Ranking the 6 worst Cowboys draft picks of the Jerry Jones era

3. Bobby Carpenter, LB, 2006

While the Cowboys struck gold by taking Leighton Vander Esch in the first round, they miscalculated drafting former Ohio State linebacker Bobby Carpenter No. 18 overall back in 2006. Carpenter left Dallas after his rookie deal expired and never became a starter with the team, starting three of 58 games. Credit to Wade Phillips for caving out a role for Carpenter in 2009, but it wasn't enough to save his Cowboys career as he was traded to the Rams in 2010.

2. Taco Charlton, DE, 2017

No, we didn't forget our old friend Taco. It's maddening to think the Cowboys drafted Charlton over 2021 Defensive Player of the Year TJ Watt because they believed he fit their scheme better. They have since scrapped that and drafted the best player available -- see: CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons -- but Charlton was a huge miss. He lasted just two seasons in Frisco and had four sacks in 27 games (seven starts) to show for it.

1. Dwayne Goodrich, CB, 2000

Goodrich was the Cowboys' first pick of the 2000 draft, and the selection surprised seemingly everyone as he never broke out at Tennessee. He played five games as a rookie before a torn Achilles derailed his second season. That's as long as Goodrich lasted in Dallas and finished his time with one start in 16 games. In 2003, he was sentenced to 12 years for vehicular homicide after a hit-and-run accident that tragically killed two people.