First-round picks are supposed to be the foundation for what a team is built around.
In many cases, that has been exactly how the Cowboys and other teams have had success. We all know how vital Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin were to the Cowboys being the Team of the 90s. Even this team is built around first-round talent in Ezekiel Elliott, Zack Martin, Tyron Smith and Leighton Vander Esch.
But as well know, there are exceptions.
Just like guys such as Dak Prescott can fall to the fourth round, there are first-rounders that don't pan out.
The Cowboys waived Taco Charlton, the 28th overall pick in 2017, this week after just 27 overall games. Charlton was claimed by the Dolphins, who ironically play Dallas this week at AT&T Stadium. Who knows if Charlton will be able to play in that game but he'll at least be on the sidelines facing his former team.
And he's not the first player who didn't live up to the expectations.
While the NFL has certainly evolved greatly over the years, we've narrowed this search to modern history and since Jerry Jones bought the team. So let's look at the players who had the shortest time in Dallas since being drafted in the first round since 1989.
The Cowboys have had plenty of successful first-round picks, but they don't all pan out. With Taco Charlton getting cut this week, we looked at the shortest stints by first-round picks in Jerry Jones' 30 years of owning the team.
11. Russell Maryland – 75 games
The No. 1 pick in the 1991 NFL Draft, Maryland certainly wasn't a bust. He played 10 years and he was a productive part of the Cowboys' Super Bowl winning teams, even earning a Pro Bowl in 1993. Unlike today's NFL where the best player overall is getting picked No. 1, Maryland's choice was more about the contract. Back then, the picks weren't slotted like they are now. The Cowboys had their eyes on Rocket Ismail, who signed with the CFL out of college, but eventually turned to Maryland, and convinced him to sign for a lower contract in exchange for making him the NFL's No. 1 overall pick.
10. Mike Jenkins – 71 games
When you make the Pro Bowl, it's hard to say it didn't work out. Jenkins had a good career, even in Dallas, where he played 71 games over five years. He made the Pro Bowl in 2009, along with fellow corner Terence Newman. He had eight interceptions, although five occurred in 2009 alone. He played three other seasons after he left Dallas.
9. Alvin Harper – 65 games
Probably the most productive player on this list, Harper was a key player in the Super Bowl winning teams of 1992 & 1993. Harper was a product of free agency, signing a deal with the Bucs to be their No. 1 receiver. As it turned out, he was more of a complimentary receiver, especially in an offense that featured Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith. Harper's first four seasons in Dallas included 18 touchdowns. He only had three TDs in his other three pro seasons. Most people forget he actually finished his career in Dallas, playing two games in 1999.
8. Felix Jones – 64 games
His career started out electric, as Jones is still one of 15 running backs in NFL history to begin his career with a touchdown in each of his first three games. But an injury shortened that 2008 season and after that, Jones was a productive role player in the offense, but never the featured back, which made him hard to live up to first-round status. His 73-yard touchdown run in the 2009 playoffs against the Eagles is still the longest postseason run in team history.
7. David LaFleur – 60 games
The Cowboys were hoping for the next Jay Novacek when they drafted LaFleur and while he flashed a few moments of promise, injuries got the best of him after just four seasons. At the end of the 2000 season, LaFleur retired from the game.
6. Ebenezer Ekuban – 60 games
His career in Dallas didn't exactly pan out as he would've hoped, playing only 60 games. But Ekuban had a 9-year career, with most of his production occurring in other places. Of his 36.5 career sacks, only 12.5 came with the Cowboys, although he played more games in Dallas than any other spot.
5. Bobby Carpenter – 58 games
One of the more disappointing picks by the Cowboys, simply because he wasn't able to become a regular starter. He only started three games in his four seasons with the Cowboys. To be fair, the club changed his position several times as they were making the transition from 4-3 to 3-4 and he never found a spot that fit. But ultimately, Carpenter never made an impact that justified him being drafted 18th overall.
4. Robert Jones – 56 games
He wasn't the only first-round pick in 1992, so Jones was overshadowed by Kevin Smith. Still, he started 13 games as a rookie on a team that won the Super Bowl. He was a solid player, but just got caught up in the Cowboys' philosophy at the time of not paying big contracts to linebackers. Jones played four years in Dallas, winning two rings, but had six other seasons in a 10-year career.
3. Shante Carver – 52 games
His 52 games with the Cowboys were the only games of his career. He did earn a Super Bowl ring for the 1995 season. Carver actually finished his playing career in Dallas as a member of the Desperados in the Arena League during the expansion season of 2002.
2. Morris Claiborne – 47 games
Considering the Cowboys traded up to get Claiborne with the No. 6 overall pick, it ended up not being a great move by the team. It wasn't that Claiborne wasn't a good player, but he had trouble staying healthy and appeared to have some confidence issues at times. He only had four interceptions in five seasons with the Cowboys. He's had some good years with the Jets and is currently on the Chiefs' roster but is suspended for two more games.
1. Taco Charlton – 27 games
As Stephen Jones said earlier this week after Charlton's release, sometimes it's "just not a good fit." Taco never really fit into this style of defense and usually teams, will hold onto first-round picks longer to try and develop them. But Charlton expressed his frustrations of not playing to the point where it became a distraction for the team. This week, with the Cowboys needing a roster spot for another defensive end in Robert Quinn, it just made sense to move on, ending his time with the Cowboys just two weeks into his third season.
