Top 50 Dallas Cowboys
Often, we talk about how difficult these lists are to put together, but nowhere was this more apparent than the Dallas Cowboys.
Formed in 1960, the Cowboys got off to a slow start, but with strong coaching and elite scouting, Dallas would become one of the best teams in Pro Football, while along the way becoming one of the most internationally franchises regardless of the sport.
They would win Super Bowl VI and Super Bowl XII, but while they were a good team through most of the 1980s, they were unable to win the championship and would hit rock bottom. The '90s were a different story, as they collected three Super Bowls (XXVII, XXVIII & XXX), but while they have been to the playoffs many times since Super Bowl XXX, the Cowboys have not been there since.
The Cowboys is one of those teams where we had to leave so many great players off that we wish we could have extended it to 100. Eventually, we will do that, but if it looks like we missed one, the chances are that they just missed the cut.
Note: Football lists are based on an amalgamation of tenure, traditional statistics, advanced statistics, playoff statistics, and post-season accolades.
This list is based up until the 2024 Season.
When you look at "America's Team," you have a team that not only had a lot of eyeballs on it but also produced a plethora of Hall of Famers. Choosing the greatest Dallas Cowboy wasn't easy, but in the end, we decided on the player who, statistically speaking, is the greatest Running Back of all time. Emmitt Smith arrived in…
There was serious consideration for Bob Lilly to be named number #1, but #2 is a damned good rank for a storied franchise like the Dallas Cowboys. Bob Lilly, the first-ever college draft pick for the Dallas Cowboys(13th overall in 1961) from TCU, did more than just lead an expansion team—he became its defining figure. Known as "Mr. Cowboy," the…
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While a case could have been made for Roger Staubach to be at #1, #3 for this team still means you are an absolute legend. Drafted in the tenth round of the 1964 NFL Draft from the Naval Academy—where he won the 1963 Heisman Trophy—Roger Staubach had to wait five years to start his professional football journey while fulfilling his…
Selected second overall in the 1975 NFL Draft from Maryland—where he was awarded the Outland Trophy, Lombardi Award, and ACC Player of the Year honors as a distinguished college athlete—Randy White joined Dallas as a highly valued defensive prospect. Following two transitional seasons playing at linebacker, White was repositioned to right defensive tackle in 1977, a move that unlocked his…
Taken in the second round (17th overall) of the 1964 NFL Draft from Oregon, Mel Renfro joined the Dallas team with a background as a standout collegiate running back and track star. Head coach Tom Landry quickly saw how his speed and natural instincts on the field could boost the Dallas secondary, so he transitioned him into a defensive back.…
With the second overall pick in the 1977 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected Tony Dorsett from Pittsburgh, who had captured the 1976 Heisman Trophy and a national championship. He arrived in Dallas with superstar expectations. Head coach Tom Landry immediately integrated him into the offensive backfield, where his explosive acceleration and open-field vision transformed the Cowboys into an unstoppable…
The Dallas Cowboys held the first overall selection in 1989, and it was widely anticipated that Troy Aikman, the Consensus All-American and Heisman finalist, would be the chosen player. Troy Aikman joined North Texas as the foundational element of head coach Jimmy Johnson's reconstruction. During his twelve-season career exclusively with the Dallas Cowboys, Aikman evolved into an elite quarterback in…
The selection of Larry Allen in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft out of Division II Sonoma State proved to be one of the greatest drafting triumphs in franchise history. The hulking lineman made immediate history as the first player ever drafted from his school, bringing a terrifying blend of raw bench-press power and freakish open-field athleticism to…
Arriving in Dallas as the 11th overall pick in 1988, the former Miami Hurricane brought an uncompromising swagger and physical dominance to a franchise on the brink of transformation. Long before Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith joined the fold, Michael Irvin set the culture, using his frame, ferocious competitive edge, and elite hand-fighting at the line of scrimmage to establish…
Taken 16th overall by Dallas out of Notre Dame in 2014, Zack Martin stepped straight into the starting right guard spot and immediately set the standard for offensive line excellence. His selection completed an elite front-five rebuilding effort in Big D, anchoring a line alongside Tyron Smith and Travis Frederick that would overpower defensive fronts for a decade. Martin kicked…
Drafted out of Tennessee in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft, the 20-year-old tight end quickly made a strong start with Dallas, beginning to reshape the position for a new generation. After a promising rookie season that earned him All-Rookie honors, Jason Witten truly shined in his second year, catching 87 passes for 980 yards and six touchdowns…
Plucked from tiny Troy University with the 11th overall pick in 2005, the explosive edge rusher made a seamless transition to outside linebacker in Bill Parcells' 3-4 defense. DeMarcus Ware immediately proved that his elite traits translated to the pro level, posting an eight-sack rookie year that set the stage for one of the most dominant pass-rushing runs in modern…
In 1958, Chuck Howley was selected seventh overall by Chicago out of West Virginia, but his early career was derailed by a severe knee injury that sidelined him for the entire 1960 season. Unsure whether his body would hold up, Howley considered stepping away from football altogether before a 1961 trade to Dallas offered a second chance. That move to…
Tyron Smith stepped into Big D as a 20-year-old first-round (9th overall) phenom possessing a rare blend of length, explosive power, and quick footwork. Dallas initially placed him at right tackle, where his immediate impact earned him All-Rookie Team honors. His seamless move to left tackle in his sophomore campaign unlocked his true ceiling, providing the Cowboys with an elite…
Bypassed by every franchise in the 1970 NFL Draft out of NAIA school Ouachita Baptist, the unheralded safety arrived at Dallas training camp as an underdog determined to make the roster. Cliff Harris did far more than snag a roster spot; his rare closing speed, open-field tackling, and fiery demeanor blew away the coaching staff, earning him the starting free…
Drafted in the seventh round of the 1967 NFL Draft out of Fort Valley State, Rayfield Wright, the versatile athlete, spent his first three years in Dallas as a utility player—taking snaps at offensive tackle and tight end, and even filling in at defensive tackle. His career trajectory changed in 1970 when Tom Landry permanently installed him as the starting…
Lee Roy Jordan would play his entire career in pro football with the Dallas Cowboys, and he came in with high expectations as the sixth overall pick in the 1962 Draft. Jordan played at Right Linebacker for his first three years, but it was a move to Middle Linebacker in 1966, where the former member of the Crimson Tide came…
Before revolutionizing the wide receiver position in Dallas, Bob Hayes earned the title of "World's Fastest Man" at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The Florida A&M sprinter captured two gold medals for the United States, breaking the world record in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.06 seconds and anchoring the 4x100-meter relay team to another world record with a…
Signed as an undrafted free agent in 1973 out of Tulsa, Drew Pearson arrived in Dallas as a former college quarterback making a full-time conversion to wide receiver. He quietly scraped onto the roster, contributing 388 receiving yards while handling kick return duties during his debut campaign. By year two, Pearson dropped special teams entirely and exploded into Tom Landry's…
