3 Draft Picks the Cowboys Gave up on Too Early

For as much flak as Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones receives for having too much of a say in day-to-day operations, he does deserve credit for the work he's done in the NFL Draft. He may not do much of the scouting, but it's well-documented that he has the final say in most selections, which, for the most part, have been solid.

Like any franchise, however, Dallas has made the ever-prevalent gaffe of giving up on some of these draftees far too soon. Here are the three most significant in recent Cowboys history.

3. DeMarco Murray

Pretend for a second that the Cowboys didn't draft Ezekiel Elliott two seasons after they let Murray walk. Losing the former third-round pick paved the way for the team's disaster 4-12 campaign in 2015. What made Dallas' decision so difficult to comprehend was the fact that it came after Murray led the NFL in rushing yards (1,845), touchdowns (13) and yards per game (115.3). On top of that, the Cowboys were fresh off an appearance in the NFC Divisional Round against the Green bay Packers, a game that most fans are convinced they should've won. To say he fit in perfectly with fellow offensive stars Tony Romo and Dez Bryant would be an understatement.

2. Morris Claiborne

We understand why the Cowboys gave up on Claiborne, who they drafted No. 6 overall back in 2012. While he was strong in coverage, the former LSU star couldn't stay healthy. He started just 21 games from 2013-2015 and eventually landed on his feet with the New York Jets the following year. Strangely enough, Claiborne enjoyed two solid campaigns in the Big Apple, during which he compiled a combined 100 tackles, three interceptions and a whopping 22 pass deflections. Dallas really could've used him in recent seasons as its No. 2 CB behind Byron Jones.

1. Martellus Bennett

No, the Cowboys deploying Jason Witten as their starting tight end doesn't justify their decision to give up on Martellus Bennett, who was drafted in the second-round by the organization in 2008. The Texas A&M product left Dallas after four seasons, during which he started just 31 of his 60 appearances, and went on to enjoy a productive career that was capped with a Pro Bowl 2014 campaign with the Chicago Bears. That year, Bennett logged 90 receptions for 916 yards and six touchdowns. He and Witten could have formed a menacing tandem at TE had the Cowboys not jumped to gun to jettison him.