Cowboys bucking mediocre second-round draft history
The second round of the NFL Draft has been historically unkind to the Cowboys. From 1961-2019 only nine of their 64 picks in the second round have made any significant impact during their time in Dallas. That’s a trend the team needs to reverse.
The picks in this round from the last three years are still on the roster, but only Trevon Diggs (2020) is a starter. The jury is still out on Kelvin Joseph (2021) and Sam Williams (2022).
But you have to go all the way back to 2014 to find a second-round pick still on the roster — or who has even lasted beyond four years. DeMarcus Lawrence was followed in successive years by Randy Gregory, Jaylon Smith, Chidobe Awuzie, Connor Williams, and Trysten Hill.
All five are on other NFL rosters and only Gregory and Smith showed flashes of being solid picks but eventually fizzled out. But it isn’t like the Cowboys of the 21st Century have made the best of picks in the second round.
Very Few Picks Paid Off
Between 2000-2013 the Cowboys made 14 picks in the second round. Only Sean Lee (2010) and Julius Jones (2004) had impactful careers in Dallas. Al Johnson (2003) had two years as a starting center and was done after that.
