[tps_title]1. Rayfield Wright, OT, 1967[/tps_title]
Before Larry Allen was finally added, Rayfield Wright was the only offensive lineman on the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor. He remains the gold standard for offensive tackles in team history.
And guess what? He entered the NFL as a tight end.
Dallas drafted Wright in 1967 to play TE and also tried him at defensive line during his first two seasons. He didn’t find his HOF calling on the offensive line until his third year.
With Ralph Neely injured, Rayfield had to line up against another future Hall of Famer in the Rams’ Deacon Jones. His performance helped him secure the starting job at right tackle in 1970 and for the rest of the decade.
Wright was the cornerstone for the Cowboys’ great offensive line of the 70s. He went to six Pro Bowls and was a top player for two Super Bowl teams. He was named a First Team All-Pro in three seasons and made the Second Team three other times. He is on the 1970s All Decade Team according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Rayfield was finally inducted to the HOF in 2006, many years overdue for the honor.
While the accolades speak for themselves, praise for Wright isn’t hard to find. Check out the following quote from his legendary quarterback:
“He was absolutely the best… Rayfield was a big, strong guy that was able to transfer his size and strength from tight end to tackle. He also had such quick feet that he was able to deal with some of the faster defensive ends and even the linebacker blitzes. If he got beat, I don’t remember it.”
— Roger Staubach
Clearly, Rayfield Wright was as good as they come regardless of his draft pick.
The fact that Dallas found him as a raw athlete with a 7th-round pick and turned him into one of the best offensive tackles in NFL history isn’t just good drafting. It’s one their greatest accomplishments in player development as a franchise.
Guess I’m not as familiar with Leon Lett’s time cause I wouldn’t have assumed He’d be above Ratliff.
He wasn’t. Lett was 5th, Ratliff was 3rd.
I like Aaron Parker from Rhode Island for round 7. He would give better rotational depth at WR. If I’m Dallas I would honestly get him and get his teammate WR in the 5th also. Dallas would get 2 WR’S in this draft I think both of them would be steals.
Get Isaiah Culter and Aaron Parker as a WR from Rhode Island. I think they would be awesome in Dallas and be steals in the mid-later rounds.
The name alone, Bullet Bob, says it all. Hayes changed the game and was a true home run hitter every time he touched the ball. He is the best seventh rounder! And as the article mentioned, he was a great returner. He brought an excitement to the game that very few others could match. He was one of the players that kept the Cowboys a very popular team, with a rich, great history.
Cowboys are America’s Team! And hopefully with the FAs and the right draft picks, they can compete for another Championship. Dak better take his big head out of his a$$, and get on board. If not, hopefully the front office has a plan B.
“Mike Hegman was a backup linebacker and special teams player for his first four seasons. He helped the Cowboys win Super Bowl XIII in a big way, returning a Terry Bradshaw fumble for a touchdown.”
The Cowboys didn’t win Super Bowl XIII. The Steelers did.