Top 10: Mid-First Round Picks

Kevin Smith - Those defensive standouts from the 90s teams will never get the recognition they probably deserved because of the offensive greats they played with. But "Pup" was a really solid cornerback from the start in 1992 when he joined the team. By 1995, he was ready to become one of the NFL's best before his Achilles injury in the season opener, which might have been the final factor in the Cowboys signing Deion Sanders.

Alvin Harper - surrounded by Hall of Famers and perennial Pro Bowlers, Harper was often overlooked, and sometimes by defenses that just couldn't account for all of the weapons. Harper feasted on that for years, including in some of the Cowboys' biggest postseason wins.

Hollywood Henderson – If this list was purely about athletic ability, it's safe to say Henderson might be in the top few picks. To think he was a linebacker who could return a kickoff for a touchdown is amazing in any era. He only played five years, but made a Pro Bowl and a few other headlines as well. A nice addition although his career could've been even better had he been able to play longer.

Billy Joe DuPree – While the Cowboys said goodbye to the greatest tight end in club history, if not the NFL's all-time best, they picked a really good one in the early 70s, getting DuPree with the 20th pick. He wasn't always the Cowboys' only tight end option, but he did start a game and catch at least one TD in each of his 11 seasons in Dallas.

Zack Martin – The Cowboys had four defensive players they liked in that 2014 draft but all of them were wiped off the board by the team No. 14 rolled around. Yes, they could've landed Manziel, but went with what they called a safe pick. Four All-Pros and four Pro Bowls later, in just four years, this might go down as one of the better picks ever. Martin just has some pretty elite company ahead of him after just four years.

DeMarcus Ware – He's not in the Ring of Honor or the Hall of Fame – yet. It's likely Ware will be in both spots before too long. The Cowboys' all-time leader in sacks was a great pick by Bill Parcells, who said he saw some "Lawrence Taylor" potential in Ware. He was definitely right as the Cowboys landed the best pass rusher in club history.

Mel Renfro – Making five Pro Bowls at one position is a great accomplishment for any player. Doing it twice at two positions is even greater. Renfro split his 10 Pro Bowls as both a corner and safety, showcasing the versatility the Cowboys got at No. 17 with Renfro, who was also a great basketball star coming out of college in Oregon.

Bob Lilly – It's not easy putting Mr. Cowboy second on any list. He was the No. 13 pick in 1961 out of just 14 players in the first round. The first draft pick of the franchise was certainly an enormous piece to the puzzle as Lilly anchored a defense that not only competed for titles nearly every year, but his game-changing sack in Super Bowl VI was a memorable play for the Cowboys' first championship.

Emmitt Smith – It's been said that Jimmy Johnson and the Cowboys had their eyes on other players in the 1990 draft. But with Smith still sitting there at No. 17, the Cowboys made a trade up to grab him, proving to be one of the best decisions in franchise history. Smith went on to earn 11 straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons and is the NFL's all-time leading rusher, an accomplishment that won't be easy for any running back to eclipse.

Both picked at No. 20, the expectations were a bit different for Ekuban and Spears, who actually joined DeMarcus Ware as headliners to the 2005 Draft. Because of that, and probably his always-jolly nature, Spears might be remembered as the better pro overall. But it's close, as Ekuban still managed to have a 10-year career and record 36.5 sacks. Spears, who played a different role in the 3-4 scheme, had 10 career sacks.