As we all know from the article NFL Deadly Sin: Free Agency, the draft is where a team builds its future.  Over the past five drafts, the Dallas Cowboys have managed to develop eight starters (10 including Marion Barber and Patrick Crayton, who are not officially “starters”).  Of those eight, five have been selected to at least one Pro Bowl.  Based on the drafts the Cowboys threw away from 1996-2001, it was easy to see why they struggled to make the playoffs and stay competitive.  The drafts from 2002-2006 have begun to show some promise for the organization, and Dallas is now being noticed as a legitimate threat. 

There are only two players remaining from the 2002 Dallas Cowboys draft class:  Thorpe Award Winner Roy Williams and Pro Bowler Andre Gurode, their first and second round picks.  This draft could have been a great one for the Cowboys.  As hindsight is 20/20, it’s hard to look past the fact they drafted Gurode when they could have found their heir apparent to Emmitt Smith, Clinton Portis.  Even if the Cowboys selected Gurode, they missed out on a very versatile player in Brian Westbrook in the third round, but they chose to go after Derek Ross, one of the 18 players from 2002-2006 that are no longer on the Cowboys roster.  Only two players from this draft still on the roster, missing out on a potential franchise running back would normally give this draft an F, but perennial Pro Bowler Roy Williams makes it an average draft.  2002 Draft Grade:  C

In 2003, the fifth overall pick gave the Cowboys their second Thorpe Award Winner Terrence Newman.  Along with Newman the Cowboys added Pro Bowl Tight End Jason Witten in the third round, and starting linebacker Bradie James in the fourth round.  Center Al Johnson was taken in the second round by the Cowboys and started 31 consecutive games after an injury plagued rookie season.  It was tough to see the Cowboys struggle to have a consistent receiver in 2003.  Watching then rookie Anquan Boldin record 101 catches for 1377 yards and 8 touchdowns probably burned Jerry’s buns because he could have had him in the second round, but instead they drafted a Center for the second season in a row.  What might have been the most important acquisition of the draft, was what happened after it concluded.  Signing Rookie Free Agent quarterback Tony Romo looks to be the final replacement for Troy Aikman for years to come.  Producing three starters and two Pro Bowlers was a positive, getting lucky finding Romo as a UFA was brilliant, but missing out on a top flight receiver to draft another Center keeps this draft from getting an A+.  2003 Draft Grade:  A

The 2004 the Cowboys didn’t have a first round pick, but made the most with one of their second rounders in running back Julius Jones.  Jones has been inconsistent in his first few seasons due to injury, but after this year a lot of people are excited about the fact they have finally solved their problem at running back post-Emmitt Smith.  The other second rounder, Jacob Rogers a tackle out of USC, never worked out for Dallas, and they are probably looking back and wishing they did something else with it.  In the seventh round the Cowboys found a pleasant surprise in a solid third receiver from North West Oklahoma, Patrick Crayton.  Crayton has developed into a pretty solid NFL receiver and the fact that he was found in the seventh round makes the Cowboys look pretty smart.  Part time nickel backs and special teamers Nathan Jones and Jacques Reeves, two other seventh rounders have also been very solid contributors.  Since the Cowboys didn’t have a first round pick and only drafted one eventual starter (not counting Crayton), I would say they did what they could with what they had.  2004 Draft Grade:  B-

In 2005 the Cowboys decided that defense was the way to go.  With their eight picks, the Cowboys chose six defensive players, and only one player has yet to make the Pro Bowl, DeMarcus Ware.  Since we’re only two years into this draft class it’s hard to determine whether or not any player is going to end up being a great player or contributor, with the exception of Ware.  Ware, the first of two first rounders, has solidified himself as one of the top linebackers in the NFL.  Not much time is needed to explain the impact and excitement he has brought to Dallas.  The Cowboys other first round pick, Marcus Spears has underachieved to this point, but the hope is he will flourish under Wade Phillips’ new pressure 3-4.  With their second round selection the Cowboys took Kevin Burnett a linebacker from Tennessee.  Burnett has also been somewhat a disappointment, but he came on strong at the end of the season in 2006 filling in with spot work, not to mention his special teams abilities.  With the influx of the two-back system NFL teams are relying on two different types of runners.  In 2004 and 2005, the Cowboys have built their running game for the next 10 years, as it seems they have hit the jackpot with their fourth round selection of Marion Barber III.  This past season, Barber led the NFC in rushing touchdowns (14) and tied for total td’s with 16. He also picked up numerous first downs in short yardage situations.  So, with Barber and Ware alone the Cowboys improved on 2004’s draft, but we need a few more years to decide if it was overall a good draft.  Preliminary 2005 Draft Grade:  B

2006 Cowboys Draft theme:  Take guys you like as soon as possible and take them one or two rounds earlier than projected.  Drafting Bobby Carpenter in the first round was reasonable, but some felt it was too much to draft him 18^th overall.  In the second round Anthony Fasano seemed to be a major stretch, as he could have been had in the third or fourth round.  In this draft the Cowboys went for positions they needed rather than the best player available strategy, and that could be why they had zero full-time starters coming out of this draft in their first year. This was the first time they were to draft a full-time rookie starter since 2001.  The next bright spot in the draft for the Cowboys came in the fourth round with inconsistent, but sometimes productive Pat Watkins.  Watkins, a 6-5” safety showed flashes of brilliance, and also plenty of rookie mistakes.  Two of their eight picks are no longer on the roster after one season, and those include:  Fourth rounder WR/KR Skyler Green and seventh round Tackle E.J. Whitley. That makes this draft a failure after year one, but with Carpenter and Watkins showing promise, and Fasano being a very solid all around tight end, this draft could turn out to be a very good one for Dallas. As for immediate impact and gratification from fans, it is very unfulfilling.  2006 Preliminary Draft Grade:  D

 On April 28, Dallas will continue their efforts to rebuild America’s Team, and they’ll have a lot of prospects to choose from and only a few holes to fill on a playoff team.  Does Dallas need a top flight draft to put them into the NFC championship game and into the crème de la crème of the NFC for years to come? No, but they will definitely need to be smart and improve upon what was, as of right now, a very down 2006 draft.  Some advice for Jerry, Wade, and the rest of the ‘Boys; don’t draft a third round talent in the second round, do some deep scouting on all the prospects, and don’t give fans a repeat of the 2006 draft, because this could be the draft that puts you into the Super Bowl THIS SEASON.