FRISCO, Texas – The Cowboys will select 12th overall in the 2025 NFL draft, a pick that has a track record of success for Dallas and the NFL. Here's a look at some of the history behind the number 12:
Cowboys' history at #12 overall
The Cowboys have picked 12th overall three times in franchise history: Micah Parsons, Alvin Harper and Danny Noonan.
Noonan was the first #12 selection for the Cowboys back in 1987 out of Nebraska, where he was a unanimous-All American defensive lineman. He played for the Cowboys from 1987-1992, where he played in 67 games, tallied 15 career sacks, plus a pick-six and a safety. Noonan was on the 1992 Super Bowl team for two games before being claimed by the Packers off waivers.
In 1991, the Cowboys selected 12th again and chose Harper out of Tennessee, where he was a second-team All-SEC wide receiver in 1990. Harper spend his first four seasons with Dallas from 1991-94, catching 124 passes for 2,486 yards and 18 touchdowns. In the 1992 NFC championship game, Harper caught a 70-yard slant to set up the Cowboys on the 10-yard line and beat the San Francisco 49ers en route to their Super Bowl championship. Harper won two Super Bowls with the Cowboys in 1992 and 1993.
2021 was the last time the Cowboys had the 12th pick, and they made it count, selecting Micah Parsons out of Penn State. In four seasons with the Cowboys, Parsons has made the Pro Bowl in all four season and is a two-time All-Pro. He's recorded 52.5 sacks, 256 tackles, 112 quarterback hits, and nine forced fumbles in that time span. Parsons and Reggie White are the only two players in NFL history to have 12 or more sacks in their first four NFL seasons.
NFL history at #12 overall
Since the NFL-AFL merger, the 12th overall pick has seen some talent players and even coaches spring out of it. Warren Sapp is the currently the lone Hall of Famer to be selected at 12 back in 1995 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he played for eight seasons winning a Super Bowl and a defensive player of the year award.
Two potential future Hall of Famers picked at 12 are former Eagles defensive lineman Fletcher Cox and former Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch. Cox was selected 12th overall by Philadelphia in 2012 and played all 12 of his NFL season with the Eagles where he registered 70 career sacks and was a six-time Pro Bowler. Lynch was drafted by the Buffalo Bills at 12th overall in 2007 and made his largest impact with the Seattle Seahawks from 2011-14 where he went to four Pro Bowls and won a Super Bowl.
Aaron Glenn was the 12th pick in the 1994 NFL draft by the New York Jets as a cornerback, and was a three-time Pro Bowler in his playing days. Now, he's the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions and a major part of their recent success, including a 15-2 record in the regular season and the #1 seed in the NFC in 2024.
Last twelve #12 overall picks:
2024: Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos
2023: Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions
2022: Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions
2021: Micah Parsons, DE, Dallas Cowboys
2020: Henry Ruggs III, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
2019: Rashan Gary, DE, Green Bay Packers
2018: Vita Vea, DL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2017: Deshaun Watson, QB, Houston Texans
2016: Sheldon Rankins, DT, New Orleans Saints
2015: Danny Shelton, DT, Cleveland Browns
2014: Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants
2013: D.J. Hayden, CB, Las Vegas Raiders
