The 15 greatest first-round picks in Dallas Cowboys history

3. Bob Lilly, DT, 1961

In 1961, the Cowboys made their first ever selection in Round 1, and they used that on TCU defensive tackle Bob Lilly. Since he was their first choice in the draft and went on to have an incredible 14-year career — which included a Super Bowl win — Lilly earned the nickname of Mr. Cowboys.

He started as a defensive end in Dallas but then moved to defensive tackle, which is where he had his most success — as indicated on his Pro Football Hall of Fame bio page.

"“For the next 14 seasons, his play on defense was so outstanding that he became popularly known as ‘Mr. Cowboy’. Bob starred as a defensive end in 1961 but then moved to a defensive tackle spot in his third season with even more sensational results. As a tackle, Lilly was a first-team AP All-Pro choice every year from 1964 through 1969, then again in 1971. He was a second-team choice in two other seasons.”"

Known as both a menacing pass rusher as well as a run-stuffer, Lilly also had no problem playing through pain. He appeared in 196 consecutive regular season games and missed just one contest in his career, which came in a playoff game against Minnesota.

Since retiring, Lilly has continued to see the praise roll in as he was not only inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame but was also named to the Cowboys Ring of Honor, while also being placed on the 1960s and 1970s NFL All-Decade Teams as well as both the NFL’s 75th and 100th-anniversary All-Time Teams.