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Just how good has Dallas drafted this decade?

Originally posted on Inside The Star
By Richard Paolinelli | Last updated Nov 15, 2025 11:01 AM ET

If you judge by just the last two draft classes, the Dallas Cowboys seem to have made the right calls with their combined 17 picks.

Eight of the Cowboys’ nine picks from last April are still on the team. Six of the eight draft picks from 2024 are on the roster too.

Two of those three picks not on the roster, Justin Rogers and Tommy Akingbesote, were both late seventh round picks and neither are currently on an NFL roster.

The third, of course, was 2024 second rounder Marshawn Kneeland, who passed away last week.

It has been something of a mixed bag when it comes to on-field performance, especially this season. But at least it’s a high retention percentage.

The same cannot be said for the rest of the decade.

One Solid Class, Three Disappointments

The 2022 draft class might be the strongest of the decade for Dallas. Six of the nine picks by the Cowboys remain on the roster today.

Three are starters, offensive lineman Tyler Smith, tight end Jake Ferguson, and defensive back DaRon Bland.

A seventh, defensive tackle John Ridgeway, is on another NFL roster. The other two draftees are out of the league.

But it’s a sharp drop off with the other three classes.

Only two of the eight picks from 2023 remain on the roster, with two others on other NFL teams today.

Second round tight end Luke Schoonmaker has not been impressive so far. Third-round linebacker DeMarvion Overshown has been solid, but can’t stay healthy.

First round pick Mazi Smith was traded away last week and never showed he was worthy of a first round selection in the first place.

The 2020 class also has just two holdovers out of the seven picks that year with two others on other NFL teams.

First round pick CeeDee Lamb has been all Dallas could ask for. Trevon Diggs, the second round pick, started off well but has faded, mostly due to injuries.

Diggs is currently on IR and may not return this year.

The 2021 class is abysmally bad. Only one of the 11 picks Dallas made that April remains on the roster.

Taken in the third round that year, defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa is the only member of that class still wearing the star.

Five of the others are playing elsewhere in the NFL while the other five are out of the league.

That’s a total of 11 out of 35 draft picks between 2020 and 2023 that remain on the roster. Only 10 of the others are still in the NFL.

Pre-2020 Classes

If you extend out to the beginning of Dak Prescott’s career, the next four classes aren’t doing much better.

Sixth rounder Donovan Wilson is the only 2019 draftee still in Dallas. Three of the eight players are playing elsewhere while two never played a single down in the NFL.

The 2018 class had nine picks, as did the 2017 class.

None of those 18 players are still on the Cowboys roster and only seven are even still in the NFL.

Of the nine players taken by Dallas in 2016, only Prescott (4^th round) remains on the team. One plays for another team and the other seven are out of the league.

Out of a roster of 53 players plus practice squad players, only 27 of them were drafted by the team.

That’s well below .500 and probably a telling clue as to why the Cowboys are below .500 in the win column in 2024 and 2025.

This article first appeared on Inside The Star and was syndicated with permission.

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