6 star players the Cowboys could have drafted in the past 5 years

5. Dawson Knox, TE: Pick No. 63, 2019 NFL Draft (Cowboys took Connor McGovern pick No. 90)

2019 was a tough season to watch for Dallas fans who love tight end play. Jason Witten, who is one of the better players to ever suit up for America's Team, just returned from a one-year retirement and he wasn't the player we remember.

Witten had lost a step, which is bad for a guy who was already about as fast as a statue. He ended up with 63 receptions but covered just 529 yards — which was an average of 8.4 per catch. Dallas would have done better to go with Blake Jarwin full-time or even turn to Dalton Schultz who was added in Round 4 of the previous draft.

Perhaps if they knew how bad Witten would look, they would have gone into the season with Jarwin and Schultz as well as a rookie for competition, such as Dawson Knox.

A product of Ole Miss, Knox was selected at No. 96 overall and had 388 yards on 28 receptions as a rookie. He's since continued to grow as a pass-catcher for the Buffalo Bills and enters 2023 on the heels of his first Pro Bowl berth.

In four years, Knox has 149 receptions for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns. While Dallas didn't really whiff on Connor McGovern at No. 90, they would have been better off with Knox. As a side note, the two will be teammates now as McGovern joined the Bills in free agency this offseason.