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, 7th 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.
--------------------------------------------------
Are You Smarter Than The Experts?
Correctly predict the first 32 picks of the 2011 NFL Draft and you’ll win
$10,000,000!
BEST ROUND EVER IN PRIMETIME
Enter at facebook.com/BudLight
Here We Go
Enjoy Responsibly ©2011 Anheuser-Busch, Inc., Bud Light® Beer, St. Louis, MO. ©2011 NFL Properties LLC. All NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. No Purchase Necessary. Contest open to U.S. residents (except CA) 21+. Contest begins 12AM CDT on 4/1 and ends 5:59:59PM CDT on 4/28. See Official Rules for complete details. Void where prohibited.