Rank'Em
Rank 'Em: Cowboys' All-Time First-Round Steals
It's been 30 years since the Cowboys drafted Emmitt Smith at No. 17. Who are the Cowboys' all-time first-round steals? Check out our top 10.
10. Leighton Vander Esch (19th overall, 2018)
Byron Jones, now a Miami Dolphin, was strongly considered for this spot, but Vander Esch makes the list based on outstanding early returns. LVE became the third defensive rookie in Cowboys history to make the Pro Bowl after setting a franchise rookie record for tackles in a season. Last year a neck injury requiring surgery ended his season early, but the team is confident he'll make a full recovery.
9. Calvin Hill (24th overall, 1969)
Drafted near the end of the first round, Hill won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 1969 and was a key contributor on the Cowboys' inaugural Super Bowl team two years later. He went on make four Pro Bowl appearances in six seasons with Dallas.
8. Billy Joe Dupree (20th overall, 1973)
Jason Witten is the best tight end in team history, but Dupree was the first Cowboys tight end to significantly stretch the field in the passing game. He made three Pro Bowls in 11 seasons with the team, including the 1977 Super Bowl season, and posted over 3,500 career receiving yards at 13.4 yards a catch.
7. Travis Frederick (31st overall, 2013)
At the time, many draft observers argued that Frederick wasn't a first-round talent. He turned out to be a five-time Pro Bowler in six healthy seasons with the Cowboys, including last year after a successful return from Gullain-Barre syndrome. Last month he announced his retirement at age 29.
6. Zack Martin (16th overall, 2014)
Martin might rise up this list by the end of his career. The Cowboys famously passed on quarterback Johnny Manziel for a 'safer' choice: Martin, an accomplished lineman at Notre Dame. Six years later, Martin is a six-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro guard for Dallas, recently selected to the NFL's 2010s All-Decade team.
5. DeMarcus Ware (11th overall, 2005)
You might not call Ware a "steal" just outside the top 10, but NFL teams had questions about his level of college competition at smaller Troy. Not the Cowboys. Ware was a perfect fit in their transition to a 3-4 defense, and he finished his Cowboys career as their all-time sack leader (117).
4. Michael Irvin (11th overall, 1988)
Like Ware, Irvin wasn't a low first-round pick, but his individual greatness can't be ignored. He emerged as a Hall of Fame wideout and the emotional leader of arguably the greatest team in NFL history. A re-draft of the '88 draft would certainly put him in conversation for the top overall pick.
3. Dez Bryant (24th overall, 2010)
A top-10 talent out of Oklahoma State, Bryant's draft stock tumbled after the NCAA ruled him ineligible for lying about a visit to Deion Sanders' house before his junior year. Turned out to be the Cowboys' gain. A three-time Pro Bowler in eight seasons with the Cowboys (2010-17), Bryant is the team's all-time leader in touchdown catches (73).
2. Bob Lilly (13th overall, 1961)
The 13th pick doesn't seem like a major steal in today's NFL, but remember, in 1961 the league had only 14 teams. That means Lilly, the Cowboys' first-ever draft pick and their first Hall of Fame player, almost was a second-round pick in his era. Pretty good value, we'd say.
1. Emmitt Smith (17th overall, 1990)
And to think, the Cowboys originally had their eye on linebacker James Francis before he went to Cincinnati at No. 12. Smith is the only Hall of Famer in that class who was selected outside the top five (Cortez Kennedy, Junior Seau). The Cowboys' Plan B turned out OK.
