Cowboys draft history: Best 21st century draft picks from each round

Best UDFA: Tony Romo, QB

Imagine finding a franchise quarterback after the draft. The Cowboys are one of the very few teams who accomplished that difficulty. 

As an undrafted longshot to make the team, Eastern Illinois Tony Romo hoped to become the long-term option at quarterback that the Cowboys had been searching for since hall-of-famer Troy Aikman retired after the 2000 season. 

For three consecutive seasons (2003-2005), Romo rode the bench and mainly saw action as a holder on special teams. His most important game came in the 2006 pre-season against Seattle when Romo showed exactly why he deserved the starting job. 

It wasn’t until midway through 2006 on a Monday Night game against the New York Giants. Romo came in and relieved struggling starter Drew Bledsoe. While it wasn’t the night Romo hoped for as he threw three interceptions. Dallas committed to number nine for the rest of the season.

After three in a half years on the bench, Tony Romo earned the starting job in week eight of 2006. He led Dallas to wins in five of his first six starts and helped the Cowboys make the playoffs with a 9-7 finish. He was selected to the 2006 Pro Bowl. 

Following the 2006 season, the search was over as Dallas had found their answer at quarterback. Romo would go on to lead the Cowboys for the next nine seasons.  

In his nine-and-a-half years as the starting quarterback, Romo led Dallas to the playoffs four times, won three NFC East titles, made four Pro Bowls, and was named a second-team All-Pro in 2014. 

The former UDFA would finish his career as the Cowboys' all-time leading passer. Romo passed for 248 touchdowns, 34,138 passing yards, and an astounding career passer rating of 97.1

His gunslinging and daring escapes fueled some of the most memorable moments in franchise history.

From an undrafted long shot to a Pro Bowl starting quarterback for America’s team, Tony Romo made the most of his opportunity and is unquestionably one of the greatest UDFA ever. 

Runner Up: Miles Austin

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