Best Second-Round Gems in Cowboys History & How They Were Found

Whether it was the incredible run the Dallas Cowboys enjoyed in the 1960s through 1970s, or the dynasty team of the 1990s, it's clear just how vital the franchise's second-round picks have been over the years.

Some of the team's most important players during the Super Bowl dynasty in the 1990s were second-round picks, and even the early Cowboys had a stalwart who was taken in the same round.

Knowing all that, our list of the best second-round gems in team history is compiled of the players who made some of the biggest impacts on the championship Cowboys teams dating back to the early years of the league.

These aren't the only notable second-round picks in Cowboys history, but they are no doubt the best.

Ken Norton

School: UCLA

Draft Year: 1988

One of the most feared inside linebackers of his generation, a defense was in good hands with Norton roaming the middle.

Norton notched three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro nods while also finishing third in the Defensive Player of the Year voting in 1995, which would almost be unthinkable in this day and age for an inside linebacker.

The UCLA product was a three-time Super Bowl champ, winning two with the Cowboys and one with the San Francisco 49ers. The sting of Norton leaving for the Niners will always be there, but his status as a great second-round pick of Dallas will never fade.

Larry Allen

School: Butte College, Sonoma St.

Draft Year: 1994

Allen joined the Cowboys on the back half of the dynasty and even though he joined an already elite offensive line, he still managed to stand out as an all-time great player.

Allen immediately cemented himself as one of the best offensive linemen in the sport by notching Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections in just his second season, and he went on to rip off six more years garnering those honors after that. If not for an injury-shortened season in 2002, Allen would have notched 12 straight Pro Bowl appearances.

When it was all said and done, Allen was voted to the Hall of Fame and was a member of both the Hall of Fame All-1990s Team and the Hall of Fame All-2000s Team. When it comes to the greatest players to ever suit up in the NFL, regardless of position, Allen is undoubtedly on that list.

Darren Woodson

School: Arizona St.

Draft Year: 1992

Woodson wasn't just along for the ride during the Cowboys' dynasty of the 1990s, he played a key role in two of the three Super Bowls he won in Dallas.

Woodson staked the claim as the best safety in the league over a five-year period when he was voted to five straight Pro Bowls and three consecutive All-Pros between 1994 and 1998.

Woodson remains on the outside looking in for the Hall of Fame, but that's definitely something that needs to change at some point.

Daryl Johnston

School: Syracuse

Draft Year: 1989

Taking a fullback in the second round of the NFL Draft would get a general manager fired in this day and age, but it worked out quite well for the Cowboys.

A three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time Pro Bowler, Johnston was the backbone of the Cowboys' all-time-great offense as a blocker, and he contributed in the passing and rushing attacks.

Few, if any fullbacks in NFL history have maximized their value as much as Moose.

Mel Renfro

School: Oregon

Draft Year: 1964

Before there were the 1990s Cowboys, there were the 1960s and 1970s Cowboys that made a whopping seven trips to title games (two NFL Championships, five Super Bowls), winning two Super Bowls in the process.

The common bond among all of those teams was Mel Renfro, an electric defensive back who tallied 10 interceptions in 1969 and the same number of Pro Bowls and four All-Pro nods during his illustrious Hall of Fame career.

When you think about some of the best defensive backs in the entire history of the sport, Renfro is at or near the top of the list.

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