Draft day gaps and what the Cowboys have gotten in return

The Dallas Cowboys are once again entering another draft with a hollow spot in their selection sheet. For the third consecutive year, the wheeling and dealings of the front office have left a massive void between their selections. This recurring lack of draft capital has become a trend for the Cowboys, forcing the brain-trust to sit on their hands while everyone else is stocking up on draft goodness.

There was a time not so long ago when the Cowboys were stingy with their draft capital. While they did trade a first-round pick for Amari Cooper in 2018, it’s been essentially crickets for the better part of a decade in terms of shipping off premium draft capital. In fact, in the Jerry Jones era, the Cowboys have navigated a draft gap of 70 spots or more on only three previous occasions. They happened in 2010, 2012, and 2014. In those years, the team was aggressive in its pursuit of specific targets, willingly sacrificing quantity for what they perceived as elite quality.

In 2010, the strategy of consolidation actually paid massive dividends for the franchise. The Cowboys moved up just a few spots in the first round to secure wide receiver Dez Bryant, and they later moved up just a few spots again in the second round to snag linebacker Sean Lee. Both players became All-Pro anchors on different sides of the ball. Bryant turned into one of the best receivers in the league and eventually became the franchise leader in receiving touchdowns with 73, while Lee solidified himself as one of the most instinctive defenders in recent history with over 800 career tackles. It is rare to see a team gamble twice in the same weekend and hit the jackpot both times, proving that sometimes it pays to go and get your guy.

The 2012 draft provides a darker cautionary tale regarding the cost of moving up. The Cowboys traded away their second-round pick to the St. Louis Rams, jumping to pick six for LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne. This move was a double disaster, as Claiborne struggled with injuries and performance throughout his tenure in Dallas, while the team simultaneously missed out on All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner, who reportedly would have been the team’s second-round selection had they kept their pick.

That mistake didn’t prevent them from pulling the trigger in 2014 with another aggressive move when they traded away their third-round pick to divisional rival Washington to move up in the second round for DeMarcus Lawrence. This trade helped solidify the defensive line for a decade, as Lawrence developed into a multi-Pro Bowler and one of the best run-stopping ends in the league. With over 60 sacks during his 11 years with the Cowboys, Lawrence proved that a missing third-rounder is a small price to pay for a foundational pass rusher.

There is a distinct difference between those historical gaps and the current trend. In 2010, 2012, and 2014, the missing picks resulted from draft day trades where the Cowboys reacted in real time. In contrast, the last three years consist of circumstances where the Cowboys entered the draft season already missing those picks due to trades made during the season prior.

The primary culprits for the empty fourth-round cupboards over the last two years were the acquisitions of Trey Lance and Jonathan Mingo. Dallas surrendered their most precious Day 3 picks, first, for Lance, only to see him stall out as a developmental project who provided zero impact on the field. Similarly, the trade for Mingo cost the team valuable draft capital for a receiver who struggled to find a role in the offense. Wasting mid-round picks on players who cannot even crack the game-day roster is not a winning strategy.

This year, the Cowboys are missing their second- and third-round picks because of a couple of major acquisitions. The trades for playmaker George Pickens and defensive anchor Quinnen Williams have taken up a huge chunk of draft capital; however, both players have proved to be excellent returns on investment. Unlike the flyers taken on unproven young players, these moves brought in established stars who immediately improved the starting lineup. It is much easier to justify a quiet Friday night at the draft when you already have two established studs on the roster.

Recently, the Cowboys have consistently taken risks by trading away quality draft picks for either a proven veteran or a speculative gamble on a young player with untapped potential. While these moves sometimes result in All-Pro additions, they also come at the expense of the cheap, young depth required to sustain a competitive roster. There’s always going to be a tradeoff, but when you put everything on the table, it’s hard not to be pleased with their overall returns.

All-Pros: Dez Bryant, Sean Lee, DeMarcus Lawrence, George Pickens, and Quinnen Williams

Oopsies: Morris Clairborne, Trey Lance, and Jonathan Mingo

Seems like trading away premium draft capital has served them well overall.