The 15 greatest first-round picks in Dallas Cowboys history

6. Tony Dorsett, RB, 1977

Tony Dorsett was an All-American as a rookie for the Pitt Panthers and ended up being the first player in school history to have his jersey retired. Despite all his accolades, which included more than 1,000 yards in each of his four seasons, Dorsett wasn’t seen as a sure thing in the NFL.

His size (5-foot-11, 192-pounds) had some teams concerned about his ability to last in the pros. Dallas wasn’t bothered by this as they decided to trade four draft picks — No. 14, No. 30, No. 41, and No. 54 — to the Seattle Seahawks to be able to take Dorsett at No. 2 overall.

As a rookie, he had 1,007 yards, quickly proving Landry right for targeting the running back for his offense. In fact, he had more than 1,000 yards in eight of his first nine seasons in the league, with only the strike-shortened 1982 campaign keeping him from making it nine in a row.

Dorsett also became the first player in league history to record a 99-yard touchdown, doing so in 1983 against Minnesota.

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What makes that play even more impressive is that Dorsett did this despite a mix-up where fullback Ron Springs left the field, leaving the Cowboys with just 10 players on offense.

Even with the advantage, the Vikings defense couldn’t get Dorsett down as he made NFL history on that run.

Dorsett finished his career as the team’s leading rusher with 12,036 yards and 72 touchdowns. He was since passed by Emmitt Smith but still stands in second all-time in franchise history.