The majority of any draft talk surrounding the Dallas Cowboys is usually about who they will select with the fourth overall pick in the first round, but there has been very little discussion about their second round pick.
The second round pick should be considered just about as important as the first-round selection. These players are supposed to be building blocks for the team for years to come.
Unfortunately, the Dallas Cowboys have failed miserably as an organization over the last decade when it comes to finding successful players in the 2nd round of the NFL Draft.
That’s right, I’m calling you out Jerry Jones, Jason Garrett, Will McClay, and the rest of the scouting department!
It’s absolutely disheartening to see how the organization has used the 2nd second round draft pick and what they received in return. The 2nd second round selection is supposed to be a key contributor to the team for years to come and if you evaluate these past 10 draft picks like I have, then perhaps you will understand my own frustration.
Here is a reminder of the past 10 2nd round draft picks:
| 2015 | Randy Gregory |
| 2014 | DeMarcus Lawrence |
| 2013 | Gavin Escobar |
| 2012 | (no selection) used to trade for Morris Claiborne |
| 2011 | Bruce Carter |
| 2010 | Sean Lee |
| 2009 | (no selection) traded out of 2nd round |
| 2008 | Martellus Bennett |
| 2007 | (no selection) used to trade back into 1st for Anthony Spencer |
| 2006 | Anthony Fasano |
Did you just shed a tear? It’s okay I won’t think any less of you.
Let these names sink in for a minute and please try to refrain yourself from throwing something across the room. There is no need to break anything just yet.
If you noticed anything when looking at these names, you probably saw that Sean Lee is the only player on this list to receive a second contract to remain with the Cowboys. However, despite his talent, even he has struggled to remain healthy for an entire season.
I guess you can kind of throw Anthony Spencer in there as well, he was franchised for a couple years. Unfortunately, he never quite lived up to his draft status.
The rest of the players did very little with their time in a Cowboys uniform, but a few of them found a little success after moving on.
Martellus Bennett and Anthony Fasano became relatively reliable tight ends after getting out of Jason Witten’s shadow.
Of course, the jury is still out on Randy Gregory and DeMarcus Lawrence, but both players long-term future with the team is a bit iffy at this point. Gregory is one violation away from perhaps ending his NFL career altogether. Lawrence has shown promise but is facing a four-game suspension as well for violating the substance abuse policy.
No matter how you slice it, the Cowboys have to absolutely do a much better job of identifying and analyzing the players that they are selecting in the 2nd round.
It’s my personal opinion that they need to start shying away from drafting players that have had an injury history in college and absolutely stay away from prospects that have off the field problems, especially in the 2nd round. These types of players should only be considered later in the draft, if at all.
Head coach Jason Garrett has always preached about finding the right kind of guys (RKGs) and the time is now to start putting that philosophy to work.
Selecting so highly in the 2nd round of the 2016 NFL Draft should give the Cowboys plenty of options to choose from and it’s high time to start making the right decision.
Draft evaluators and analyzers within the Cowboys organization absolutely have to be held to a higher standard of accountability and let’s just hope for the team’s sake that it starts with the 2016 NFL Draft.
