Top 10: Top 10 Pick Additions Since 1989
Bringing in talented players such as Amari Cooper is nothing new. Since Jerry Jones bought the team in 1989, the Cowboys have now added 26 players that were once drafted in the Top 10. Let's see how they've fared over the years.
25. Amobi Okoye (2007, Texans, 10th overall)
The Cowboys took a chance on him in 2014, hoping the pass-rushing tackle could overcome injuries and other medical issues. But Okoye never was able to get cleared to play and the Cowboys waived him before he ever played a game.
24. Keith Rivers (2008, 9th overall, Bengals)
Similar to Okoye, Rivers also never played a snap for the Cowboys in the regular season. But he did get some looks in the preseason. He wasn't bad but the Cowboys didn't have room for him on the roster and cut him before the 2015 season.
23. Bryant Westbrook (1997, Lions 5th overall)
A productive player for the Lions, Westbrook wasn't the same after an Achilles injury. The Cowboys were hopeful he could make the comeback but after giving up a costly TD in the 2002 opener against the Texans, the Cowboys cut him after just one game.
22. Quentin Coryatt (1992, Colts, 2nd overall)
He might have the greatest hit in college football history, but he wasn't actually a "hit" in the NFL. His seven seasons with the Colts were underwhelming and his one season with the Cowboys didn't make a huge difference to a team that needed much more help on defense.
21. Alonzo Highsmith (1987, Oilers, 3rd overall)
Like Coryatt, Highsmith overvalued from the start, failing to live up to those expectations in Houston. The Cowboys were in the need for talented offensive players but when Highsmith arrived in 1990, it was clear Emmitt Smith was ready to take over.
20. Ryan Leaf (1998, Chargers, 2nd overall)
At that point in the post-Aikman era, the Cowboys were in need of anyone who might help. Leaf started three games in 2001 but his wrist injury limited him from being even a fraction of the player that was drafted one pick behind Peyton Manning.
19. Mark Sanchez (2009, Jets, 5th overall)
He's higher on this list even though he barely played. But Sanchez is credited for playing a big role in Dak Prescott's development as a rookie in 2016, providing a calming, yet experienced voice from the sideline.
18. Blair Thomas (1990, Jets, 2nd overall)
The irony here is that Thomas was the first running back drafted in 1990 and Emmitt Smith went second. When Thomas joined the team in 1994 for a late playoff push, he gave some backup relief as Smith battled through injuries. Thomas did score two TDs in the playoffs for the Cowboys.
17. Ernie Sims (2006, Lions, 9th overall)
A solid, instinctive player who found the football often, Sims wasn't the biggest linebacker, which likely cost him chances of landing bigger paydays. He played two years in Dallas on two different stints.
16. Adam Pacman Jones (2005, Titans, 6th overall)
When the Cowboys got him in 2008, he was coming off a suspension and still had too many off-field issues in his way. His talent was evident during his one season in Dallas, and it shouldn't come as a surprise he would play nine more seasons, including eight in Cincinnati.
15. Broderick Thomas (1989, Bucs, 6th overall)
Picked right behind Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas and Deion Sanders, Broderick Thomas had a good career, but wasn't ever an elite player. He did have an 11-sack season for the Bucs, and four more seasons with at least five but he joined the Cowboys in 1996 and played two solid seasons for the defense.
14. Tavon Austin (2013, Rams, 8th overall)
This one is still incomplete as the Cowboys hope he can recover from a groin injury and play this season. But he's had some impactful plays, with a TD catch in Week 2 vs. the Giants and another touchdown catch in Seattle the following game.
13. Kevin Hardy (1996, Jaguars, 2nd overall)
He was one of the first players the Cowboys had that had undergone microfracture knee surgery. Hardy wasn't flashy but resurrected his career with a good season in 2002 that resulted in him getting a contract with the Bengals.
12. Jonathan Cooper (2013, Cardinals, 7th overall)
Another player who never lived up to the expectations with his first team, but Cooper found himself in a good spot when he joined the Cowboys, getting to play in between All-Pros Tyron Smith and Travis Frederick. Cooper started 13 games in 2017 and helped him land a deal in San Francisco.
11. Vinny Testaverde (1987, Bucs, 1st overall)
Signed by Bill Parcells to be a veteran backup, Testaverde found himself suddenly as the starter when Quincy Carter was shockingly waived in training camp. The 40-year-old handled the situation like a pro but it was clear his best days were behind him. He was benched for Drew Henson on Thanksgiving but relieved him at halftime to get the victory.
10. Rolando McClain (2010, Raiders, 10th overall)
One of more talented players the Cowboys have had on their defense in several years, McClain just had too many off-field problems to ever be a great player for any team. McClain was a difference maker when he played, but the Cowboys just couldn't count on him consistently.
9. Drew Bledsoe (1993, Patriots, 1st overall)
Like Testaverde, Bledsoe was brought in by Parcells, but his role was to start – at least until someone better came along. For a year and a half, Bledsoe held the starting gig until Tony Romo eventually took over. But Bledsoe wasn't bad – his 23 TDs in 2005 was the fifth-highest of his 14-year career.
8. Tony Casillas (1986, Falcons, 2nd overall)
He wasn't the difference-maker in Atlanta that the Falcons had hoped for but when he joined the Cowboys via trade, he was a good fit for a defense that had several underrated players that formed a good rotation. Casillas actually had two different stints with the Cowboys and played more games in Dallas than any other place.
7. Keyshawn Johnson (1996, Jets, 1st overall)
Another one of Parcells' guys, Johnson had a couple of good seasons in Dallas, catching 70 passes in each of his two seasons. Had it not been for an ankle injury early in the 2004 season finale, Johnson (981) likely would've topped 1,000 yards for the fifth time in his career.
6. Roy Williams (2004, Lions, 7th overall)
This might be a surprise that he's higher on this list, but Williams was still productive in his time with the Cowboys. While he didn't live up to the expectations of the first-round pick the Cowboys gave up for him, Williams did have 13 touchdown catches in two-plus seasons in Dallas, including seven in 2009.
5. Darren McFadden (2008, Raiders, 4th overall)
Despite a season in which the Cowboys started four quarterbacks in a dismal 4-12 campaign, McFadden still ranked fourth in the NFL in rushing with 1,089 yards. Don't forget he did all of that despite starting just 10 games.
4. Joey Galloway (1995, Seahawks, 8th overall)
He was traded to play with Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith. Instead, because of various injuries – including a torn ACL in his first game with the Cowboys - Galloway spent the majority of his time in Dallas catching passes from Quincy Carter and Chad Hutchinson in an offense that featured Troy Hambrick in the backfield. When Galloway left the Cowboys, he still had Pro Bowl years ahead of him in Tampa Bay. Great talent but the Cowboys didn't get close to the production that they gave two picks for.
3. Terry Glenn (1996, Patriots, 7th overall)
This was an offseason trade that didn't garner a lot of attention at the time. But of all the players who had spent time with Parcells before, Glenn was probably the most productive. After catching 24 TDs in seven years, Glenn went to Dallas and caught 20 in his first four seasons. Glenn is one 12 Cowboys wide receivers to have 3,000 receiving yards in Dallas.
2. Leonard Davis (2001, Cardinals, 2nd overall)
To justify drafting Davis at No. 2, the Cardinals played him at tackle. But it was clear, especially when he signed with Dallas, that he was a better guard. Davis joined the Cowboys in 2007 and made three straight Pro Bowls, becoming one of the best free-agent signings in franchise history.
1. Deion Sanders (1989, Falcons, 5th overall)
The Cowboys signed him to win a Super Bowl. In his first season, despite missing nearly half of it due to an injury, Sanders helped lead the Cowboys to a championship in 1995. Don't forget that Larry Brown had nine interceptions that year, including three in the playoffs with Sanders manning the other side. In five years, Sanders was still arguably the most feared defensive players in the NFL.
