A decade ago the Cowboys went into the 2014 Draft with a poor draft history over the previous 20 years and managed to walk out with two potential Hall of Fame players.
With the 16th pick of the first round, the Cowboys took guard Zack Martin out of Notre Dame.
In 10 years, Martin has started in all 152 games he has played.
He’s only missed 10 games total in those 10 seasons.
The only season he was not named to the Pro Bowl was in 2020. That season he missed six games.
Martin will play at least one more season in Dallas before becoming an unrestricted free agent after the upcoming season.
When You’re Hot You’re Hot
When the second round began, the Washington Redskins had the second pick of the round and 34th overall of the draft.
The Cowboys moved up from the 47th spot and threw in their third-round pick to get Washington’s pick in the second round.
This time the trade paid major dividends for Dallas. They took defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence out of Boise State.
After an up-and-down run in his first three seasons, Lawrence flipped the switch in 2017.
In his last seven seasons, Lawrence has started in 103 games of the 105 games he has played in.
He only played in seven games in 2021 due to a broken bone in his foot.
For his career, he has 436 tackles and 58.5 sacks. He has scored a touchdown on both an interception and a fumble return.
He has two interceptions – the highlight being a 40-yard Pick Six against Washington after he returned from his foot injury.
Among Lawrence’s eight fumble recoveries – and 20 forced fumbles – the highlight came in 2022.
His 19-yard fumble return opened the scoring in a 22-10 win over the Rams.
Lawrence recorded a safety – also against the Redskins – in a season-ending 34-23 loss in 2015.
He is also credited with 121 quarterback hits and 93 tackles for a loss.
Like Martin, Lawrence will be in Dallas for at least one more season. He will become an unrestricted free agent once the year ends.
Fourth Round Gem
Having traded away their third-round pick, Dallas’ next selection came in the fourth round.
They looked to Iowa and selected linebacker Anthony Hitchens.
He would have four solid years in Dallas.
But Dallas still tended to let their linebackers walk – a trend that dates back to the beginning of the Jones’ ownership era – and Hitchens moved on after the 2017 season.
Still, he started in 48 of the 60 games he played for the Cowboys.
He recovered two fumbles, had one interception, recorded 3.5 sacks, and added 304 tackles.
He would do even better in Kansas City.
In his four years with the Chiefs he would start in all 59 games he played – matching his interceptions and fumble recovery numbers from Dallas.
He had just two sacks but finished with 381 tackles.
He also added a Super Bowl ring in 2019 when the Chiefs beat the 49ers, 31-20, in Super Bowl LIV.
He started the game and had four tackles plus a quarterback hit.
Dead End Street
The Cowboys’ successful draft run ended in the fifth round with the selection of receiver Devin Street out of Pitt.
Street would play 31 games in two seasons in Dallas – starting in two games in 2015 – and catch just nine passes for 132 yards combined.
His lone NFL touchdown came in a 27-20 loss to the Giants on Oct. 25, 2015.
He caught a 25-yard pass from Matt Cassel to tie the game at 20.
But former Cowboys player Dwayne Harris returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for the game-winning score.
Street spent a quiet 2016 season with the Colts – his final year in the NFL.
A Handful Of Picks In The Seventh
The Cowboys had traded their sixth-round pick in 2014 to Kansas City for linebacker Edgar Jones in 2013. He played in just seven games in 2013 before an injury ended his time in Dallas as well as his NFL career.
With all of the trading, the Cowboys found themselves with five picks in the final round.
Only one of the five remained in the NFL after the 2015 season.
Defensive back Terrance Mitchell played for six different teams over eight seasons.
Taken with the 254th pick of a 256-pick draft, Mitchell’s draft stock plummeted after a poor showing at the combine.
The Cowboys took a chance on him, waived him at the end of training camp, then brought him back in 2015 after the Bears waived him.
He played in three games for the Cowboys in 2015. He had one interception and 12 tackles in those three games.
The following year he was in Kansas City and played his last year in 2022 for the Titans.
