What if: The Dallas Cowboys chose Steven Jackson over Julius Jones?

Steven Mullenax — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:23:24 +0000

The idea of “what if” has intrigued me since childhood. The idea that different choices could effect so much change in someone’s life was appealing. Now apply that to a team like the Dallas Cowboys and you get an entirely different roster and record. Maybe even a Superbowl win or two. So let’s play a little “what if” today on what I believe was a major turning point in the Cowboys’ future: The selection of Julius Jones over Steven Jackson in the 2004 NFL Draft.

Here’s the history: Going into the 2004 NFL Draft, the Cowboy possessed the #22 pick in the first round. With their starting RB Troy Hambrick now a free agent, Dallas desperately needed a work-horse in the backfield. The favorite in a class of running backs which included Virgina Tech’s Kevin Jones, Michigan’s Chris Perry, Oklahoma State’s Tatum Bell and Northern Illinois Michael Turner, was Oregon State’s Steven Jackson.

Instead of going with the obvious choice, Bill Parcells and the Cowboy’s Front Office traded down from the first round with Buffalo. The Bills received the #22 pick (QB – J.P. Losman) from the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for the Bills’ second round pick (43rd overall – RB Julius Jones), fifth round pick (144th overall – TE Sean Ryan), and first round pick in 2005 (DE – Marcus Spears).

But What If: The Dallas Cowboys drafted Steven Jackson with the #22 pick in the 2004 NFL Draft instead? (more…)

The Landry Hat » What If

What if: The Dallas Cowboys chose Steven Jackson over Julius Jones?