The 10 Biggest Draft Mistakes in Dallas Cowboys History

The Dallas Cowboys are one of the most accomplished teams in the NFL since joining the fold in 1960, but they are not without their missteps in the draft. The Cowboys have won eight NFC titles, five Super Bowls and 21 divisions championships, but they also have a hearty list of draft-day busts.

To make this list of less-than-memorable Cowboys, players were evaluated based on contributions (or lack thereof) to the team, what they were paid and where they were taken in the draft.

This list isn't about the sixth-round pick who didn't make the team. Instead, it's more about a first-round pick who ate up a ton of salary-cap space playing several years of mediocre football.

Without further ado and explanation, here are the biggest draft-day mistakes in Dallas Cowboys history.

10. RB Julius Jones (2004 Pick, No. 43 Overall)

Before Felix Jones strapped on a star-studded helmet and began disappointing fans, Julius Jones filled that role at running back.

Jones started his career in Dallas with a surprising rookie season in 2004, rushing for 819 yards in just eight games. More impressive is that Jones did this while the Cowboys were still in their quarterback carousel years, with Vinny Testaverde starting much of that year.

The former Dallas second-round pick had his best year as a Cowboy in 2006 when he ran for more than 1,000 yards. But the next season he failed to rush for as many as 600 yards.

When you look at his numbers, Jones was an alright option at running back considering he never finished a season with fewer than 800 yards before 2007. The former Notre Dame back makes this list because he was such a high draft selection.

Jones simply didn't play well enough to justify being a second-round draft pick. If he had been taken in the fourth round in 2004, he would have lived up to that value, but not as a second-rounder.

9. RB Felix Jones (2008, No. 22 Overall Pick)

Felix Jones was drafted to team with Marion Barber III as a dual threat in the backfield. But only in 2009, when the pair ran for a combined 1,570 yards, did the duo produced as planned.

And once Barber left Dallas for Chicago, Jones failed to produce as a feature back, rushing for just 575 yards in 2011 before losing his starting job to rookie DeMarco Murray. In his last season with Dallas, Jones ran for just 402 yards, the second-lowest total of his career.

When the Cowboys selected Jones out of Arkansas in the first round in 2008, the idea was that he would be the team's primary ball-carrier post-Barber. However, that player turned out to be Murray instead.

Jones, who was drafted two selections ahead of Chris Johnson, never eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark during his time with the Cowboys.

Given his mediocrity and what the Cowboys could have had instead of him, Jones is a fine choice for this list.

8. LB Bobby Carpenter (2006, No. 18 Overall Pick)

Coming out of Ohio State the same year as college teammate A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter never made the transition from the Big 10 to the NFL.

Carpenter, who had just 3.5 sacks in four seasons, was taken 15 picks before the Houston Texans took DeMeco Ryans and 16 before the Browns took D'Qwell Jackson.

Only in 2009, in his final season with the Cowboys, did Carpenter make more than 20 tackles.

Carpenter's most impactful play involving the Cowboys came when he was playing linebacker for the Detroit Lions in 2011. In a Week 4 matchup, he intercepted Tony Romo and returned it for a touchdown.

7. DE Tody Smith (1971, No. 25 Pick Overall)

Tody Smith's lack of performance while with the Cowboys wasn't all his fault. But since he was a first-round pick, he never lived up to his draft selection.

Smith was plagued by injuries during his two seasons in Dallas, suffering ankle and knee injuries at different times. Ultimately, Smith's departure turned out to be more beneficial to Dallas than his arrival.

Head coach Tom Landry traded Smith and another player to the Houston Oilers in 1973 for the Oilers' first- and third-round picks in the 1974 draft. Those picks translated into Ed "Too Tall" Jones and Danny White.

6. DE Shante Carver (1994, Pick No. 23 Overall)

Shante Carver was a member of the 1995 Super Bowl team, but that's about as much as he accomplished in Dallas.

Carver was taken out of Arizona State in the first round of the 1994 draft, but he never ended up amounting to much, playing just two full seasons out of his four in Dallas. He had just 55 tackles and 11.5 sacks over that time span.

He may have a Super Bowl ring, but Carver earned his ring only slightly more than Mark Brunell did with the New Orleans Saints in 2009.

5. QB Quincy Carter (2001, No. 53 Overall Pick)

Qunicy Carter almost escaped this list since the Cowboys made the playoffs with him under center in 2003.

That season was the only in which Carter started all 16 games, throwing 17 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. Head coach Bill Parcells showed Carter the door before the following season due to off-the-field issues regarding drug use, according to ESPN.com.

His performance as a Cowboy wasn't terrible, considering 2003 was his biggest and only chance as the team's starter. But how he left the team is the bigger story. Carter was probably never going to evolve into an elite quarterback, but he blew his chance at developing into anything in the NFL.

The New York Jets even gave him a second chance after Chad Pennington went down in 2004. Carter helped the Jets reach the playoffs, but he was released after the '04 season.

4. G Solomon Page (1999, Pick No. 55 Overall)

Solomon Page adds yet another second-round bust to this list. He played on some of the worst Cowboys teams in the past 15 years. Dallas went 23-41 over Page's time with the team from 1999-2003.

The versatile guard can't be blamed for the team's lack of success. But there was plenty of blame to go around in 2002 when starting quarterback Chad Hutchinson was sacked 34 times.

What might have kept Page on the team was his ability to play both right guard and right tackle. Sometimes versatility helps keep you on the roster, especially when you're on a bad team's roster.

3. DE Ebenezer Ekuban (1999, No. 20 Overall Pick)

Recording 12.5 sacks in a season is a decent number for a defensive end. But 12.5 sacks over five seasons  after being drafted 20th overall is poor, and that's exactly what Ebenezer Ekuban did.

Ekuban, who proved to another disappointment from the 1999 draft, never made as many as 30 tackles in single season for the Cowboys. He become more of a serviceable NFL starter after leaving the Cowboys in 2005. 

With the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos, Ekuban had 23 sacks and a career-high 48 tackles in 2006.

2. TE David LaFleur (1997, No. 22 Overall Pick)

Two seasons after the departure of Jay Novacek and Eric Bjornson at tight end, the Cowboys elected to draft David LaFleur to take over as the starter.

What the Cowboys received in return for their first-round investment in the four years that followed was one season with more than 200 receiving yards.

LaFleur was never able to emerge as a go-to option for Troy Aikman and the Cowboys, making only 12 touchdown catches in his four seasons. The LSU product was just one in the long line of less-than-stellar tight ends before Jason Witten was drafted in 2003.

1. DB Dwayne Goodrich (2000, Pick No. 49 Overall)

Dwayne Goodrich played just two seasons for the Cowboys after being selected in the second round in 2000. He played in just 16 games and made just eight tackles.

Goodrich left Dallas in 2002, and it's obvious to see he was of no benefit for Big D. The Cowboys were not exactly a powerhouse team back then, and Goodrich didn't do much to change that fact.