Cowboys Top 10 Biggest Draft Successes Of The Jerry Jones Era: #9

by Dave Halprin on Apr 5, 2011 5:00 PM CDT

Our continuing series looking at the Top 10 Biggest Draft Successes Of The Jerry Jones Era rolls on with #9. The guidelines - Must have been drafted during Jerry Jones' era (1989 - present), and generally needs to be a player chosen in the 3rd round or later. Anybody above that was expected to succeed. It's not a list of the best players, but a list of the best value to the team, based on contributions and when they were drafted. Also, certain intangibles can be thrown into the mix.

9. Patrick Crayton (2004, 7^th round, #216, WR, Northwestern Oklahoma State)

Patrick Crayton had the trifecta of factors working against him. He was a very late-round pick, he came from a small school, and he was switching positions. (Well, he only played QB one year in college, his senior year, and was a WR before that, but still). Given all that, it would have been easy for Cowboys fans to have written him off from the very start.

Good thing the team didn't write Crayton off, because he turned out to be a very good player for someone drafted in the 7th round. He wasn't a star, but his contributions in Dallas were varied and solid. His best traits were his hands, and his ability to do a lot of different things.

He wasn't a burner, but he did get open. And he usually caught the ball when thrown his way. His run as a third receiver in Dallas was on par with the top third WRs around the league. Even though we think of him as the third guy, he could be called on to start in case of injury. Over his six years with the Cowboys, he started 32 games. He was also a reliable punt return guy.

And to show off his versatility even more, he was sometimes the third QB. For a guy taken in the 7th round, the Cowboys sure got a lot of use out of Patrick Crayton.

Miscellaneous stats: Scored 25 TDs for Dallas, had two punt returns for TD, caught 50 passes for 697 yards and 7 TDs as a part-time starter in 2007.

OCC: Managed to string together a solid six years in Dallas, contributed in whatever role he was asked to fill and probably had the surest hands of any WR in Dallas during his time here. Developed a reputation as "vocal player" along the way

rabblerousr: Very productive, both as a receiver and returner. Terrific return on investment.

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Comments

although he was an overacheaver,

I’ll never forget that he stopped (hesitated for a split secong on the goal line) his rout on the next to last of TR throws in the loss to NY in 07, if he kept running his rout, it would’ve been an easy catch in the endzone for a win

by dcfanz on Apr 5, 2011 5:12 PM CDT reply actions

+1

It stinks how some are remembered for moments like that (and Seattle), but his mouth didn’t help.

Greetings from the Humungus, the Ruler of the Wasteland, the Ayatollah of Rock and Roll-A. I laugh at your puny plans.

by Lord Humungus on Apr 5, 2011 9:08 PM CDT up reply actions

That and...

the drop on the slant earlier in the game. He had his shot at his Alvin Harper moment. He talked too much trash and the way he let us down in that game was too much for me.

by RisingSunCowboy on Apr 5, 2011 9:48 PM CDT up reply actions

The cross over the middle

Burnt into my brain.

by Kevin Templar on Apr 6, 2011 10:00 AM CDT up reply actions

Really liked him

Although at times he seemed to lose his concentration.

by pfloyd1 on Apr 5, 2011 5:45 PM CDT reply actions

also he dropped a pass across the middle in that game (right before or after the half i believe)..

..that, had he held on, could easily have been a TD….nothing but space in front of him with blocking WRs in the secondary. Those two passes are the main reasons people started hating on Crayton, I gotta say I never truly got over it myself…….

by American Fan on Apr 5, 2011 6:01 PM CDT reply actions

Exactly

He always bothered me because he talked too much trash. But in the end, it was that game that killed me.

by RisingSunCowboy on Apr 5, 2011 9:49 PM CDT up reply actions

Says a lot about the era

I know we have a few homeruns with Ratliff Witten and Ware, but it says a lot how slim the pickings have been when the 9th best pick of an era is a decent number three wide out that came with the attitude and mouth of a star player with issues. Crayton lived up to his potential, unfortunately his ceiling was not that high and he lacked the on the field play to overshadow his mouth.

by Trey, on Apr 5, 2011 6:05 PM CDT reply actions

True Trey

but then, we all knew that this Top Ten list isn’t going to have a lot of meat of them bones.

I do agree that Crayton was a solid pick for a 7th rounder. He ended up having a decent season with the Chargers in 2010, averaging 18 yards per reception.

by DavidH22 on Apr 5, 2011 6:16 PM CDT reply actions

not sure if I wanna read the bottom 10

by strobman on Apr 6, 2011 12:02 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions

That would be a tougher list to narrow down

shivers

He who laughs last, thinks slowest
Well.....my days of not taking you seriously have certainly come to a middle
"Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name"

by BigBad Joe on Apr 6, 2011 10:48 AM CDT up reply actions

A lot more competition

That’s for sure.

by RenoCowboy on Apr 6, 2011 1:45 PM CDT up reply actions

9th best is Crayton?

what a shame

by strobman on Apr 5, 2011 11:59 PM CDT via mobile reply actions

How

Is that a shame? Most 7th rounders are out of the NFL after a year or two. And they almost never start. He wasn’t one of our best players but this isn’t the best players of the Jerry jones era or we would just be choosing first round picks. Which pretty much are expected to be great. If we draft Tyron smith at #9 and he isn’t eventually a pro bowler that’s a bust pick. If he is a pro bowler then he did what someone who’s picked ninth in the draft should do.

by Feeling Blue & Silver on Apr 6, 2011 9:07 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions

It’s a shame because we’re talking about 20+ years of draft picks and outside of the first two rounds he’s one of our top 10 draft picks. I’m not saying he wasn’t a decent player, it just goes to show you how horrible our drafting has been when he’s #9 out of what, 100 or so picks?

by strobman on Apr 6, 2011 9:35 AM CDT up reply actions

it's not like

this is gospel.

We probably had 20 drafted players that were better than crayton. But it seems like he gets this nod because you don’t expect a 7th round pick to catch 25 TDs for the team.

by ary201 on Apr 7, 2011 12:07 PM CDT up reply actions