Even though they were more active in free agency than usual, the Dallas Cowboys have a lot riding on their 2026 draft class. Caleb Downs is a popular pick for Defensive Rookie of the Year, while fellow first-rounder Malachi Lawrence is primed to contribute as a designated pass rusher while he evolves as a run defender.
That got us thinking about the Cowboys' recent history of first-round picks. The NFL Draft is largely a crapshoot, but there's little to no excuse for whiffing on the consensus top prospects. That'll happen from time to time, but let's check in on Dallas' last 10 first-round picks to see if their reputation as one of the league's best drafting teams is legitimate.
2025: Tyler Booker
Where are they now? Still on the Cowboys
Initial reviews of Dallas selecting Tyler Booker were not kind to Jerry Jones and Co. Taking a guard as high as the 12th pick is bound to raise eyebrows, but the Cowboys had just lost future Hall of Famer Zack Martin to retirement, leaving a massive void at right guard.
Meanwhile, Booker, while not considered an elite prospect, was viewed as an immediate starter. A lot of Cowboys fans wanted Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden after Arizona star Tetairoa McMillan came off the board, but Booker wasted no time proving that Dallas made the right choice.
The Alabama product is a freight train in the run game, ranking seventh among guards as a rookie with a 76.9 run-blocking grade, per Pro Football Focus. He was solid in pass protection as well, finishing with a 97.6 pass-blocking efficiency.
Booker wasn't a sexy pick, but he's going to have a long career in Dallas.
- Retrospective grade: A
2024: Tyler Guyton
Where are they now? Still with the Cowboys
The hope is that Tyler Guyton also has a lengthy career with the Cowboys, but that is currently anyone's guess after two injury- and mistake-plagued seasons to start his career.
Selected No. 29 overall in 2024, Guyton was not without question marks coming out of Oklahoma. Those concerns have held up, as he's committed 25 penalties (most of the back-breaking variety) while giving up six sacks and 57 pressures.
Having said that, the Cowboys feel that Guyton has made major strides this offseason. They're expecting a big year from him. That's not to say that all concerns should be quelled, but there's a lot more reason for optimism than there was when last season ended.
- Retrospective grade: C
2023: Mazi Smith
Where are they now? Miami Dolphins
It is really unfortunate how Mazi Smith's career has panned out. Widely regarded as a first- or second-round prospect coming out of Michigan, Smith was a celebrated pick among Cowboys fans, who had waited years for the front office to make a meaningful investment in the interior defensive line.
All it took was one season to realize that Smith didn't have it. He routinely got blown off the ball, leaving Dallas' linebackers exposed at the second level. Neither Dan Quinn nor Mike Zimmer could get anything out of Smith before the Cowboys cut their losses and sent him to the Jets as a throw-in in the Quinnen Williams trade.
Smith failed to carve out a role in New York and was waived in August. He has since joined the Dolphins' practice squad. He's one of the more notable draft busts in the history of the Cowboys franchise.
- Retrospect grade: F
2022: Tyler Smith
Where are they now? Still with the Cowboys
Another draft pick that was met with harsh reviews. The Cowboys surprised a lot of people when they selected Tyler Smith out of Tulsa with the 24th pick in 2022. Within two seasons, though, he established himself as one of the best interior linemen in football, and Dallas rewarded him last offseason to the tune of a four-year, $96 million extension with $81.2 million guaranteed.
According to NFL Researcher on X, Smith's 4.2 percent pressure rate allowed since 2024 is second only to the Broncos' Quinn Meinerz (3.9 percent). He's also compiled a 76.7 run-blocking grade in four seasons and has allowed just six sacks since the 2023 season.
Did we mention that Smith is also the Cowboys' emergency left tackle? He's logged 1,329 career snaps at LT, most of which came during his rookie year while filling in for Tyron Smith. It's impossible to overstate the luxury of having an All-Pro guard in your back pocket if disaster strikes at one of the most important positions on the field.
- Retrospective grade: A+
2021: Micah Parsons
Where are they now? Green Bay Packers
Micah Parsons was well on his way to becoming one of the best defensive players in franchise history before he was traded to the Green Bay Packers last August. It's not in Jerry Jones' DNA to let superstars out of the building, but he and the front office felt that Parsons' questionable leadership and locker room presence wasn't worth a record-setting contract.
The Cowboys, to their credit, have rebounded from the trade about as well as fans could have hoped. You don't have to squint to see a world in which Dallas is better off without Parsons. Rather than simply replacing his production, the Cowboys have sought out good players who are also natural leaders, helping alleviate some of the burden Prescott has carried for years.
As far as draft picks go, Parsons was an A++. He converted from an off-ball linebacker to an edge rusher as a rookie and quickly became one of the NFL's most exciting players. In four years with Dallas, he won Defensive Rookie of the Year and was a three-time All-Pro while finishing second and third in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2022 and 2023.
- Retrospective grade: A
2020: CeeDee Lamb
Where are they now? Still with the Cowboys
Speaking of A++ draft picks, it's still hard to believe CeeDee Lamb fell to Dallas in 2020. The Cowboys were really high on LSU pass rusher K'Lavon Chaisson, but wisely threw that plan out the window when Lamb fell to No. 17. Dallas already had an exciting receiver duo in Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup, but Lamb was simply too talented and too highly regarded as a prospect to pass up.
Since he was drafted, Lamb ranks fifth among all WRs in catches (571), third in receiving yards (7,416), tied for 10th in yards per reception (13.0), and 13th in touchdown catches (41). He's already a three-time All-Pro and finished third in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2023 after falling 50 yards and one TD short of winning the Triple Crown.
2019: The Cowboys traded this pick for Amari Cooper
- Retrospective grade: A+Â
2018: Leighton Vander Esch
Where are they now? Retired
One of the many "what ifs" in Cowboys history, Leighton Vander Esch's career was upended by several neck injuries. He had neck concerns coming out of Boise State, and they ultimately held up, as he missed time because of neck ailments in 2019, 2022, and 2023.
A season-ending neck injury in 2023 sent Vander-Esch into early retirement. The Cowboys released him that offseason after a failed physical, and he announced his retirement shortly thereafter, capping an exciting but injury-shortened career. His injury makes it easy to forget just how good he was when he was on the field.
A former understudy of Sean Lee, Vander Esch set a franchise rookie record with 176 tackles and received second-team All-Pro honors. He didn't reach those heights again in his career, but he provided steady off-ball linebacker play, which is something Dallas has struggled to find since he hung up his cleats.
- Retrospective grade: B-
2017: Taco Charlton
Where are they now? The UFL
In contention with Mazi Smith for one of the worst first-round picks in team history, Taco Charlton was waived by Dallas in the infancy stages of the 2019 season. The former No. 28 overall pick fell out of favor with then-defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli and was a healthy scratch in the first two games of 2019. The Cowboys had trade discussions involving Charlton, but nothing came to pass and they sent him on his way.
Charlton spent the 2026 season with the Dallas Renegades of the United Football League, tallying one sack and 16 total tackles. He last appeared in an NFL game in 2022 with the Bears. He enjoyed a brief resurgence with the Dolphins in 2021, recording five sacks in 10 games, but it wasn't enough to earn another contract in Miami.
- Retrospective grade: F
2016: Ezekiel Elliott
Where are they now? NFL free agency
Despite not suiting up since 2024, Ezekiel Elliott is not retired. He is available to sign, but you have to wonder if the two-time rushing champion is pondering retirement. Enough negative thoughts, though. Elliott's Cowboys career should be celebrated. After all, this is a player who finished third in MVP (!) voting as a rookie and led all running backs in rushing yards per game in each of his first three seasons.
Elliott's prime lasted shorter than Cowboys fans would have liked, but he was as good and as valuable as any skill position player over his first four seasons. Only Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith and Tony Dorsett have more rushing yards in franchise history than Zeke's 8,488, which ranks 40th all-time.
- Retrospective grade: A
2015: Byron Jones
Where are they now? Retired
The Cowboys have a boom-or-bust track record of drafting cornerbacks. Either the player is really good or he's unplayable and off the team within a year or two. Jones is one of the success stories, even though he spent much of his first three seasons at safety. It wasn't until 2018 that Dallas made him a full-time cornerback, and the move immediately unlocked the best version of Jones. Quarterbacks did not enjoy throwing his way, which told you everything you needed to know about whether Dallas made the right call.
The Cowboys made another sound decision by letting Jones walk in 2020 free agency. He inked a five-year, $82.5 million deal with the Dolphins that made him the league's highest-paid cornerback at the time. Unfortunately, injuries soon started to take their toll. Jones missed all of 2022 after offseason Achilles surgery prevented him from getting back on the field. He never played another snap in the NFL.
Jones was never a superstar for the Cowboys, but he absolutely lived up to his late-first-round billing. He started 73 of a possible 80 games over five seasons and provided consistently strong play in Dallas' secondary. He may not have become a franchise cornerstone, but getting five years of borderline Pro Bowl-level production out of the No. 27 overall pick qualifies as a clear win.
- Retrospective grade: B+
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