Despite humble beginnings, several of Dallas’ past and current stars were found on Day 3 of the NFL Draft.
Day 3 of the NFL Draft is when teams hope to put some gravy on their offseason. These aren’t the guys you’re counting on to contribute immediately, if ever. But when they do, it feels like a huge win. Thankfully, the Dallas Cowboys have had several over the last ten years.
There were a few Day 3 finds who didn’t make the cut for this list. Guys like Geoff Swaim, Damien Wilson, Cedrick Wilson, Xavier Woods, Kavon Frazier, and Noah Brown; most of them late-round picks who played way more games, even starting some, than one could’ve anticipated. Woods started for three years at safety to mixed results, but still a profitable return for a sixth-rounder.
So beyond those honorable mentions, who are the ten best Day 3 products for the Dallas Cowboys since 2014?
10. DE Dorance Armstrong (2018 4th round)
While he never moved out of a backup role, Armstrong was a consistent contributor in the Cowboys’ pass-rush rotation. He made it six years with the team, especially coming on the last few years with 21 sacks since 2021. That surge coincided with Dan Quinn’s arrival in Dallas as defensive coordinator. Unsurprisingly, Quinn made Armstrong one of his first free-agent signings in his move to the Washington Commanders this offseason.
9. CB Anthony Brown (2016 6th round)
Between injuries to Orlando Scandrick and Morris Claiborne, Brown started nine games as a rookie and immediately showed his value on the depth chart. He’d start 60 more games in Dallas from 2017-2022, never amazing in his play but competent enough to help the Cowboys win a lot of games. He earned a three-year extension on his rookie deal and filled a valuable role for seven seasons.
8. LB Anthony Hitchens (2014 4th round)
Like Brown, Hitchens was thrust into starting duty as a rookie after injuries to Sean Lee and others at linebacker. He started 11 games and got plenty of snaps in others, handling various positions throughout the scheme and showing little sign of his inexperience. Hitchens moved into a full-time starting role for his last two years, but Dallas let him walk in free agency in 2018 with Lee still hanging around and Jaylon Smith poised to break out.
7. TE Dalton Schultz (2018 4th round)
Speaking of big shoes to fill, Schultz was in the mix of guys who tried to replace Jason Witten in 2018. He did start seven games but only had 12 catches, being used mostly as a blocker as the team leaned heavily on Ezekiel Elliott and its wide receivers. When Witten returned to the Cowboys in 2019, Schultz was forced to third-string and only got two targets the whole season.
Though Schultz went into 2020 as the backup to Blake Jarwin, a Week 1 injury to Jarwin reopened the door to starting. Schultz finally broke out, getting 63 catches despite having Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and Michael Gallup to compete with for targets. He peaked in 2021 with 78 catches for 808 yards and eight touchdowns, earning the franchise tag from Dallas to return for a fifth season.
The Cowboys didn’t give Schultz a new deal after that franchise year, having an option in Jake Ferguson and a supposedly TE-rich draft class in front of them. Schultz always felt like more of a beneficiary of Dallas’ high-volume offense than a catalyst, but he certainly did his part and more than enough for where he was drafted.
6. C Tyler Biadasz (2020 4th round)
Biadasz was always burdened by unrealistic expectations from many. Drafted a month after Travis Frederick announced his untimely retirement, Biadasz had big shoes to fill and it didn’t help that both he and Frederick played at Wisconsin. The idea that he’d ever fully replace Frederick, a former first-rounder, was never fair.
Still, Biadasz did more than enough for a fourth-round pick. Starting out in a backup role, he had to start four games as a rookie when Joe Looney was injured. He might have stayed in that role if not for getting injured himself, but Biadasz did become the full-time starter in his second season. He went to the Pro Bowl in 2022.
In a typical Cowboys offseason, Biadasz would’ve probably received a second contract. But the team allowed him to leave for Washington last March; another departure as Dallas appears to be moving into a franchise rebuild.
5. TE Jake Ferguson (2022 4th round)
Is it too soon to put Ferguson this high? Maybe, but in just two years he’s already been to a Pro Bowl and been a playmaker at TE like the Cowboys haven’t seen since Witten. Consistent as a receiver and dangerous as a runner after the catch, Ferguson is one of the most exciting young tight ends in football.
As we just mentioned, Ferguson flashed enough potential as a rookie that there wasn’t much angst about Schultz leaving in 2023 free agency. The Cowboys did hedge their bet by drafting Luke Schoonmaker in the second round last year, and now may regret that with Ferguson likely holding down the starting job for years to come.
Of course, we don’t know what the future will hold. We’ve seen flashes of greatness never materialize into sustained success. But at his current pace, Ferguson stands to become a key offensive piece and leader for the Cowboys ahead of just his third season.
4. S Donovan Wilson (2019 6th round)
Coming out of just the sixth round, Wilson broke out as a playmaker in his second year with two interceptions, three forced fumbles, and 3.5 sacks. With the arrivals of Malik Hooker and Jayron Kearse in 2021, Wilson became part of a three-headed safety rotation. After missing seven games that year due to injury, Wilson reestablished himself in 2022 with over 100 tackles, five sacks, and three forced turnovers.
The Cowboys re-signed Wilson last year to a three-year contract. While he hasn’t broken out on a league-wide scale yet, he’s been more than solid for Dallas after years of subpar play at safety. For where they got him, Wilson has been one of the team’s best value picks in many years.
3. RB Tony Pollard (2019 4th round)
One of the great debates about Pollard is if being Ezekiel Elliott’s backup from 2019-2022 held him back or made him better. But even as the number two, Pollard posted 2,434 total yards and 14 touchdowns from 2021-2022. It was enough that Dallas released Elliott last year and used the franchise tag on Pollard to retain him as their starter.
Unfortunately, Pollard’s recovery from a late-season leg fracture continued into 2023. He never looked quite right but did improve over the course of the season. He produced 1,316 total yards as the starter but had to work a lot harder for them, and Dallas decided to move on this offseason rather than pay for a 27-year-old running back.
2. CB DaRon Bland (2022 5th round)
When you break the NFL record for pick-sixes and finish fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, it doesn’t matter that you’ve only played two seasons. Bland did what seemed impossible last year by stepping into an injured Trevon Diggs’ place and becoming a star himself.
Granted, both Bland and Diggs now have to show that their penchant for interceptions is more about their own skill and not Dan Quinn’s scheme. But even if the turnovers go down under Mike Zimmer, Bland also showed last year that he can hold up well in outside coverage. He’ll likely be starting there again this season as the Cowboys don’t seem inclined to re-sign veteran Stephon Gilmore.
In any round, Bland would’ve been a win as a pick. To get his sensational play from just a fifth-round selection is bonkers, especially at a position where players generally need time to develop. Even if he somehow falls apart from here, Bland’s already given the Cowboys more than they ever could’ve hoped for.
1. QB Dak Prescott (2016 4th round)
Was there ever any doubt? Prescott isn’t only Dallas’ best Day 3 pick of the last decade, but you’d have to go back about 60 years to the days of Roger Staubach, Bob Hayes, and George Andrie to find any who had as much of an impact on the Cowboys. To land a franchise QB in the later rounds is about as good as it gets.
The most remarkable aspect of Prescott’s journey is how it started. In training camp, he was reportedly struggling in a battle with undrafted prospect Jameil Showers for third-string. But once preseason started, Prescott started putting on a show. The hype train was already rolling before Tony Romo’s injury, just a little over two weeks before the start of the regular season. With backup Kellen Moore also injured, Prescott was about to become the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys.
Nobody saw what he’d do next coming. Prescott put together one of the best rookie QB seasons in NFL history, both by his own numbers and helping the Cowboys post a 13-3 record. He even showed well in the team’s playoff loss to Green Bay, better than Romo had in most of his own postseason appearances.
We can debate Prescott’s place among the NFL’s elite QBs and the Cowboys’ all-timers all day. But the fact it’s even a conversation says just what an incredible find this former fourth-round pick was. No matter what he does or doesn’t accomplish before it’s all said and done, Prescott’s is a draft success story for the ages.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login