Dallas City News

The argument over what’s held the Cowboys back for so many years is multi-faceted, but one clear contributor is the success rate of their second- and third-round draft picks. Dallas has struggled on Day 2 of the draft for many years, but not without some wins along the way. Let’s look at some of their better Day 2 picks from the last decade.

We’ve talked plenty before about Dallas’ ugly history in the second round of the draft, going back all the way to the poo-poo platter of RB Sherman Williams, TE Kendell Watkins, and G Shane Hannah in 1995. They’ve certainly had some good ones along the way; OT Flozell Adams, G Andre Gurode, and LB Sean Lee quickly come to mind. But for a round where you’re hoping for long-term starters, it’s been mostly disappointments.

Oddly, the Cowboys have done better in the third round. That’s where they got an all-time great in TE Jason Witten, plus some standout linebackers with Dexter Coakley and Dat Nguyen. The third round has also yielded several significant members of past rosters like RB DeMarco Murray, DLs Tyrone Crawford and Jason Hatcher, and LB Randall Godfrey.

What about the last 10 years? Where have the Cowboys found success, even just relative compared to their failures? Here are the top-10 picks from Day 2 in their last ten drafts.

T-10. OL Connor McGovern (2019 3rd round)
T-10. DE Randy Gregory (2015 2nd round)

The fact that we even had to go to these two for the 10th spot says something about the Cowboys’ Day 2 success overall. We made this one a tie because Gregory and McGovern exemplify two very different outcomes for picks, and neither really that good. With Gregory, you have an immense talent whose personal issues made him unreliable and unavailable for much of his time in Dallas. With McGovern, you had the availability but not enough talent to keep him after his rookie contract ended.

Gregory was the playmaker Dallas needed for so many years on the defensive line, but between suspensions and injuries, he missed numerous games and even entire seasons. By the time he finally got things together, he was turning 30 and had an eroded relationship with the team. The Cowboys did try to re-sign him in 2022 but Gregory balked at some language in the contract, then quickly signed with the Broncos. He missed 11 games for Denver that year, taking some sting out of the perceived loss.

McGovern missed his rookie year with an injury but returned as a versatile backup. He started 14 games between 2020-2021, then 15 in 2022 after a Tyron Smith injury pulled rookie Tyler Smith from guard to tackle. McGovern filled space and did well enough to help Dallas to multiple 12-win seasons, but that’s about the best you can say from his time here.

9. CB Chidobe Awuzie (2017 2nd round)
8. OL Connor Williams (2018 2nd round)

On opposite sides of the ball, Awuzie and Williams were similar in that they both started a lot of games for Dallas but to little fanfare. Both were not retained when their rookie deals expired and went on to have more success with their next clubs. There isn’t much to separate them here, so we’ll give Williams the slight nod for giving the Cowboys 51 starts compared to just 42 for Awuzie.

Guys like these show where our expectations can get unreasonable for even second-round picks. To get an immediate four-year starter out of even a first-round selection isn’t guaranteed. We never got that in Taco Charlton, and we’re still waiting on Mazi Smith. So those who look back on Awuzie and Williams as failed picks may need to calm it down a little.

Sure, we’d love them all to be Larry Allens and Darren Woodsons. But one of those guys is in Canton and the other one should be. That’s not the bar to hold second-rounders to. You can hope for whatever you want, but competent, starting-level play for the majority of a player’s time with the team is more the idea. You’d like to see them do enough to earn a second contract, but sometimes other circumstances get in the way.

7. DT Osa Odighizuwa (2021 3rd round)

In only three seasons, Odighizuwa has already established himself as Dallas’ top defensive tackle and arguably the best they’ve had in a while. While he’s still waiting to break out as a star, Odighizuwa was ranked 15th-best in the NFL among all DTs by one source and was an immediate boost to the Cowboys’ defense since arriving.

Assuming he plays at the same level in 2024, will that be enough to get Odighizuwa a second contract? He’s stood out more than the likes of Awuzie and Williams, but he’s also up against the bigger fish of Dak Prescott, Micah Parsons, and CeeDee Lamb all needing new deals right now.

A player earning that second contract with the same team is really big in the discussion of successful picks. Does the player address a need for many seasons, or does the team wind up spending another pick at the same spot 3-4 years later? That makes sense with backup roles, but you’d like your Day 2 picks to be starters for a longer stretch. We’ll see what Odighizuwa’s future holds, and if a longer tenure in Dallas will move him up this list.

6. DT Maliek Collins (2016 3rd round)

When you’re in the same draft class as Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, and Jaylon Smith, it’s easy to fly under the radar. Collins was never a star but, like Odighizuwa, provided an instant starter for his entire run in Dallas. He didn’t get that second contract that we just talked about, but for a third-round pick he put in a lot of work and with underrated value.

Collins didn’t get to benefit from playing with an all-world talent like Micah Parsons on his Cowboys defensive lines. While DeMarcus Lawrence did break out from 2017-2018, Dallas’ pass rush was middling to poor. Collins would’ve likely had more opportunities to shine with more help around him, particularly if Randy Gregory hadn’t been MIA so often or Dallas hadn’t wasted its 2017 first-rounder on Taco Charlton.

5. LB Jaylon Smith (2016 2nd round)

Like Gregory, Smith was a classic case of “you got what you paid for.” Both fell to the second round for reasons; Gregory with personal concerns and Smith due to a major knee injury suffered at the end of his college career. The Cowboys accepted the risks and hoped for a steal, and instead suffered exactly what everyone had feared.

Unlike Gregory, though, Smith did manage to put it all together for a few seasons. He was one of the best linebackers in the league in 2018 but the wheels started coming off quickly with his knee, and as quickly as 2020 he was a shell of himself. The fast physical breakdown seemed to affect Smith mentally as well, ruining his decision-making on the field.

It was tough to watch knowing how talented Smith was and what could’ve been if not for that knee issue. But at least Smith got to realize a taste of his NFL potential for a couple of years. And at least Dallas didn’t risk a first-round pick to give him that opportunity.

4. CB Jourdan Lewis (2017 3rd round)

Lewis’ stock is helped by longevity, having stuck with Dallas now since 2017 and through different free agency periods. Especially in the days before Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland, Lewis was one of the few Cowboys defensive backs who provided that playmaking spark and the occasional game-changing moment.

Lewis is a model slot corner, able to hold up against shifty route-runners while also providing fearless support against the run. Despite playing mostly as a backup, he’s had nine interceptions and 36 pass deflections in seven seasons. He also shows up in other ways with occasional sacks off the blitz, plus three forced fumbles just last year.

Tough and well-rounded, Lewis has been an asset for the defense since his rookie season. It appears the Cowboys will be trusting him as one of their top three corners in 2024, so the return on that pick only keeps increasing.

3. WR Michael Gallup (2018 3rd round)

Gallup was never the Cowboys’ best receiver, giving way to Cole Beasley, Amari Cooper, and CeeDee Lamb at different points during his six-year run. But despite never being the top target overall, he at times was Dak Prescott’s must-trusted option in clutch moments. With a great highlight reel of athletic catches, Gallup more than delivered as a third-round pick.

In 2019, even with Cooper going to the Pro Bowl for his own work, Gallup had over 1,100 receiving yards. He still put up 843 yards as the third receiver after Lamb’s arrival in 2020, and was on his way to similar production in 2021 until a torn ACL ended his season.

Sadly, Gallup never really came back from that injury. He became a less effective target the following year and even worse in 2023, falling down the depth chart and eventually getting released this past March. But at his peak, he was a highly productive receiver with some sensational moments on toe-tapping, body-twisting catches that many of his peers couldn’t pull off.

2. CB Trevon Diggs (2020 2nd round)

You could make the case that Diggs should already be number one on this list. His 2021 season with 11 interceptions was the best single year of the bunch, and he followed that up with improved overall coverage and was rarely thrown on the following season. But after missing 2023 with a knee injury, Diggs now has to make a successful comeback to show his staying power and the long-term value of the pick.

Not only does Diggs have to show he’s over the knee injury, but also that he can be the same elite corner under a new defensive coordinator. Thankfully, Mike Zimmer hasn’t had any issues making CBs look good. He got productive years out of former Cowboy Terence Newman even into his late 30s, and helped Xavier Rhodes become an All-Pro.

Hopefully, we’re talking about Diggs well into the future as one of the Cowboys’ best defenders. If he does get back to form, he’ll easily be the team’s best second-round pick on this list and perhaps even going back to the 90s.

1. DE DeMarcus Lawrence (2014 2nd round)

Lawrence’s staying power gives him a slight edge over Diggs. He’s been a key player since his second season, peaked with Defensive Player of the Year consideration in 2017, and remained a stalwart run defender and leader for the defense even into his 30s. After a three-year absence, Lawrence has returned to the Pro Bowl each of the last two seasons and remains one of the Cowboys’ strengths on his side of the ball.

Now just barely edged out by Zack Martin for Dallas’ longest-tenured player, Lawrence has not only provided a decade of service but generally at a high level. He overcame adversity with a rookie-season injury and a four-game PED suspension in his third year but didn’t let those things derail his career. He broke out in that fourth season, earned two straight franchise tags, and has been a steady contributor ever since.

With Diggs and Lawrence, Dallas got two guys in the second round who’d have been fantastic to get even on Day 1. We wish it would happen more often, but so do 31 other teams and their fans.