10 Best Draft Picks in Dallas Cowboys History

2. Bob Hayes, WR, 1964

Three rounds before they drafted Staubach, the Cowboys landed future Hall of Fame receiver Bob Hayes with the 88th pick in Round 7. Hayes was another example of Brandt’s ahead-of-his-time vision. Brandt was among the first NFL execs to recognize the value in scouting players from the historically black colleges and universities. He also established great relationships with college coaches around the country. So when he visited Florida A&M coach Jake Gaither before the draft, it was Gaither who talked up Hayes, who was known more as a track star than a football player at the time. And Hayes played more running back than receiver in college, but Brandt had the vision to make Hayes a full-time receiver and take advantage of his speed.

3. Rayfield Wright, OT, 1967

The Cowboys were able to get Rayfield Wright with the 182nd pick in the seventh round because a) he was from tiny Fort Valley State; and b) he didn’t really have a set position. Wright was an outstanding athlete who played tight end, offensive line and defensive line at various times in college. He was drafted as a tight end, but eventually became a Hall of Fame offensive tackle.

4. Herschel Walker, RB, 1985

The 1982 Heisman Trophy winner out of Georgia, Herschel Walker was still playing in the USFL when Dallas made him a fifth-round pick, 114th overall, in 1985. And after signing with the Cowboys in 1986, he only played three-plus seasons for them — yet he carved a significant place in team history. After he rushed for 1,514 yards in 1988 (adding 53 receptions for 505 yards), Jimmy Johnson traded him five weeks into the 1990 season in exchange for five players and six future draft picks. That blockbuster trade helped build the foundation for Dallas’ dynasty of the 1990s.

5. Mel Renfro, CB, 1964

Mel Renfro is one of the reasons there is a rigid time limit for each team to make its draft picks. There were no such time limits in 1964. Renfro was still on the board when the Cowboys had the 17th overall pick in Round 2, and they wanted to take Renfro. But the Oregon star had been in a car accident prior to the draft, and medical reports weren’t exactly what they are today. So the Cowboys sent a doctor to Oregon to check on Renfro personally — delaying the draft for six hours. They eventually got the sign-off from the doctor, and Renfro’s Hall of Fame career was on its way.

6. Jason Witten, TE, 2003

Jason Witten was the fifth tight end drafted in 2003 when Dallas snagged him with the 69th pick in Round 3 out of Tennessee. After a 17-year career, 16 in Dallas, the only tight end in NFL history with more receptions and receiving yards than Witten is Tony Gonzalez.

7. Dak Prescott, QB, 2016

With Dak Prescott’s standing as an elite NFL quarterback, it’s understandable if some fans might forget that the Mississippi State star wasn’t drafted until late in the fourth round in 2016, 135th overall. Jared Goff was the first overall pick that year, and he helped the Los Angeles Rams reach the Super Bowl. But some other quarterbacks who were drafted ahead of Prescott include Paxton Lynch, Cody Kessler and the immortal Christian Hackenberg.

8. Erik Williams, OT, 1991

Erik Williams was the 70th pick in the third round out of Central State (Ohio), and he was a three-time first-team All-Pro in addition to winning three Super Bowls.  

9. Larry Allen, OT, 1994

The first player ever drafted out of tiny Sonoma State, the 6-foot-3, 335-pound Larry Allen was a second-round pick (46th overall). He was already a key member of the Cowboys offensive line when they won Super Bowl XXX, and he earned six first-team All-Pro nods and 11 Pro Bowls on his way to the Hall of Fame.

10. Larry Brown, DB, 1991

Larry Brown spent the first five of his nine NFL seasons with the Cowboys after Dallas drafted him out of TCU in the 12th round, 320th overall. There were 12 rounds in the draft back in 1991, so Brown was 14 picks away from being Mr. irrelevant. And while he never earned a Pro Bowl nod, Brown won three NFL championships with the Cowboys and was Super Bowl XXX MVP.