The 15 greatest first-round picks in Dallas Cowboys history
By Randy Gurzi
14. Terence Newman, CB, 2003
In 2003, Bill Parcells took over as the head coach in Dallas, and he was the most high-profile coach to work under Jerry Jones since the great Jimmy Johnson. Parcells also had a tough task ahead of him since the team he inherited was an absolute mess.
While he knew he needed a new quarterback, The Big Tuna didn’t force the issue. He did technically sign the eventual franchise quarterback as an undrafted free agent that season in Tony Romo — of course, no one knew that at the time — but he was more focused on adding the best talent he could at every position.
That meant when the Cowboys were on the clock with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft, they took Terence Newman from Kansas State. The star cornerback ended up being the highest pick in school history and while there were concerns about his age (Newman was 25 when drafted) he actually wound up playing in the NFL for 15 years.
Prime Terence Newman was so much fun. pic.twitter.com/nhhydARYc5
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) October 13, 2021
The first nine seasons of his career came with Dallas and he proved to be well worth the selection. As a rookie, Newman had 76 tackles, 20 pass defenses, and four interceptions. For his career with the ‘Boys, he had 545 tackles, 122 pass defenses, 32 interceptions, seven forced fumbles, and three defensive touchdowns.
A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Newman is now No. 8 all-time in franchise history for interceptions, first in pass breakups, and third in defensive touchdowns.