The 5 best overall draft classes in Dallas Cowboys history
The 2022 NFL Draft is officially over. It’s going to take time to see how the Dallas Cowboys 2022 class fares. In the meantime, we wanted to look at the best draft classes in Cowboys history. This means the entire group as a whole, not just one stellar pick.
I utilized Pro Football Reference’s “Career Approximate Value” (abbreviated to wAV) statistic. This stat puts a player’s impact and value into an approximate number. For the full explanation, check out this link. The formula is each player’s wAV divided by the number of players drafted that year.
The Cowboys have now taken part in 62 drafts since they became a franchise. I will bring you Dallas’ top-five draft classes in their long tenure in the NFL.
**As a quick note, I excluded players that played in the AFL instead of the NFL or didn’t play until the 1970 merger season. Drafts from 1970 and on include every drafted player by the Cowboys.
With the 2022 NFL Draft over, let’s look at the Dallas Cowboys’ best draft classes in the franchise’s history
123. . . . Class of 1998 (28 wav/pick). 5. player
Two years after winning their last championship, the Jerry Jones-led Cowboys added a plethora of talent to their team through the 1998 NFL Draft. It looked to be a much-needed boost to bring the team back to their dynasty that won three rings.
In total, there were nine players drafted by the team. There were no Hall of Famers, no First-Team All-Pro seasons, but there were six Pro Bowl seasons.
The star of the draft was left tackle Flozell Adams. While he started as a right guard during his rookie season, he switched to left tackle as a sophomore. Hall of Famer Larry Allen moved to his guard spot but on the left side after playing tackle for one season.
Tyler Smith is going to wear No. 73 in Dallas. Very big gesture for a very big dude.
— David Helman (@davidhelman_) April 29, 2022
Smith says Larry Allen’s story resonates with him and he’s proud to carry on that legacy.
Adams remained with the Cowboys for 12 of his 13 seasons in the NFL before joining the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010. He picked up five Pro Bowl nods and 198 games played in that time. He went above and beyond after being drafted in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft.
On the other side of the trenches was another impact player from the class: defensive end Greg Ellis. Dallas’s first-rounder from this draft had a great career as a formidable edge rusher for 12 years, with 11 as a Cowboy.
Ellis’ resume is not as eye-popping as Adams’ but is still noteworthy. The North Carolina product earned one Pro Bowl nod, played in 176 total games, and had 40+ tackles in six seasons. He only eclipsed 10+ sacks in a season once, which was his 2007 Pro Bowl season.
The Cowboys didn’t have a third-rounder that year but made their fourth-rounder worth it with the selection of defensive tackle Michael Myers. He was a great rotational run stuffer that played five seasons in Dallas before getting cut early in 2003 and joining the Cleveland Browns.
Short and sweet is the best way to explain the career of linebacker Darren Hambrick. The first of two fifth-rounders taken that year consistently found a way to get involved during his three and a half seasons with the Cowboys. He would eclipse 70+ tackles in two of his five seasons in the NFL.
Oliver Ross played limited snaps in two games with the Cowboys. He was the second of the two fifth-rounders. The offensive lineman then spent time as a rotational offensive guard/tackle with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals. His last season was in 2006.
In the sixth round, the team found a reliable depth defensive back in Izell Reese. After his four-year rookie deal, he spent one season with the Denver Broncos and two seasons with the Buffalo Bills. He eclipsed 50+ tackles twice in his career, in 2000 with Dallas and 2002 with Denver.