Cowboys at No. 24: Will NFL Draft Give Dallas Another Dez Bryant-Like Star?
FRISCO - There is luck involved in any NFL Draft. That is especially true if a team happens to "hit'' on a player in the same coincidental spot, multiple times.
The Dallas Cowboys could use some luck with the 24th pick, just one more time.
This will be the fourth time the Cowboys have selected in the No. 24 slot, assuming they don't move from there in this late April draft. And they are a rather amazing 3-for-3 on those three other occasions.
How well did they "hit''? Consider ...
In 1969, the Cowboys drafted in the No. 24 slot and landed Yale running back Calvin Hill. Hill not only earned Offensive Rookie of the Year, but also made first-team All-Pro.
In 1992, the Cowboys picked Robert Jones out of East Carolina, and he became a starter on a Super Bowl-winning team. Jones was named to the All-Rookie team and earned some acclaim as the NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year.
In 2010, the Cowboys seemed to know exactly what they wanted, moving up in the draft to pinpoint Dez Bryant, the Texas native and Oklahoma State star. Bryant, gifted and passionate, scored on six touchdown catches before sustaining a late-season injury but was nevertheless named to the All-Rookie team.
What makes the Cowboys' traditional good fortune (and, OK, good drafting) at No. 24 so notable is that unlike drafting in, say the top 10 of the first round, there are not necessarily "sure things'' in that spot.
But they've been very "sure'' for Dallas. And now the Cowboys just need to do it for a fourth time.
