The Cowboys drafted quarterback Troy Aikman first overall in the 1989 NFL draft . Aikman spent his entire 12-year career with Dallas and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.[1] [2]
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex . The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference East Division .[3] The Cowboys joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1960 and have played their home games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas , since 2009 .[4] [5]
The NFL draft , officially known as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting",[6] [7] [8] is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment.[9] The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings; the teams with the worst win–loss records receive the earliest picks. Teams that qualified for the NFL playoffs select after non-qualifiers, and their order depends on how far they advanced, using their regular season record as a tie-breaker. The final two selections in the first round are reserved for the Super Bowl runner-up and champion. Draft picks are tradable and players or other picks can be acquired with them.[10]
Since the team's first draft , the Cowboys have selected 60 players in the first round.[11] The team's first pick in their inaugural NFL draft was Bob Lilly , a defensive tackle from Texas Christian University ; he was the 13th overall selection.[4] [12] The Cowboys have drafted first overall three times, selecting Ed "Too Tall" Jones in 1974 , Troy Aikman in 1989 , and Russell Maryland in 1991 .[11] In the most recent draft , held in 2024, the Cowboys selected Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton .[13]
The Cowboys did not draft a player in the first round on eleven occasions.[11] Seven of the team's first-round picks—Troy Aikman, Tony Dorsett , Michael Irvin , Bob Lilly, Emmitt Smith , DeMarcus Ware , and Randy White —have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame .[14] One of the team's first-round picks—Scott Appleton —chose to sign with the NFL's pre-merger direct competitor, the American Football League (AFL), instead.[15] [16]
^ "Troy Aikman" . Pro Football Hall of Fame . Archived from the original on October 2, 2015. Retrieved January 22, 2024 .
^ "Six named to Hall's Class of 2006!" . Pro Football Hall of Fame . Archived from the original on November 27, 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2024 .
^ Astbury, Matt (April 10, 2023). "How many teams are in the NFL? Who plays in which division?" . DAZN . Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024 .
^ a b "Team Facts" . Pro Football Hall of Fame . Archived from the original on December 11, 2015. Retrieved January 23, 2024 .
^ Brandt, Gil (May 28, 2009). "Cowboys' new $1.25 billion stadium is quite a sight to behold" . National Football League . Archived from the original on February 12, 2024. Retrieved February 12, 2024 .
^ "NFL Draft Profile – NFL Draft" . ESPN . Archived from the original on December 17, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2024 .
^ Farmer, Sam (April 26, 2008). "What makes them tick" . Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024 .
^ Reuter, Chad (April 13, 2012). "Who will be the best pro RB? Martin vs. Miller vs. Wilson" . National Football League . Archived from the original on June 10, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2024 .
^ "NFL 2021 Draft date: when and where is it taking place?" . Diario AS . February 18, 2021. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2023 .
^ "The rules of the NFL Draft" . National Football League . Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023 .
^ a b c "Dallas Cowboys All-Time Draft History" . Pro-Football-Reference.com . Archived from the original on May 11, 2024. Retrieved January 22, 2024 .
^ "1961 NFL Draft Listing" . Pro-Football-Reference.com . Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2024 .
^ Russo, Ralph D. (April 26, 2024). "2024 NFL Draft: List of first round picks" . AP News . Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024 .
^ "Hall of Famers by Draft Round" . Pro Football Hall of Fame . Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2024 .
^ Astbury, Matt (April 12, 2023). "Why are there divisions and conferences in the NFL? How do they work?" . DAZN . Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2024 .
^ "Oilers Sign Appleton to $104,000 Pact" . The New York Times . February 2, 1964. p. 0. Archived from the original on January 22, 2024. Retrieved January 22, 2024 .