1972 came Robert Newhouse
1973 came Billy Joe Dupree, Harvey Martin, Golden Richards, and Drew Pearson.
1974 came Ed "Too Tall" Jones
Then the Dirty Dozen
1976 came Tom Rafferty
1977 came Tony Dorsett and Tony Hill

Solid selections all the way through. And how dare you not bold the name Randy Hughes!

The late 80s/early 90s
1988 came Michael Irvin and Ken Norton Jr.
1989 came Troy Aikman, Daryl Johnston, Mark Stepnoski, and Tony Tolbert.
1990 came Emmitt Smith, Jimmie Jones, and Kenny Gant.
1991 & 1992
1993 came Kevin Williams and Darren Smith.

From 2010 to the present:
2010 came Dez Bryant and Sean Lee
2011 came Tyron Smith, Bruce Carter, Demarco Murray and Dwayne Harris.
2012 came Tyrone Crawford, Kyle Wilber, and James Hanna
2013 came Travis Frederick, Gavin Escobar, Terrance Williams, J.J. Wilcox, and Joseph Randle
2014 came Zach Martin, Demarcus Lawrence, Anthony Hitchens, Devin Street, Ben Gardner and Ken Bishop
and now this 2015 draft.

When you look at it from this perspective, it really looks like the Cowboys are drafting just as effectively (if not more effectively) than the previous two eras.

So it is not just 2015 - it will be what happens before and after this draft.

 

[darthseinfeld]

For those Cowboys fans who remember, the 1975 draft class was considered the Dirty Dozen, the collection of talent that put us into Super Bowl 10 and had us playing in two others, including a victory in Super Bowl 12. I'm bolding the players who made the greatest impact:
Randy White
Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson
Bob Breunig
Pat Donovan
Herb Scott
Mitch Hoopes
Percy Howard
Randy Hughes
Scott Laidlaw
Burton Lawless
Kyle Davis
Roland Woolsey

In 1991, we built the nucleus of our Super Bowl team that would come the following year.
Russell Maryland
Alvin Harper
Kelvin Pritchett
Dixon Edwards
Godfrey Myles
James Richards
Erik Williams
Curvin Richards
Bill Musgrave
Tony Hill
Kevin Harris
Darrick Brownlow
Mike Sullivan
Leon Lett
Damon Mays
Sean Love
Tony Boles
Larry Brown

In 1992, we added the draft class that put us into Super Bowl 27 ...
Kevin Smith
Robert Jones
Jimmy Smith
Darren Woodson
Clayton Holmes
James Brown
Tom Myslinski
Greg Briggs
Rod Milstead
Fallon Wacasey
Nate Kirtman
Chris Hall
John Terry
Tim Daniel
Don Harris

Of course, this current class still has much to prove, but should this class get us to a Super Bowl ...

Byron Jones
Randy Gregory
Chaz Green
Damien Wilson
Ryan Russell
Mark Nzeocha
Laurence Gibson
Geoff Swaim
La'el Collins (free agent)

So my question is where do you think the current class will rank in the pantheon of great Cowboys drafts? Of course, this is speculation, but that's what this discussion board is for.

What did we get for Pritchett?

 

[gimmesix]

For those Cowboys fans who remember, the 1975 draft class was considered the Dirty Dozen, the collection of talent that put us into Super Bowl 10 and had us playing in two others, including a victory in Super Bowl 12. I'm bolding the players who made the greatest impact:
Randy White
Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson
Bob Breunig
Pat Donovan
Herb Scott
Mitch Hoopes
Percy Howard
Randy Hughes
Scott Laidlaw
Burton Lawless
Kyle Davis
Roland Woolsey

In 1991, we built the nucleus of our Super Bowl team that would come the following year.
Russell Maryland
Alvin Harper
Kelvin Pritchett
Dixon Edwards
Godfrey Myles
James Richards
Erik Williams
Curvin Richards
Bill Musgrave
Tony Hill
Kevin Harris
Darrick Brownlow
Mike Sullivan
Leon Lett
Damon Mays
Sean Love
Tony Boles
Larry Brown

In 1992, we added the draft class that put us into Super Bowl 27 ...
Kevin Smith
Robert Jones
Jimmy Smith
Darren Woodson
Clayton Holmes
James Brown
Tom Myslinski
Greg Briggs
Rod Milstead
Fallon Wacasey
Nate Kirtman
Chris Hall
John Terry
Tim Daniel
Don Harris

Of course, this current class still has much to prove, but should this class get us to a Super Bowl ...

Byron Jones
Randy Gregory
Chaz Green
Damien Wilson
Ryan Russell
Mark Nzeocha
Laurence Gibson
Geoff Swaim
La'el Collins (free agent)

So my question is where do you think the current class will rank in the pantheon of great Cowboys drafts? Of course, this is speculation, but that's what this discussion board is for.

Will take a lot for them to even come close to those first two drafts, partly because of the sheer numbers. Hitting on just Jones, Gregory and Collins would do a lot for this team. Throw in a couple of others as key contributors and its better than the 1992 draft, which really didn't provide as many contributors as you'd like in 15 picks to be considered great.