In their 54 previous NFL Drafts, the Cowboys have selected a player 27th overall only three times. I don’t think they’ll stay at 27 in this year’s draft in a couple of weeks, either moving up to grab a running back or trading down for quantity over a lack of quality.
But should Jerry Jones pull a fast one by not pulling a fast one and staying put, they can look forward to players like Deone Bucannon, DeAndre Hopkins, Kevin Zeitler, Jimmy Smith and Devin McCourty. Underwhelmed? You shouldn’t be.
Those are the last five players selected 27th overall, and it’s not a bad group at all.
Bucannon (2014) is a productive safety for the Cardinals who had two sacks as a rookie. Hopkins (2013) has eight touchdown catches in his first two years with the Texans, and is part of the reason Houston was willing to part with Andre Johnson. Zeitler (2012) has been the Bengals’ starting right guard since the day he was drafted. Smith (2011) was having a Pro Bowl season at cornerback for the Ravens last year before a serious foot injury. And McCourty is one of the leaders of the Patriots’ defense, a safety rewarded with a $47 million contract this offseason.
If the Cowboys can get a player with that kind of production they’ll be satisfied with a pick at the end of Round 1. And they’ll top their previous No. 27 picks:
1970 Bob Asher – Offensive lineman played only six games before tearing up a knee and eventually getting traded to Bears.
1976 Aaron Kyle – Cornerback had 11 interceptions in six seasons and was a starting cornerback on Super Bowl XII team.
Sports Connection
Connecting you to your favorite North Texas sports teams as well as sports news around the globe.
1979 Robert Shaw – Center injured a knee in '81, never became a regular starter and was off roster by 1982 after playing only 33 games.
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He currently lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
