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Top 10: Allen, Renfro & Woodson Top List of Cowboys' Best 2nd-Round Picks

With the NFL Draft less than a week away, all of the focus is shifting on the Cowboys' plans for the upcoming draft.

If history tells us anything, the Cowboys have a chance to land a great player in every round, but there have been some special players taken in the second round.

Let's look back at the 10 best second-rounders the Cowboys have ever selected.

See photos of the top Cowboys 2nd round picks. 

Honorable Mention:

Golden Richards (1973)

Martellus Bennett (2008)

Todd Christiansen (1978)

Randall Godfrey (1996)

10. Jimmy Smith (1992) – One of the most productive players drafted by the Cowboys in this round. However, just about all of his success occurred with the Jaguars. Smith battled through injuries, along with talented players ahead of him, early on with the Cowboys before landing with Jacksonville, where he made five Pro Bowls and racked up over 12,000 receiving yards.

9. Ken Norton Jr. (1988) – While he started to shine during the end of his time with the Cowboys, Norton was a key member of the back-to-back Super Bowls in the early 90's. In fact, he's the only player in history to win three consecutive Super Bowls, as he won another with the 49ers in the 1994 season. Norton had some huge moments in the Super Bowl games, including a goal-line tackle and a fumble return for a TD against the Bills in Super Bowl XXVII.

8. Robert Newhouse (1972) – His entire 12-year career was spent in Dallas. The versatile back not only had many roles, but was always willing to do what was the best for the team. Even in 1983, his final season, Newhouse ran down on kickoffs to help out the special teams. Throughout his career, Newhouse was a serviceable back, who even started at running back before Tony Dorsett's arrival moved him to a fullback role.

7. Sean Lee (2010)– Injuries not only caused him to drop into the second round back in 2010, but plagued him in the early part of his career. Lately, Lee has not only stayed relatively healthy, but has flourished because of it. He was named to the Pro Bowl each of the last two seasons and earned an All-Pro honor this past year, after leading the Cowboys with 174 tackles.

6. Andre Gurode (2002) – Drafted with the initial thought he could play guard, Gurode shined under Bill Parcells, who pegged him more as a center. Once he settled into that position, he was a regular starter on the line and earned five Pro Bowl selections.

5. Daryl Johnston (1989) – A fan favorite that would receive "Mooooose" calls both at home and on the road, Johnston was a valuable member of the Cowboys' offense in the 1990s. Not only was the lead blocker to Emmitt Smith, who went on to become the NFL's all-time leading rusher, but throughout his career he established himself as more of an offensive threat. He caught 294 passes in his career, currently third most in club history among running backs.

4. Flozell Adams (1998) – Somewhat of a similar story to Gurode. Adams spent the first five years of his career as a solid player but was considered an underachiever until Parcells came in and made him the team's top priority to re-sign. From there, Adams became a dominant left tackle that earned five Pro Bowls in a six-year span.

3. Darren Woodson (1992) – You won't find Woodson third on many lists, but he's behind a couple of Hall of Famers here. Woodson has made it to the Cowboys' Ring of Honor and is the team's all-time leading tackler. Woodson was the defensive leader for those dominant teams of the 1990s, earning five Pro Bowls. What made him so great was his ability to cover the slot, something that is unheard of for safeties in today's game. Woodson could not only hit and tackle, but would cover receivers, tight ends in all shapes and sizes.

2. Mel Renfro (1964)  – One of the more versatile players in the history of the franchise. Renfro not only excelled as a cornerback and a safety – making All-Pro honors at both positions, he's one of the best kick and punt returners the Cowboys have ever had. Renfro is the club's all-time leader with 52 interceptions and returned three for scores. A 10-time Pro Bowler, Renfro was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

1. Larry Allen (1994)  – There might not be a more dominant offensive lineman in NFL history. Allen wasn't just a mauler at guard, he also spent three years at tackle and earned Pro Bowl status. His speed and agility was on display as a rookie in 1994 when he chased down a Saints linebacker after an interception to save a touchdown. Allen did the bulk of his damage in the trenches, tossing aside defensive linemen and anyone else that dared to get in his way. Allen earned 10 Pro Bowls with the Cowboys and another with the 49ers at the end of his career. He made it as a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2013.

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