Dallas Cowboys fans are right to question Jerry Jones' stubbornness as the team's general manager, but he's quietly building momentum as the new league year approaches.
On ESPN's NFL Live, former NFL quarterback and analyst Tim Hasselbeck gave Jones, the general manager, some flowers. While Cowboys fans aren't misguided to want an actual GM, Hasselbeck credited Jones for the team's drafting track record under Jones' ownership.
"I think we've got to give Jerry Jones, the general manager, a little bit of credit. Now, clearly, he's got a personnel department working around him, but they've drafted talent extremely well."
"I think we've gotta give Jerry Jones, [the] general manager, a little bit of credit."@tthasselbeck trusts the Cowboys will make the right decisions in this year's NFL draft 🤠 pic.twitter.com/W1abBxi2ki
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) February 19, 2026
The Dallas Cowboys have been a great drafting team under Jerry Jones
That is some big-time praise from Hasselbeck.
ESPN has led the charge of questioning Jones' commitment to winning. Even if the scouting and personnel departments deserve most of the credit for Dallas’ pristine drafting resume, Jones doesn’t deserve to be erased from the equation.
During Hasselbeck’s segment, ESPN aired a graphic revealing that the Cowboys are tied with the Patriots for the most First-Team All-Pro draft picks (20) since 1989, the same year Jerry Jones bought the team.
Historically, the Joneses have drafted well, but talent on paper doesn’t automatically translate to January success. The Cowboys haven’t reached an NFC Championship Game, let alone a Super Bowl, in 30 years.
Fortunately, Dallas is set up for success in this year's draft. With two first-round picks and a deep defensive class to choose from, they are positioned to add immediate impact players.
Another long-standing criticism of Jones has been his stubbornness. Maybe he's finally willing to take a step back. As Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News wrote, Jones took a more hands-off approach in the search that led to hiring Christian Parker as defensive coordinator.
"(Jerry Jones) relied heavily on Schottenheimer. He saw how Schottenheimer put together his offensive staff, not so much relying on people he knew but simply finding good coaches regardless of connection."
Hopefully, this wasn't a one-off with Jones
As Jones has said before, he thinks he's the right person for the GM job, and that nobody could do it better than him. He's done strong work this offseason. Now, comes the hard part of signing George Pickens and putting the pieces together on the field.