The 24th pick in the draft has been fruitful for the Cowboys

The NFL free agency tampering period begins just a short couple of weeks from now on March 11th, with full free agency opening on March 13th.

All 32 NFL teams are in a state of change with offseason activities in full swing.

Hundreds of scouts, executives, and team personnel are on-site in Indianapolis for the 2024 NFL Combine featuring the nation’s top college players.

The Dallas Cowboys are also preparing for the 2024 NFL Draft, in which they own the 24th pick.

Fans (and the team itself) hoped to pick 32nd this year, but for the past 28 years have denied that privilege after a horrendous home loss to the 7th-seed Green Bay Packers.

It may have been the last game the Cowboys played in the 2023-24 season, but it should already be ancient history to a certain extent.

We shouldn’t dwell on the loss because it’s in the past and we can’t change it, but it should still be kept in the back of our minds as a reminder of what needs to be improved from a team standpoint.

Looking forward to the draft, the Cowboys currently have just five picks to make.

They own the 24th pick in the 1st round, the 58th in the 2nd, the 87th in the 3rd, and have two 7th-round picks at 230 and 241.

It feels a little early in the process to start discussing draft strategy, especially since we don’t know which free agents will be signed to round out the early roster.

I believe the Cowboys are in a prime spot to trade back in the 1st round and try to acquire more picks between 87 and 230.

Although Dallas might feel differently knowing that the 24th pick in the draft has been fruitful for them in the past.

Let’s take a look at players in Cowboys’ history who have been drafted with the 24th pick in the 1st round and how they turned out for the franchise.

RB Calvin Hill

Calvin Hill was taken with the 24th overall pick in the 1969 NFL Draft out of Yale University and remains the only player from an Ivy League school to be drafted by the Cowboys in the 1st round.

Hill made an immediate impact on the Cowboys’ offense, rushing for 942 yards and eight touchdowns on 4.6 yards per carry in just 13 games.

He also caught 20 passes for 232 yards to finish as the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year while also being voted 1st-team All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl.

Hill is a Super Bowl champion, winning with the 1971 team that defeated the Miami Dolphins 24-3.

He only contributed 37 yards on 8 touches, but was instrumental in getting the Cowboys to the Super Bowl in the first place, scoring one of two total touchdowns in a 14-3 win over the San Francisco 49ers.

Calvin Hill finished his career outside of Dallas with two separate teams, retiring after the 1981 season.

LB Robert Jones

Linebacker Robert Jones was selected by the Dallas Cowboys with the 24th overall pick in the 1992 NFL Draft.

Jones was one of the last picks acquired by then Head Coach Jimmy Johnson in the blockbuster trade that sent RB Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings.

He appeared in 15 games as a rookie playing middle linebacker, finishing the season with 108 tackles, one forced fumble, and 1.0 sacks to finish fourth in the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.

Jones would only start three games the following season after the losing snaps to Ken Norton Jr. and Darrin Smith.

After Norton’s departure following the second consecutive Super Bowl win in the 1993 season, Jones was back in the starting lineup at middle linebacker, and back over 100 total tackles.

He would not get a contract extension with the team after his rookie contract expired, ending his Cowboys’ career with 334 tackles, 2.0 sacks, and two fumble recoveries in 56 games played.

WR Dez Bryant

The Dallas Cowboys drafted WR Dez Bryant with the 24th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma State University.

Bryant transitioned from a Cowboy in college to a Cowboy in the pros and had an immediate impact for Dallas.

This 24th pick was different from the rest because Dallas acquired it in a trade from the Patriots.

Dallas owned the 27th pick, and knowing Denver (picking 25th) was in need of a wide receiver, decided to package the 90th overall pick to move up three spots.

Dez Bryant was their man, originally from Lufkin, TX so the ties to the state on top of his all-world talent made him an easy choice.

Bryant’s rookie season of 45 receptions for 561 yards and six touchdowns could have been more productive if starting QB Tony Romo hadn’t been lost early in the season to injury.

Catching passes mainly from Jon Kitna, Dez showed the Cowboys why using a 1st round pick on him was a good idea.

In limited snaps behind Miles Austin, Patrick Crayton, and Roy Williams, Bryant displayed play-making ability that earned him the #88 jersey in the first place.

The following four seasons culminated in one of the best statistical stretches in Cowboys history.

Between 2011 and 2014, Dez caught 336 passes for 4,863 yards and 50 touchdowns to earn two Pro Bowl trips and a 1st-team All-Pro selection.

Dez would finish his Cowboys’ career as the franchise leader in touchdown receptions (73), edging out the immortal Jason Witten by one.

LG Tyler Smith

The most recent 24th overall pick was during the 2022 NFL Draft out of Tulsa University.

Tyler Smith was selected by the Cowboys, a pick that was widely criticized by Cowboys fans and analysts alike.

Smith was not one of the top prospects in the draft at his position, but history has already shown us the Cowboys were one step ahead of the competition.

In two short seasons, Smith has already been named to a Pro Bowl and was voted 2nd-team All-Pro in 2023.

The sky is the limit for Smith, even drawing praise from Stephen Jones, who compared him to Dallas great and Hall of Fame LG Larry Allen.

We now all see what the Cowboys saw during the draft process.

I don’t want to make any kind of statement about how great a pick Smith was before his rookie contract expires because anything can happen, but early indications point to a successful career.