2005 has to have been one of the best draft classes.  With Ratliff, whose still has untapped potential, being the ultimate value pick there.  2004 was atrocious, besides finding value in the 7th round with Crayton.  Most disappointing individual pick probably would have to be Roy Williams in 2002.

best pick has to be Bullet Bob Hayes taken in Rd 7 in 1964. Revolutionized the passing game into what we see today.

worst pick IMO is Danny Noonan in 1987. The 12th pick in the 1987 draft never materialzed into the pro bowl player he should have been for a top 15 pick.

Best:

How about Leon Lett in the seventh round. (Larry Brown 12th round that year also)

Worst:

Well the worst use of a draft pick would have to be the 2 we spent on Galloway, but the worst actual pick maybe David LaFluer.

Bullet was definitely the best

The best pick in my opinion comes down to 2 players. The biggest travesty of a non-Hall of Fame player in the history of the league, Bullet, in the 7th round. This guy changed the game, and the NFL should be ashamed that he's not in the HoF.

Even though it was in the 2nd round, my pick is Larry Allen. He came from teeny-tiny Sonoma State (where the hell is that by the way). To find perhaps the greatest OG in the history of the NFL at such a tiny school, is the hidden gem of gems for Cowboys drafting.

The worst pick? This one for me isn't even close. The last offensive player Jerry has drafted in the first round. We were so set on finding Novaceck's replacement. David Lafleur.

The dreaded #22 pick in the draft. This guy played for 3 years and had 63 catches, 653 yards, and 10 TD. That's it, 3 years in the league and out.

Pick one of the many hall of famers who played for Dallas.  I will go with Roger Staubach, but reasonable people can disagree.

My pick for the worst is Shante Carver.  He was going to replace Charles Haley, but all I ever saw was him getting knocked on his back on every play.  On the other hand, some of you are making a compelling case for David LaFleur.  Tough decision.  

Staubach and Aikman were the best in my book.  QB is far and away most important position, and it stands to reason that the best picks were qb’s – at least in terms of impact on the team.  Lots of guys forget that about half the GM’s had Mandarich as the highest rated player in that draft.  JJ&JJ ignored that nonsense and went with the qb. Great call.

Blogggers have been hammering LeFleur – but he might have turned out ok if not for the back injury.  TE in the first round is a no-no though.
My biggest problem with that pick was that the GM decided to let the QB make the pick.  That sort of managerial blunder is almost beyond comprehension.

For the worst pick I nominate Kendall Watkins.  A blocking tight end....in the second round!  Not a pass catching tight end – a blocking tight end.  To me, that pick represents the height of the Jerry Jones immaturity and arrogance era....’we’re so good, so deep and so stacked that we don’t even need to draft players among the 22 starting positions.’  In retrospect, it is amazing.

Best-In my mind the pick is easily Roger Staubach. A 10th round pick who went on to become one of the top QBs of all time, became a HOFer, won a couple superbowls and helped create the America's Team image.

Worst-Shante Carver or Danny Noonan

#17 overall

Emmitt Smith, RB, Florida

has picked up guys as undrafted FA. I think Tony Romo will top that list.

Any other nominees?

I gotta go with Larry Allen and Quincy Carter.

Derek

Best pick has to be Hershal Walker in 1985.  I think he was a fifth rounder and turned out to be a pretty good running back based on ability alone, but when you factor in what we got for trading him to Minnesota you'd have to say he was probably the best pick Dallas ever made.

If you don't take the trade into account, I'd go with Emmitt.  Amazing how the team picked up one of the top 5 RBs of all time that far down in the first round.

it seems that most of the bloggers are picking the best and worst picks based on the career of the player regardless of where they were selected in the draft.

I based my picks on the best value at where the player was selected. For example, Troy and Emmitt were clearly better players than Bob Hayes, but I picked him because he was a 7th rd pick as opposed to a 1st rd pick.

Same with my Noonan slection as the worst. Clearly players like Rogers and Goodrich were worse than Noonan, but they were 2nd rd picks as opposed to a high 1st rd pick.

So Brandon, when you say best and worst, is the rd where they selected be taken into account as well?

This player was chosen by Dallas at the top of the second round in 1989, the year they took Troy Aikman with the #1 pick. He went on to play 12 years at LG, was an 8 time Pro-Bowl selection, and was named to the
NFL 1990's All Decade Team. Who was he?