It’s been five years since the 2019 NFL Draft. It’s a good point to look back and see just how much the use of those picks benefited a team. How much did those players contribute? Who’s still here, if anybody? We’re looking back today to evaluate the overall impact of the Dallas Cowboys’ 2019 class.
It takes time to know just how profitable a draft class is for any NFL team. Some let you know pretty quickly, like we’re enjoying right now with Tyler Smith, DaRon Bland, and Jake Ferguson from the 2022 class. Others may take longer to cook; we still don’t know what to make of anyone from last year’s group. That’s why five years, with rookie contracts and fifth-year options all expired, makes for a good touchpoint.
Let’s look back, pick-by-pick, to see how the Cowboys used their picks in attempts to improve their roster and compete.
1st Round: Traded in 2018 for WR Amari Cooper
The Cowboys’ 2019 class is an interesting one because the first-round pick was used about six months earlier in the trade for veteran WR Amari Cooper. Ultimately, drafts are about using assets to acquire talent. While Cooper isn’t part of that rookie group, you still have to weigh the impact of that trade when grading the draft overall.
Dallas gambled in the 2018 offseason by dumping star WR Dez Bryant without adding any significant new talent at the position. While Bryant was in decline at this point, Cole Beasley and Terrance Williams were hardly WR1 material. Neither were veteran retreads Allen Hurns and Tavon Austin who the team picked up that spring.
The Cowboys paid for their negligence with a sputtering offense and a 3-4 start to the season. Over their bye week, Dallas sent their 2019 first-rounder to the Raiders for Cooper. They actually dropped to 3-5 in his first game but then went 7-1 to finish the year, make the playoffs, and advance to the divisional round with a postseason victory over the Seahawks. Cooper’s impact was immediate, totaling 53 catches, 725 yards, and six touchdowns in just nine games and giving Dak Prescott a true number-one receiver to open up the passing game.
Cooper made the Pro Bowl in 2018 and 2019 before the arrival of CeeDee Lamb. While he remained highly productive for two seasons, Cooper’s contract eventually became a problem as Lamb moved into the number-one role. There were also significant rumors of Cooper’s personality being an issue, particularly with the front office, with questions about his effort and commitment. Dallas traded him away to Cleveland in 2022 in a cap-clearing move, but one that also felt personal for how little they got in return.
In the end, Dallas used what would become the 27th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft to give themselves a desperately needed talent infusion six months earlier. Cooper saved the 2018 season, and perhaps Jason Garrett’s job for one more year, and helped the Cowboys bridge the gap from Bryant to Lamb as franchise receivers. Some downgrade the move because Cooper immediately needed a new contract and only stuck around for 3.5 years. But compared to drafting another Taco Charlton, there are far worse ways Dallas could’ve used that pick.
Still, there’s a “chicken and the egg” side to this too. The 2019 pick was 27th overall because Dallas added Cooper and sparked that 7-1 finish to the previous season. Without him, their pick might have been much earlier. Some of the players taken earlier in the 2019 Draft were TE T.J. Hockenson, DL Ed Oliver, DT Christian Wilkins, G, Chris Lindstrom, DE Brian Burns, and DT Dexter Lawrence. So was a few years of Cooper’s work, albeit high level, worth missing out on having one of these guys on a cheap rookie deal and perhaps still helping the team today? It all depends on how much you value giving yourself the best chance to win in the here and now, which Dallas certainly achieved in the trade.
2nd Round: DT Trysten Hill (58th overall)
You almost have to feel bad for this kid. Because of the Cooper trade, fans had to wait until nearly the end of the second round for the Cowboys to finally make a pick. It put undue attention and expectation on Hill as a prospect, robbing him of the grace most late second-round picks would get in their development.
That said, Hill didn’t help the situation with a reportedly poor attitude as a rookie. His work ethic earned him a spot in then-defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli’s doghouse. Then bad luck struck in 2020 as Hill, who was seeming to turn things around in his second year, suffered a season-ending injury in Week 5. It held him back the following year while newer DT prospects like Osa Odighizuwa and Neville Gallimore supplanted him on the depth chart.
Hill would eventually get released from the bottom of the roster midway through his fourth season. He’s spent time in Arizona, Cleveland, and New England since then, mostly on their practice squads, and remains with the Patriots this offseason trying to find a role. Maybe there’s still hope for Hill’s career, but his memory in Dallas is far from positive. Hill is yet another case of the Cowboys’ poor results with second-round picks.
3rd Round: OL Connor McGovern (90th overall)
A pectoral injury killed McGovern’s rookie season but he returned as a versatile backup for the next two years. Playing both guard spots at times, he even lined up at fullback and tight end occasionally. After a preseason injury to Tyron Smith in 2022, McGovern would up as a 15-game starter for Dallas in the final year of his rookie deal.
Versatility was McGovern’s best trait. Unfortunately, his proficiency in any of those roles wasn’t enough to merit a second contract. He signed with the Bills in free agency last year and started every game for them, with talk this year that he’ll be moving to center. Whether here or in Buffalo, McGovern’s proven to be a solid player capable of starting for winning teams, which is more than acceptable for a late third-round selection.
You hate to see any Day 2 pick not get a second contract, but sometimes that’s circ*mstantial. Zack Martin’s longevity, Tyler Biadasz coming off a Pro Bowl, Tyler Smith’s immediate impact; all of these contributed to McGovern not getting a new deal in 2023. Dallas might have considered him if a starting job was available, but they weren’t going to pay him what Buffalo did to stick around as a backup.
4th Round: RB Tony Pollard (128th overall)
With Ezekiel Elliott a well-established superstar at this point, Pollard was brought in for backup duty. He overachieved, earning more touches even before Zeke started to decline. After a few years as the change-of-pace back with some receiving versatility, Pollard eventually forced his way into a shared carries approach, nearly matching Elliott in touches in 2022 and being more productive when he got the ball.
A year ago, Dallas made Zeke a cap casualty and gave Pollard the franchise tag to return as their starter. Going from Robin to Batman didn’t work out as hoped, though Pollard was also still working his way back from a late-season leg injury. After career lows in his efficiency on runs and receptions, Pollard was not re-signed this year as the Cowboys went with cheaper options.
For where he was drafted, even as a running back, Pollard gave excellent return on investment. He made it easier for Dallas to deal with Elliott’s untimely fall from elite status and exceeded expectations in the RB rotation. His health and some decline in run blocking may have limited his opportunity as a starter in 2023. But nevertheless, Dallas got plenty out of this fourth-round pick.
5th Round: CB Michael Jackson (158th overall)
Dallas was flush with cornerback talent when they drafted Jackson. They still had Byron Jones, Anthony Brown, Chidobe Awuzie, and Jourdan Lewis in the mix, plus a roster spot reserved for special teamer C.J. Goodwin. Jackson didn’t do enough to be secured on the 53 and landed on the practice squad, and about two months later the Lions poached him.
He bounced from Detroit to New England to Seattle from 2019-2021, mostly on practice squad duty. But in 2022, Jackson became a full-time starter for the Seahawks and just re-signed with them this past spring. He’s proven to be a quality NFL player, but the timing in Dallas just wasn’t right.
5th Round: DE Joe Jackson (165th overall)
Other than an obnoxious amount of Jackson Family jokes, which I was probably 60-70% responsible for, not much else came from this pick. Jackson did make the roster as a rookie but barely played, then failed to make the team in 2020. He spent a few years in Cleveland as a down-roster player and has since been with the UFL and CFL.
6th Round: S Donovan Wilson (213th overall)
Taken late in the sixth round, Wilson had a quiet rookie year of mostly special teams duty. But with thin talent in front of him at safety. Wilson emerged in 2020 as a playmaker and started 10 games, logging two interceptions, 3.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles.
Upon Dan Quinn’s arrival in 2021 and some offseason renovations at safety, Wilson became part of a solid trio with Jayron Kearse and Malik Hooker. Injuries cost him seven games that year, but he’s returned to form in the last two seasons. He earned a second contract from Dallas last year. A true strong safety, Wilson is poised for a big 2024 with Mike Zimmer talking over the defense and likely putting Wilson in more traditional situations for success.
7th Round: RB Mike Weber (218th overall)
One of many former Buckeyes to get a shot with Jason Garrett’s Cowboys, Weber got one year on the practice squad and then switched over to the Chiefs’. He’s bounced around a few teams and then other professional leagues, but never saw a single snap in an NFL game.
7th Round: DE Jalen Jelks (241st overall)
After spending his rookie year on injured reserve, Jelks got waived the following August after Dallas traded for veteran Everson Griffen. He had brief stints with the Panthers and Browns that year, then got picked up by Washington. Still struggling with injuries there, Jelks never saw action in a real game and was out of the league after 2021.
Final Grade: C+
While the lack of a true first-round pick and the Trysten Hill failure make this a tough draft to shower praise on, solid work was done the rest of the way. McGovern was adequate for where they took him, Pollard was a big win, and Wilson was a late-round steal. The Cowboys got a lot of work out of those guys and Wilson is still with the team now as a starter.
As mentioned before, you have to give the team some points for how they used that first pick to get Cooper. While he only spent a few years in Dallas, he arguably turned their offense around the minute he arrived. You also have to consider that Cooper might still be here today if CeeDee Lamb hadn’t fallen into the Cowboys’ laps in 2020.
With the guys who didn’t work out, you also have to factor in the major impact of the 2020 season. Between the pandemic and scheme changes that Mike Nolan brought in as the new defensive coordinator, these guys were up against it to develop and impress. A player like Joe Jackson, who was a true 4-3 end, wasn’t a great fit for the 3-4 concepts that Nolan tried to use. So even if you see these as failed picks, they deserve an asterisk given the circ*mstances.
