Rank'Em: Best Cowboys From Clemson & LSU

Fred Cone –The first kicker in Cowboys history, Cone has the first extra point made for the franchise. The former Clemson kicker played seven years for the Packers before joining the Cowboys in their inaugural 1960 season. He led all players that season with 39 points scored.

Keith Adams –A standout player for Clemson, Adams earned All-American honors but his lack of height caused him to drop in the NFL Draft. He eventually signed with the Cowboys and two productive years, especially on special teams in 2002, before playing five more years with the Eagles, Dolphins and Browns.

David LaFleur – It was always going to be an uphill battle for LaFleur, who was drafted in the first round in 1997 with the expectations he could fully replace the recently-retired Jay Novacek. While that didn't happen, LaFleur had trouble just staying healthy. He only played four seasons and never caught more than 35 passes, which occurred in 1999. That was probably his best season, as LaFleur caught seven of his 12 career touchdowns. He retired from the game after the 2000 season.

Woody Dantzler –In terms of collegiate careers, Dantzler was as good as anyone on this list. A quarterback at Clemson, Dantzler tried to find the right role in the NFL, spending time as a runner and receiver. His career with the Cowboys was rather short, but he did provide one of the greatest individual plays in team history with a dazzling kickoff return against the 49ers that displayed strength, vision, balance, awareness and speed.

Morris Claiborne – The expectations were through the roof for Claiborne after the Cowboys traded up in the 2012 draft to take him No. 6 overall. They thought they were getting the best defensive player in the draft, but while Claiborne has been in the league now eight years, he never developed into the shut-down, game-changing corner the Cowboys initially hoped. Part of the problem was injuries, as Claiborne played in just 47 of a possible 80 games during his five years in Dallas. He also had just four interceptions with the Cowboys. But he had his moments and always flashed the potential to turn the corner, but usually injuries got in the way of him ever getting there.

Danny McCray – There's something about an undrafted safety from an SEC school that wears No. 40. That means they must be really good on special teams. While Bill Bates changed the position and even helped create a spot in the Pro Bowl, McCray wasn't too bad himself. He made the team in 2010 and quickly proved his worth as a stellar special teams performer. In 2010, he led the team with 25 unassisted tackles, the most in franchise history for a rookie. McCray is one of just three players in team history to lead the Cowboys in special teams tackles in consecutive years, along with Byron Jones and Bill Bates.

Marcus Spears – Another player with high expectations based off the draft. However, Spears was picked No. 20 overall in 2005, but he was always overshadowed by DeMarcus Ware, who was picked in the same draft at No. 11. More than anything, Spears played defensive end in the 3-4 scheme, finding it difficult to create his own stats. Constantly facing double-teams and eating up blocks to open up lanes for others, Spears didn't have the flashy highlights. But he was a solid player for eight years in Dallas before finishing his career one season later in Baltimore.

La'el Collins – The Cowboys were never supposed to get Collins, who was projected as a Top 10 pick in 2015 before an odd off-the-field circumstance unfairly dropped him out of the draft. The Cowboys recruited him to join their already-talented line and Collins has been a fixture on the offensive line for a few years. This past summer, the Cowboys gave him a contract extension that should keep in Dallas for perhaps the rest of his career. In 2019, Collins was arguably the Cowboys' best lineman overall despite playing through his share of injuries.

Bradie James – One of the more active linebackers in Cowboys history, although he doesn't always get the credit. James never made the Pro Bowl, but he had quite a stretch of production from 2005-2010. Since the league started charting tackles from the coaches film in 1977, James is the only player in Cowboys history to lead the team in tackles for six straight seasons. In 2008, James was credited with 202 tackles, becoming just the second player in franchise history to surpass 200 in a season.

Charlie Waters – Playmakers are usually reserved for the offensive side of the ball, but during his career in Dallas, Waters undoubtedly made big plays at the safety position, and did so in the big games. He ranks third in franchise history with 41 career interceptions, but he added nine more in the playoffs, a club record. Paired with All-Decade safety Cliff Harris, Waters helped the Cowboys' Doomsday Defense throughout the entire 1970s. Waters made three Pro Bowls in his career and helped the Cowboys win two Super Bowls.