Dallas Cowboys: Report Card Grades for the Last 5 Draft Classes

Any look back at the Cowboys recent draft record is trip through the funhouse that is the mind of Jerry Jones. Sometimes Jones looks brilliant, sometimes he looks like the biggest sucker at the table. More than any one move that Jones made, a five-year review reveals that maybe Jones is changing his ways.

2007

In maybe the best move of the last five years, Jones traded the Cowboys No. 22 pick for No.36 and Cleveland's 2008 first-round pick. He then gave up a third and fifth to move back into the first for Anthony Spencer, who has turned into a solid long-term starting OLB opposite DeMarcus Ware. To fill those gaps, Jones got a fourth and sixth to drop back into the early third from the late second. That early third ended up being OT James Marten, who didn't even last a full year with the team.

The extra fourth picked up became QB/WR/KR Isaiah Stanback, who never panned out, but the Cowboys natural fourth became their starting right tackle Doug Free. The extra sixth became kicker Nick Folk, who is now with the New York Jets, and the Cowboys gave up a seventh to move up for FB Deon Anderson, another position that has become a bit of a merry-go-round for the team since Anderson didn't ever really lock up the job during his four years with the team.

Jones also picked up a seventh for veteran TE Sean Ryan and one for LB Scott Shanle. One of those picks, DB Alan Ball, is still providing depth and an occasional start in the Cowboys secondary. The other, DB Courtney Brown, had a nondescript two years with the team before being cut.

Grade: A

2008

Equipped with an extra first-round pick, Jones took the first fellow Razorback during his time as the Cowboys owner in RB Felix Jones, who has been a mixed bag of big plays and injuries. Jones surrendered a fifth and seventh to move up three spots for CB Mike Jenkins, who also hasn't been a bust, but hasn't been a huge success as a starting corner either.

Second-round TE Martellus Bennett has been another player who contributed during his rookie deal, but never hit his ceiling. He left for the Giants in free agency this year. 

The fourth round was full of action for Jones. The Cowboys moved from the late third into the fourth for Detroit's 2009 fourth. They then dealt that fourth to Cleveland for their 2009 third. They got a fourth for LB Akin Ayodele and TE Anthony Fasano from Miami, and they gave their fourth to Tennessee for CB Adam "Pac Man" Jones. They proceeded to trade down from Miami's fourth twice to recoup the fifth and seventh given up to make the move for Jenkins in the first.

When the dust settled, they took only RB Tashard Choice in the round, who was a revelation in his rookie year, but never lived up to that play during the rest of his Cowboys career before being released last year. 

Jones wasn't done moving around, spending a seventh again to move up in the fifth for Orlando Scandrick, who has been a solid nickel back and signed a new (some would say overvalued) contract with the team last year. The Cowboys also moved up in the sixth by dealing DT Jason Ferguson to the Dolphins, and that pick became OLB Erik Walden, who didn't last the year with the 'Boys, but eventually found a home in Green Bay and even started for the Packers.

Grade: C

2009

In a trade that may go down as one of the worst in NFL history, Jerry Jones got WR Roy Williams and a 2010 seventh from Detroit for a first, third, and sixth-round pick. Then he threw $20 million guaranteed at Williams in a new contract. 

Jones then traded out of the second to add an extra fourth-round pick. Various trades and a few compensatory picks then gave the Cowboys a draft board that looked like a good canasta hand: two threes, three fours, three fives, two sixes, and two sevens.

What do the Cowboys have to show now for those twelve picks? A third-string QB (fourth-rounder Stephen McGee), a quality backup OLB (fourth-rounder Victor Butler) and a quality No. 2 TE (sixth-rounder John Phillips).

Grade: F

2010

Perhaps Jerry Jones realized the error of his ways, because 2010's draft seemed much more focused. He gave up a bump from the fourth to the third to move up for WR Dez Bryant. While Dez hasn't hit his potential, he has still been a major difference maker. Likewise, giving up a fourth to move up for Sean Lee has paid huge dividends. Lee has been outstanding and he'll anchor the middle of the defense for a long time.

Jones then traded down in the fourth and picked up another sixth to help cover the fifth-round pick they traded to Denver for OG Montrae Holland. Holland started in a pinch last year after he was cut, but overall did not work out for the team. The fourth-round pick became DB/KR Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, who is now with the Jaguars. Sixth-round OT Sam Young and DB Jamar Wall are no longer with the team, but seventh-round DE Sean Lissemore has been a find, providing good depth on the defensive line.

Grade: A-

2011

Finally in 2011, someone convinced Jerry Jones to stop making so many moves in the draft. He might have ceded more authority to his staff and early returns are that whatever Jerry did, it was a good move. At No. 9 overall, the Cowboys took USC OT Tyron Smith, who looks like a long-term starter at left tackle. In the second, the Cowboys grabbed LB Bruce Carter, a supreme talent coming off of an ACL tear. He'll compete with free-agent pickup Dan Connor to start this year.

The third round was a home run pick, RB Demarco Murray, who should start for the foreseeable future. The rest of the draft yielded depth at guard (fourth-rounder David Arkin and seventh-rounder Bill Nagy), backup fullback Shaun Chapas (seventh, acquired for WR Patrick Crayton), backup WR/KR Dwayne Harris, who spent a brief time on waivers, DB Josh Thomas, who was stolen by the Carolina Panthers as the Cowboys tried to stash him on the practice squad and DT Josh Brent, who was actually selected in the 2010 Supplement Draft's seventh round. Brent looks promising at nose tackle, which is a tough position to find good fits.

Grade: A