Is the Dallas Cowboys draft magic worn out?

There was a time, not too long ago, when the Dallas Cowboys draft success was revered. Their 2014 and 2016 seasons were almost entirely on the shoulders of home-grown All-Pro draftees.

In 2025, fans are starting to question if that magic is all worn out, and it’s hard to blame them.

Since that dreadful 2017 draft class, headlined by Taco Charlton, the quality of classes has waned. The most recent Cowboys draft class to feature an All-Pro or Pro Bowl player was put together over 1,200 days ago.

It’s too early to flag some guys as “draft busts,” but it’s not too early to start questioning. The days of Dallas bringing in multiple immediate impact rookies seem to be over, and I’ll show you what I mean.

2025 Draft Class: Very Early Returns, Very Little Production

Before anybody gets upset about the current rookie class’s presence here, let me preface with this: I fully understand it is far too early to call any of these guys busts.

All I’m saying about this group is the truth, and the fact is, they have not produced much of anything to start the 2025 season. If you just go down the list, it is flat-out hard to be impressed in the way we used to be with Cowboys draft picks.

Tyler Booker has started, which, for a 12th overall guard, is expected. He’s been far from bad and has flashed some serious potential; the issue is he’s now out for 4–6 weeks with an ankle sprain.

https://twitter.com/VoiceOfTheStar/status/1971613910244757728

Let’s keep going; Donovan Ezeriuaku has been bad. Shavon Revel, Jaydon Blue, Shemar James, and Ajani Cornelius have not seen a single snap in the NFL. Jay Toia has, but he was inactive last week. Phil Mafah and Tommy Akingbesote did not make the team.

Again, the returns here are very early, but they are also very weak.

2024 Draft Class: Starters? Yes. Stars? Not Even Close

It’s still hard to judge the 2024 class, since they are only just starting their second season, but I’d be lying if I said it seemed like a very impressive class.

Tyler Guyton’s rookie season was disappointing. Between his penalty issues, pass protection flaws, and eventual benching, it just did not go as well as some had hoped. He did enter the league as a raw prospect, and he’s showing flashes of improvement now.

You can say the same about Marshawn Kneeland, who looks solid after missing most of his rookie season from injury. Cooper Beebe is the opposite case, as he looked great in his rookie year, but has now suffered a major ankle injury.

The closers of the class, Marist Liufau, Caelen Carson, Ryan Flournoy, and Nathan Thomas, have all struggled to see the field.

Liufau deserves more chances to shine, and he’ll likely get that as the season drags on. Overall, though, the Cowboys 2024 draft class looks far from a great one.