Which Team Had the Number 1 Overall Selection Three Years in a Row?

[plasticman]

It may shock you to know that it was the Dallas Cowboys......technically.

The Cowboys earned the #1 selection in the draft after the 1988 season, Landry's last.

Obviously, the Cowboys earned it again the following season in 1989 when they went 1-15, right? Well, yes, but that pick was forfeited when they selected QB Steve Walsh in the 1989 supplemental draft.

The Cowboys received the #1 overall pick in 1991 as well when they made a trade up with New England for the first pick.

The Cowboys may seem to have erased a golden opportunity when they took Walsh. However, they ended up trading him to the Saints for a 1st and a 3rd that season and a #2 the following season.

Originally, the Cowboys were thought to have wanted to draft Rocket Ismail with the 1991 first overall pick that they traded up for but he signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL the day of the draft. So, the Cowboys took Jimmy's recruit, Russell Maryland. He didn't have a HOF career, but he was an important part of the middle of the Cowboys defense in the early 90's along with Tony Cassilas, Leon Lett, and Jimmy Jones.

 

[plasticman]

Apparently, I didn't pay attention to the fact that we cannot put special characters in the title.

It should read #1 overall pick.

.........But I'm sure that 99.95% of you realize that........sorry, other 0.05%.

 

[exciter]

Still believe Jerry doesn’t feel he got enough bang for the buck with that Maryland pick and it’s a big part of why he won’t invest high end draft capital on the position 30 some odd years later!

 

[cowboyec]

i still believe russell maryland was one of our greatest dt's in our very rich history at that position.
☆bob lilly
☆jethro pugh
☆randy white
☆john dutton
☆russell maryland
☆leon lett
☆chad hennings
☆jay ratliff
and on and on and on

 

[CowboyRoy]

It may shock you to know that it was the Dallas Cowboys......technically.

The Cowboys earned the #1 selection in the draft after the 1988 season, Landry's last.

Obviously, the Cowboys earned it again the following season in 1989 when they went 1-15, right? Well, yes, but that pick was forfeited when they selected QB Steve Walsh in the 1989 supplemental draft.

The Cowboys received the #1 overall pick in 1991 as well when they made a trade up with New England for the first pick.

The Cowboys may seem to have erased a golden opportunity when they took Walsh. However, they ended up trading him to the Saints for a 1st and a 3rd that season and a #2 the following season.

Originally, the Cowboys were thought to have wanted to draft Rocket Ismail with the 1991 first overall pick that they traded up for but he signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL the day of the draft. So, the Cowboys took Jimmy's recruit, Russell Maryland. He didn't have a HOF career, but he was an important part of the middle of the Cowboys defense in the early 90's along with Tony Cassilas, Leon Lett, and Jimmy Jones.

Yah Aikman was the only pick that worked out in all that. Maryland was a disappointment as the #1 pick.

 

[NotForLong]

Maryland, Tony Cassilas, Leon Lett, and Jimmy Jones. . . .Championship

While Jerry has been chasing Triplets and War Horses and Reclamation Projects in the 2nd Round . . . A key part of the success of the 90s has been criminally ignored

Come on Jerry please address the Position this year . . . Throw some resources at it

How long have we cried for real Safeties and lo and behold we got 3 and since then we have led the league in turnovers 2 years in a row (a complete 180° from the Heath days)

I want 2 . . . I want one that pounces like a cat to clean up all the scraps from the Edge Rushers and I want a Trash can full of Dirt to clog the Middle and occupy 2 bodies. . . add them to a Rotation with Hankins and Osa and we can roll with that

 

[joseephuss]

The Walsh pick worked out, but only because the Saints overpaid Dallas to acquire him. The Cowboys were able to use those picks to move around and end up with Erik Williams along with Russell Maryland. While Maryland didn't play up to a #1 draft status, he was an important cog in the Dallas dynasty.

I always believed had Dallas not drafted Walsh, they probably draft Cortez Kennedy #1 overall in the 1990 draft. That would have greatly changed how things went. While Kennedy was far better than Maryland and would have anchored that defense, it most likely would have meant no Emmitt Smith. Things ended up well for Dallas after gambling on a QB who was really no better than Steve Pelluer.

 

[kskboys]

i still believe russell maryland was one of our greatest dt's in our very rich history at that position.
☆bob lilly
☆jethro pugh
☆randy white
☆john dutton
☆russell maryland
☆leon lett
☆chad hennings
☆jay ratliff
and on and on and on

Jimmie Jones!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[kskboys]

Yah Aikman was the only pick that worked out in all that. Maryland was a disappointment as the #1 pick.

He really wasn't.

 

[joseephuss]

Maryland, Tony Cassilas, Leon Lett, and Jimmy Jones. . . .Championship

While Jerry has been chasing Triplets and War Horses and Reclamation Projects in the 2nd Round . . . A key part of the success of the 90s has been criminally ignored

Come on Jerry please address the Position this year . . . Throw some resources at it

How long have we cried for real Safeties and lo and behold we got 3 and since then we have led the league in turnovers 2 years in a row (a complete 180° from the Heath days)

I want 2 . . . I want one that pounces like a cat to clean up all the scraps from the Edge Rushers and I want a Trash can full of Dirt to clog the Middle and occupy 2 bodies. . . add them to a Rotation with Hankins and Osa and we can roll with that

I agree resources are needed to be used in the middle of the d-line, but your examples don't quite prove your point.

Tony Casillas was a bit of a reclamation project the Cowboys were able to get for a 2nd round pick(plus an 8th) from Atlanta.

Leon Lett was drafted in the 7th round.

Jimmie Jones was drafted in the 3rd round.

Dallas is nowhere near to having a #1 pick needed to get a Maryland type.

Chad Hennings was drafted in the 11th round by the Landry regime.

Jerry saw those great defensive lines built with a bunch of guys found outside of the first round. It stuck in his head.

 

[baltcowboy]

It may shock you to know that it was the Dallas Cowboys......technically.

The Cowboys earned the #1 selection in the draft after the 1988 season, Landry's last.

Obviously, the Cowboys earned it again the following season in 1989 when they went 1-15, right? Well, yes, but that pick was forfeited when they selected QB Steve Walsh in the 1989 supplemental draft.

The Cowboys received the #1 overall pick in 1991 as well when they made a trade up with New England for the first pick.

The Cowboys may seem to have erased a golden opportunity when they took Walsh. However, they ended up trading him to the Saints for a 1st and a 3rd that season and a #2 the following season.

Originally, the Cowboys were thought to have wanted to draft Rocket Ismail with the 1991 first overall pick that they traded up for but he signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL the day of the draft. So, the Cowboys took Jimmy's recruit, Russell Maryland. He didn't have a HOF career, but he was an important part of the middle of the Cowboys defense in the early 90's along with Tony Cassilas, Leon Lett, and Jimmy Jones.

You could say the Cowboys screwed up on two of the selections. Just goes to show that having the top pick means nothing in a draft that does not have stars. The Russell Maryland draft was awful at the top.

 

[NotForLong]

I agree resources are needed to be used in the middle of the d-line, but your examples don't quite prove your point.

Tony Casillas was a bit of a reclamation project the Cowboys were able to get for a 2nd round pick(plus an 8th) from Atlanta.

Leon Lett was drafted in the 7th round.

Jimmie Jones was drafted in the 3rd round.

Dallas is nowhere near to having a #1 pick needed to get a Maryland type.

Chad Hennings was drafted in the 11th round by the Landry regime.

Jerry saw those great defensive lines built with a bunch of guys found outside of the first round. It stuck in his head.

I understand that but Him ignoring the position has been a detriment to this team. . . I am hoping this year is the year we address it

Mazi could be the Maryland . . . Breese could be the Hennings

 

[gtb1943]

As I have said, for a man that played guard on a National Championship team, the way Jerry Jones ignores quality at DT is really puzzling.

 

[joseephuss]

You could say the Cowboys screwed up on two of the selections. Just goes to show that having the top pick means nothing in a draft that does not have stars. The Russell Maryland draft was awful at the top.

It sure was. That draft had some very good players that had nice careers, but only a few who had full on great careers and most of those were found outside of the first round that year. The entire draft had only 2 HoFers, which is low and both(Brett Favre and Aeneas Williams) were outside of the 1st round.

Other notable DT drafted in the first round that year were #6 Eric Swann(Cardinals), #20 Kelvin Pritchett(Cowboys), and #25 Ted Washington(49ers), . Their career production were comparable to Maryland's and probably could have fit in well on the Cowboys defensive front if things went differently. Pritchett was traded to Detroit during that same draft.

 

[Stash]

The Walsh pick worked out, but only because the Saints overpaid Dallas to acquire him. The Cowboys were able to use those picks to move around and end up with Erik Williams along with Russell Maryland. While Maryland didn't play up to a #1 draft status, he was an important cog in the Dallas dynasty.

I always believed had Dallas not drafted Walsh, they probably draft Cortez Kennedy #1 overall in the 1990 draft. That would have greatly changed how things went. While Kennedy was far better than Maryland and would have anchored that defense, it most likely would have meant no Emmitt Smith. Things ended up well for Dallas after gambling on a QB who was really no better than Steve Pelluer.

Yes, Jimmy and the Cowboys were fortunate to have been able to find someone willing to give them something for Steve Walsh. The Saints bailed them out.

 

[Stash]

You could say the Cowboys screwed up on two of the selections. Just goes to show that having the top pick means nothing in a draft that does not have stars. The Russell Maryland draft was awful at the top.

That entire draft in retrospect was pretty awful. And Johnson and the Cowboys had their fair share of misses (James Richards anyone?). Not exactly a great year to have the #1 overall pick.

 

[baltcowboy]

Yes, Jimmy and the Cowboys were fortunate to have been able to find someone willing to give them something for Steve Walsh. The Saints bailed them out.

Did Walsh even play 4 years in the league? Jimmy Johnson was not perfect.

 

[Stash]

Did Walsh even play 4 years in the league? Jimmy Johnson was not perfect.

He managed to stick around for over a decade.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WalsSt00.htm

 

[CowboyRoy]

He really wasn't.

Maryland?

 

[plasticman]

Even before Maryland was drafted, Jimmy said he was the kind of player that you didn't notice in games but at the end you would read a handful of tackles, maybe a sack and a forced fumbles.

Maryland was the type that "redirected" plays.