So, I had to include the 20th overall pick. The Dallas Cowboys never had a 19th overall pick in the NFL draft, ever. Same goes with them having a 16th overall pick. Nonetheless, here is the list of the Cowboys’ all-time draft picks in the 18th and 20th overall spots:

1. Dennis Homan, wide receiver, Alabama (1968) — The drafting of Dennis Homan is curious considering Lance Rentzel and Bob Hayes were both in their primes. Homan only had 4 receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown in his rookie year. Imagine if Dez Bryant had that stat line. Homan stuck around for two more seasons, racking up 19 receptions for 345 yards and starting in 9 games. Later, he finished out his pro career in Kansas City for two more seasons.

2. Billy Joe Dupree, tight end, Michigan State (1973) — With the transition of Mike Ditka from the field to the sidelines, the Dallas Cowboys had to replace the quality at tight end. The Cowboys did a superb job of that. Going in 2012, Billy Joe Dupree led the Cowboys with 41 career touchdowns, the most for a tight end until Jason Witten added three TD’s this season to take the lead. A winner of Super Bowl XII, Dupree was a big part of the Roger Staubach’s offense.

3. Thomas Henderson, linebacker, Langston (1975)– Part of the Craig Morton trade in 1974, Thomas Henderson joined Randy White as the Dallas Cowboys’ twin first rounders that year. Henderson popularized #56 for linebackers, setting the tone for it being a brazen number. All of Henderson’s immense physical talents were snorted away with his cocaine addiction. After being cut in 1979, Henderson played some games with the Oilers and 49ers in 1980 before hitting rock bottom completely. The consolation is Henderson has turned his life around and used his darkness with cocaine to warn other wayward men that they can beat the white powder.

Hollywood Henderson is the only Cowboys linebacker to ever return a kickoff for a touchdown.

4. Mike Sherrard, wide receiver, UCLA (1986) — The Cowboys were burned when the San Fransicko 49ers traded up in the ’85 draft to steal Jerry Rice. Mike Sherrard was a makeup pick for that spurning. Being only the second wide receiver taken in the first round by Dallas, Sherrard had a good rookie season, posting 41 catches for 744 yards and 5 team-high touchdowns. In 1987 training camp, he broke his tibia and fibula. He missed the entire 1988 season breaking the same bones. Enter Michael Irvin, exit Mike Sherrard. He played with the 49ers for four seasons until joining Dan Reeves’ New York Giants in 1993. His best season was in 1994 when he 53 catches for 825 yards and 6 touchdowns. Sherrard joined the Denver Broncos in 1996 before retiring after the season, the season before the Broncos won their first franchise Super Bowl.

Check back next week to find out more about the Cowboys’ final four 18th and 20th overall picks in franchise history.

A lot of us while watching the draft went “huh?” when Martellus Bennett was drafted in the second round. I was among that list as well. Weren’t the wide receiver and Safety positions more of a critical need at this time? Didn’t we have a tight end in Anthony Fasano whom we gave away for a fourth rounder only to use a second rounder this year to get another one? Most of us were scratching our collective heads.

So after the initial emotion, we tried to do the internal mental spins in our mind to make ourselves feel better about the pick. He may be better than Fasano, he is tall and a red-zone threat, he can be depth to play the two tight end sets, or he could be the next Bill Joe Dupree.

Most online draft boards I saw had him as the 3rd or 4th best tight end. Nfldraftscout.com for example had him behind Dustin Keller, John Carlson and Fred “I need an alarm clock” Davis. His junior class credentials look good. He is listed at 6’-6”, had 49 catches and four touchdowns, up from his sophomore season of 38 catches and three touchdowns. The scouting reports state that he is a bit slow with a 40 time of 4.71. I have seen conflicting reports of his blocking ability but most say he adapt in this area. The reports praise his hands and ability to adjust to poorly thrown balls.

But maybe the biggest surprise would be the character behind the name. He started things right off the bat with a memorable quote. But also, he did not start off on a good foot with the coach for making a Jessica Simpson comment. For those who have not heard it already it was, “”Any quarterback that can get Jessica Simpson I’ve got to play with him.”

Another quote associated with him is: “Football is my wife and basketball is my mistress,” when referring to his dual sport interests. In one film clip I saw from him at mini-camp he was genuinely enjoying himself during the interview questions.

No doubt he will be a media favorite this season, and seasons to come. He will probably become a fan favorite and make us forget the initial shock of picking him when he scores his first touchdown over a shorter defender.