The Dallas Cowboys love first-round draft picks. Who wouldn’t? Selecting the top players from each year’s draft crop is a desirable thing. The team has a remarkably high track record when it comes to Day 1 picks, which has to make things a little exciting considering they will have two first-round picks in back-to-back seasons thanks to the Micah Parsons trade.
The organization’s affinity for first-round picks doesn’t stop with their own selections. The front office is notorious for keeping tabs on players they initially missed out on in the draft, who they end up acquiring later. You could almost set your watch to it, as the Cowboys went 10 consecutive seasons, from 2014 to 2023, during which they acquired at least one former first-round pick from another team. Here is a detailed list of those players.
Oddly, the streak ended last year as 2024 marked the first year in over a decade that the Cowboys didn’t acquire another team’s former first-rounder. But they are back at it again this year in full force as they have acquired seven players this season who fit this criteria. Seven! Whether it’s via trade or free agent signing, the Cowboys have been very active in acquiring players who are proven players or at least had high expectations coming out of college. This brings the total up to 32 former first-round players acquired since 2014.
What is interesting about this list is that many of these former Day 1 selections turn out to be key contributors for the Cowboys. They are looking at about a 50% hit rate over the last decade (notable contributors highlighted in blue). That’s not too bad.
Additionally, there were a lot of these players who were acquired via trade. These are better roster additions than a player signed in free agency, as they still have value to their initial team; it’s just that they had more value to the Cowboys, prompting them to pull the trigger on the trade. Players like Rolando McClain, Robert Quinn, Amari Cooper, Stephon Gilmore, and Brandin Cooks were favorable trades for the Cowboys.
Another thing to note is that the Cowboys seem more aggressive in this former-first-rounder approach whenever they get a new coaching staff. In 2020, they acquired five players, where they never had more than two in any of the previous six seasons. Was this to accommodate the needs of Mike McCarthy and his new coaches, or was it just a coincidence? The new coaching staff theory could hold some water, considering they have acquired seven players this season.
The Cowboys aren’t big spenders in free agency, but they are intrigued by former first-rounders, as this is the page of the catalog they do most of their shopping from when it comes to outside players. Only time will tell what this year’s group will look like, but things already look good for Kenny Clark, Solomon Thomas, and Kenneth Murray. If they keep around their 50% hit rate, these roster additions will help this football team.
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