Who's Cowboys' Worst NFL Draft Pick Ever?
The Dallas Cowboys are still looking for their first Super Bowl title since 1995. in doing so, they've made plenty of selections in the NFL Draft; some great, others terrible.
But who takes the trophy as the worst pick in Dallas' history? There are several who could be considered.
We can go way back. Kevin Brooks, a defensive lineman, was picked 17th overall in ’85, one spot behind some guy named Jerry Rice. Rod Hill was the 25th overall pick in ’82 but never started a game in a Cowboys uniform. Scott Appleton was the University of Texas Outland Trophy winner taken fourth overall in ’64 and simultaneously traded (via pre-draft agreement) to the Steelers for receiver Buddy Dial, who scored only two touchdowns for the Cowboys.
More modern failures? Felix Jones never became a superstar running back after leaving Fayetteville. Bobby Carpenter lasted four seasons wearing "The Star" as mostly a high-end special-teamer. Even Taco Charlton, whom many questioned his overall college production, still is in the NFL as a rotational specialist.
In the end, Morris Claiborne takes the cake as the worst, only due to his draft location. A top-10 pick who never flourishes will always be considered a bigger bust than a mid-first.
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After much thought, that's the right answer when talking about the Cowboys' struggles.
Claiborne was next in line as the top defensive back from 'DBU' LSU. The pick seemed like a slam-dunk once made, but it was the beginning of a frustrating tenure in Big D.
His career started strong after Claiborne started 15 games in 2012. That would be his best season with the team. After that, he never played more than 11 games per season with the club. Injuries and poor production fluctuate his starting time.
He missed three games with a hamstring injury in 2013 before being sidelined for the four of the final five weeks due to personal reasons. In 2014, he suffered a torn patella in Week 4 that cost him the remainder of the season.
A decent 2015 season allowed Jerry Jones and Co. to give him one more year on a new one-year, $3 million deal. Things didn't didn't go as planned. A strong start was quickly ended by a groin injury, cutting his season down to just seven games.
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Claiborne would sign a one-year deal with the Jets in 2017 and play three more seasons with New York and Kansas City. He currently is a free agent.
What stings most is the draft capital given up to select Claiborne. Initially expected to pick No. 14, Dallas trade their first and second-round picks to then-St. Louis for the No. 6 selection.
The first pick would end up being Claiborne's LSU teammate Michael Brockers. The second would go to Chicago and eventually be Alshon Jeffery. Both players so far have had more consistent careers that the defensive back.
Pro Football Focus, who released its own "worst draft picks since 2006" column, agreed that the Claiborne selection also stings knowing that Stephon Gilmore was the next defensive back taken.
While LSU may very well be DBU, Claiborne didn’t add to that reputation. He had some lean years on the outside after an encouraging rookie season, earning coverage grades of 56.4, 39.8 and 49.4. The Cowboys have a fairly solid first-round track record in the draft, but this one still stings — especially since Stephon Gilmore was the next corner off the board. - PFF
Gilmore, who was selected 10th by the Buffalo Bills, went on to be a four-time Pro Bowl cornerback, a two-time All-Pro and the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year.
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