The Dallas Cowboys are America’s Team. While it is an honor to be chosen by them in the draft, it also comes with major expectations and pressure. Some have delivered and others have come up short.
20. Ebenezer Ekuban (1999, No. 20)
The Cowboys hoped to find a premier pass-rusher when they drafted Ebenezer Ekuban (pictured, right) with the 20th overall pick in 1999. He did not pay off, producing 13 sacks in five seasons wearing the Star. Ekuban went on to play for the Browns and Broncos.
19. David LaFleur (1997, No. 22)
Dallas was looking for the next Jay Novacek when it chose David LaFleur 22nd overall out of LSU in 1997. Didn’t pan out as he stuck around for four seasons and made only 85 catches for 729 yards.
18. Bobby Carpenter (2006, No. 18)
Would have to be considered a disappointment/bust. Bobby Carpenter was chosen 18th overall out of Ohio State in 2006. He made three starts in four seasons with Dallas and had 3 1/2 sacks.
17. Felix Jones (2008, No. 22)
When you select a running back in the first round, you are hoping for multiple thousand-yard seasons and double-digit touchdowns. Felix Jones out of Arkansas delivered neither. He only scored five rushing TDs as a Cowboy in five seasons and rushed for 2,728 yards. A big disappointment.
16.Mike Jenkins (2008, No. 25)
Contract squabbles got in the way at the end of Mike Jenkins’ Dallas career. He didn’t do himself any favors by rehabbing on his own in 2012. Dallas showed its displeasure and disappointment by drafting Morris Claiborne and signing Brandon Carr. Not a good career with the star for the South Florida product, who was born in West Germany.
15. Taco Charlton (2017, No. 28)
So far, not so good. It’s never comforting when a player is a healthy scratch twice in his second year after missing three games due to injuries. Jerry Jones thinks the Michigan product can step it up, saying he doesn’t like to see linemen judged until after their third season. If that is the case, Taco Charlton needs to improve greatly in 2019.
14. Marcus Spears (2005, No. 20)
Marcus Spears was another Dallas first-round pick out of LSU. In eight seasons with the Cowboys, he had only 10 sacks. He was bothered by injuries before being released in March of 2013 due to a degenerative knee condition.
13. Morris Claiborne (2012, No. 6)
Another first-round pick out of LSU, Morris Claiborne came to Dallas with high hopes and great expectations. He didn’t reach either. In five seasons, he made four interceptions. He only started 43 games out of 80 before heading to the New York Jets.
12. Anthony Spencer (2007, No. 26)
Anthony Spencer came to the Cowboys from Purdue in 2007. They liked the Boilermaker so much they traded into the first round to select him. His 2013 season was ruined by microfracture surgery. That was coming off a season that saw him have a career-high 11 sacks.
11. Byron Jones (2015, No. 27)
Byron Jones parlayed an incredibly athletic NFL Combine into becoming a first-round pick of the Cowboys. He has been a starter in the secondary for every game over the last three seasons.
10. Terence Newman (2003, No. 5)
A defensive back from Kansas State, Terence Newman had a long NFL career. Nine of his 15 seasons were as a Cowboy. He made 32 picks for Dallas and started 131 of the 133 games he played. Newman twice was a Pro Bowler.
9. Greg Ellis (1998, No. 8)
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Greg Ellis came to Dallas from North Carolina and spent 11 of his 12 NFL seasons as a Cowboy. He had 77 sacks of the 84 in his career with Dallas. Interestingly, Cowboys fans had hoped they would use the eighth pick in 1998 to choose Randy Moss and not Ellis, who delivered a solid career with Dallas.
8. Roy Williams (2002, No. 8)
Roy Williams was the eighth overall pick out of Oklahoma in 2002. He wound up as a five-time Pro Bowler while in the Dallas secondary. Williams had 19 picks as a Cowboy and recovered 11 fumbles while forcing nine more.
7. Dez Bryant (2010, No. 24)
Dez Bryant’s attitude and confidence would have him atop this list. However, when you realize 273 of his 531 catches came in three seasons, it is impossible to rank him higher. He also was a distraction on numerous occasions before being let go after 2017.
6. Leighton Vander Esch (2018, No. 19)
Consider him No. 5 with a bullet that could skyrocket up the charts. The linebacker out of Boise State had a brilliant rookie season. Amazing stuff for a player who played eight-man football in high school. Has all sorts of star quality to him.
5. Ezekiel Elliott (2016, No. 4)
He’d be higher on the list if it weren’t for the issues that cost him six games in 2017. Elliott has led the NFL in rushing in two of his three seasons and might have done it in all three had he not received the six-game suspension. Another player who has a chance to move up before his career is done. The two-time Pro Bowler has rushed for 4,048 yards in three seasons.
4. Travis Frederick (2013, No. 31)
Out of the lineman factory that is Wisconsin, Travis Frederick has been stellar for the Cowboys. He had started all 80 games before missing the 2018 season due to Guillain-Barre syndrome. He was missed as he is a force and four-time Pro Bowler.
3. Zack Martin (2014, No. 16)
The offensive lineman out of Notre Dame is a five-time Pro Bowler. He has shown durability making 78 starts in the 78 games he has played for Dallas. He’s been a three-time, first-team All-Pro and twice second-team. One of the foundation blockers on the offensive line since his arrival in 2014.
2. Tyron Smith (No. 9, 2011)
The USC product is one of the most gifted linemen in the NFL. He’s a six-time Pro Bowler who has proven to be a great protector and blocker. Tyron Smith has done everything. One concern is he has missed three games in each of the last three seasons due to injury.
1. DeMarcus Ware (2005, No. 11)
Book-ending the gallery with pass-rushers, DeMarcus Ware proved to be an absolute force for Dallas in nine seasons. He had 117 sacks as a Cowboy and seven consecutive years where he reached double-digits. Overall, a nine-time Pro Bowler who was a member of the Super Bowl 50 champion Broncos.
