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The Dallas Cowboys are one of the most storied franchises in all sports. However, that does not mean that Dallas is not capable of making some franchise-altering errors. With the NFL draft coming closer, the Cowboys will be looking to avoid mistakes from previous drafts.
While the NFL draft is not a science, making crucial mistakes and using significant draft capital on busts is something every team pours millions of dollars in to avoid. With nine draft picks this year, including three in the top 100, the Dallas Cowboys will be looking to add pieces to help in a long run to the Superbowl.
With team owner, president, and general manager Jerry Jones at the helm, the Cowboys' drafts are rarely uneventful.
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While Jones and company did well last year drafting defensive rookie of the year Micah Parsons, the team has not always struck it rich in their draft history. Here are the five biggest NFL draft busts in the history of the Dallas Cowboys.
Dallas Cowboys' NFL Draft picks that disappointed
#5: Sherman Williams, RB, 46th Overall, 1995
Sherman Williams was put in a difficult situation. The Dallas Cowboys were the team of the 1990s and already had future Hall of Famer Emmit Smith as their starting running back. The Cowboys essentially drafted Williams as a backup, something that did not make sense to many at the time, including the face of the franchise, Troy Aikman. Williams would find himself in the Regional Football League a few years later and then in prison.
#4: Taco Charlton, DE, 27th Overall, 2017
Coming out of the University of Michigan, Taco Charlton looked like the kind of player who could make an immediate impact as a pass rusher in the NFL. Going into the 2017 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys were looking to expand on their budding roster and add a key piece to help them leap the NFC. The defense was always their priority heading into the draft, and the pick came down to Charlton or TJ Watt out of Wisconsin. The Cowboys chose Charlton and Watt went on to become one of the most feared defensive players in the league.
#3: David LaFleur, TE, 22nd Overall, 1997
On paper, the selection of David LaFleur made perfect sense for the Dallas Cowboys. Tight end was a needed position after the retirement of franchise stallworth Jay Novacek, and LaFleur was a first-team All-American at LSU. The problem for LaFleur and the Cowboys was that he couldn't catch a pass. He spent only four years in the NFL, and despite starting 44 games over his career, LaFleur gained more than 200 yards in a season only once.
#2: Bobby Carpenter, LB, 18th Overall, 2006
Perhaps it is unfair to put Bobby Carpenter on this list, or at least this high since his problems in the league came from how the Dallas Cowboys envisioned him in their defense. Coming out of college, Carpenter was seen as an outside linebacker who could use his speed to help out in passing coverage. Unfortunately, the Cowboys saw him more as an inside linebacker and played him there. Carpenter didn't have the strength to play the position and was traded to the Rams in 2010.
#1: Morris Claiborne, CB, 6th Overall, 2012
This is another example of Jerry Jones finding quality in a player and only focusing on that positive trait. Morris Claiborne was a talented defensive back coming out of LSU, and with the right situation, he could have seen more of his potential come to life.
The odd thing about the Cowboys and Claiborne is that the red flags were obvious. He failed the Wonderlic test, and the Cowboys didn't even meet with him before the draft. The fact that they traded up to get him, giving up an additional second-round pick, and the move looks even more curious.
