Rank'Em
Rank 'Em: How Many 1st-Rounders On The Roster?
Even with several key players leaving this offseason, the Cowboys still have double-digit first-round draft picks on the roster. Just how many? Let's take a look.
Gerald McCoy (3rd overall pick by the Bucs, 2011)
The most accomplished free-agent pickup in a busy offseason, McCoy is a six-time Pro Bowler who's expected to lead a revamped interior defensive line.
Aldon Smith (7th overall pick by the 49ers, 2011)
Conditionally reinstated by the NFL on Tuesday, Smith will have a chance to bolster the Cowboys' pass rush. He hasn't played since 2015, but the talent is there. He's got 47.5 sacks in 59 career games.
Tyron Smith (9th overall pick, 2011)
Also a 2010s All-Decade team pick, Smith is the longest-tenured player on offense and a seven-time Pro Bowler. He also was the first building block for one of the league's best offensive lines.
Dontari Poe (11th overall pick by the Chiefs, 2012)
Another free-agent addition, Poe represents a large (literally) philosophical shift up front for Dallas. The 346-pounder is a veteran run-stuff and two-time career Pro Bowler.
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (21st overall pick by the Packers, 2014)
An important addition with longtime starter Jeff Heath signing with the Raiders. Clinton-Dix made the Pro Bowl under head coach Mike McCarthy in Green Bay and could earn a starting job here, too.
Zack Martin (16th overall pick, 2014)
The Cowboys' starting right guard made the NFL's 2010s All-Decade team and has made the Pro Bowl/All-Pro team in each of his first six seasons. Enough said.
Amari Cooper (4th overall pick by the Raiders, 2015)
Even though he wasn't drafted by Dallas, one could view Cooper as practically a first-round pick by the club. The Cowboys dealt a first-rounder for the four-time Pro Bowler in the middle of 2018, and he's been their top receiver ever since.
Cameron Erving (19th overall pick by the Browns, 2015)
The Cowboys signed Erving earlier this month as a prime candidate for their swing tackle opening. Erving has 42 career starts, including eight at left tackle last year for the world champion Chiefs, and can play guard too.
Ezekiel Elliott (4th overall pick, 2016)
Elliott is already two-time NFL rushing champ who might have pulled a hat trick if not for a six-game suspension in 2017. Unquestionably one of the league's best backs and the Cowboys' engine on offense.
Leighton Vander Esch (19th overall pick, 2018)
Vander Esch is working back from January neck surgery. When healthy, he's one of the team's best young players, having made the Pro Bowl and All-Pro team as a rookie.
CeeDee Lamb (17th overall pick, 2020)
This year's top Cowboys pick is universally viewed as a steal at No. 17. He should be a walk-in starter alongside veteran receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup.
