Cowboys · current general manager

Jerry Jones Draft History and Grades

14 draft classes, 2012-2025. Every pick graded against its slot.

The answer

Jerry Jones has made 118 picks. 35 became starters and 9 were busts. Draft Value Added per pick: -4.1, league average -7.6. That ranks 12 of 55 GMs with 20+ picks.

Best at quarterbacks (+33.0 vs league on 3 picks) and safeties (+27.0 vs league on 3 picks). Weakest at defensive linemen (-15.5 on 6 picks) and offensive linemen (-7.4 on 9 picks).

118Picks

41%Hit rateleague 40%

30%Starter rateleague 31%

22%Bust rate (R1-3)league 31%

-4.1DVA per pickleague -7.6

Open Jerry Jones in the draft explorer All GMs ranked

By position

Draft Value Added compares each pick's peak season to what that draft slot usually produces. Click a position to see those picks in the explorer.

Pos	Picks	Starters	Busts	Hit	DVA/pick	Verdict
LB	13	3	1	23%	-12.1	-5.8 vs league
DE	12	1	1	25%	-14.6	-0.7 vs league
DB	12	4	1	42%	-7.5	+4.4 vs league
WR	12	2	0	50%	+5.0	+10.9 vs league
DT	10	1	0	25%	-13.5	-3.9 vs league
OL	9	3	1	25%	-18.3	-7.4 vs league
CB	9	6	0	67%	+3.1	+14.0 vs league
RB	9	2	0	38%	-0.8	+0.6 vs league
TE	7	2	2	43%	+2.9	+0.2 vs league
DL	6	1	2	20%	-20.5	-15.5 vs league
OLB	4	2	0	50%	+2.9	+10.3 vs league
G	3	2	0	67%	+13.1	+20.0 vs league
QB	3	1	0	67%	+10.7	+33.0 vs league
S	3	2	0	67%	+26.7	+27.0 vs league
T	3	1	1	33%	-12.1	-5.7 vs league
C	2	2	0	100%	+36.3	too few to judge
ILB	1	0	0	100%	+12.3	too few to judge

Best and worst picks

Best value

Xavier Woods (S, R6 2017) +56 DVA
Michael Jackson (CB, R5 2019) +51 DVA
Tyler Biadasz (C, R4 2020) +51 DVA

Worst value

Gavin Escobar (TE, R2 2013) -65 DVA
Tyler Booker (OL, R1 2025) -62 DVA
Shavon Revel (CB, R3 2025) -61 DVA

Tenure

Cowboys: 1989-present (Owner and GM)

Whoever was in the chair on draft day owns that class. Our pick window starts in 2012, so earlier classes are not counted.

Every pick

17 picks are from the last two drafts and still developing.

Year	Pick	Player	Pos	School	DVA	Result
2025	R1, #12	Tyler Booker	OL	Alabama	-61.6	developing
2025	R2, #44	Donovan Ezeiruaku	DE	Boston Col.	-5.9	developing
2025	R3, #76	Shavon Revel	CB	East Carolina	-61.1	developing
2025	R5, #149	Jaydon Blue	RB	Texas	-9.1	developing
2025	R5, #152	Shemar James	LB	Florida	-20.1	developing
2025	R6, #204	Ajani Cornelius	OL	Oregon	-	developing
2025	R7, #217	Jay Toia	DT	UCLA	-	developing
2025	R7, #239	Phil Mafah	RB	Clemson	-	developing
2025	R7, #247	Tommy Akingbesote	DT	Maryland	-	developing
2024	R1, #29	Tyler Guyton	OL	Oklahoma	-25.6	bust
2024	R2, #56	Marshawn Kneeland	DL	Western Michigan	-50.3	bust
2024	R3, #73	Cooper Beebe	OL	Kansas St.	+10.5	starter
2024	R3, #87	Marist Liufau	LB	Notre Dame	-1.0	developing
2024	R5, #174	Caelen Carson	DB	Wake Forest	-36.0	starter
2024	R6, #216	Ryan Flournoy	WR	SE Missouri St.	+32.4	developing
2024	R7, #233	Nathan Thomas	OL	Louisiana	-7.0	developing
2024	R7, #244	Justin Rogers	DL	Auburn	-	developing
2023	R1, #26	Mazi Smith	DL	Michigan	-38.4	bust
2023	R2, #58	Luke Schoonmaker	TE	Michigan	-5.1	bust
2023	R3, #90	DeMarvion Overshown	LB	Texas	-36.3	bust
2023	R4, #129	Viliami Fehoko	DL	San Jose St.	-45.3	active
2023	R5, #169	Asim Richards	OL	North Carolina	-18.6	backup
2023	R6, #178	Eric Scott	DB	Southern Miss	-35.2	active
2023	R6, #212	Deuce Vaughn	RB	Kansas St.	-18.4	active
2023	R7, #244	Jalen Brooks	WR	South Carolina	-2.3	active
2022	R1, #24	Tyler Smith	OL	Tulsa	+19.2	starter
2022	R2, #56	Sam Williams	DE	Mississippi	+12.3	backup
2022	R3, #88	Jalen Tolbert	WR	South Alabama	-5.7	backup
2022	R4, #129	Jake Ferguson	TE	Wisconsin	+43.7	starter
2022	R5, #155	Matt Waletzko	OL	North Dakota	-29.9	active
2022	R5, #167	DaRon Bland	DB	Fresno St.	+26.6	starter
2022	R5, #176	Damone Clark	LB	LSU	-4.0	backup
2022	R5, #178	John Ridgeway	DT	Arkansas	-34.1	backup
2022	R6, #193	Devin Harper	LB	Oklahoma St.	-22.2	active
2021	R1, #12	Micah Parsons	LB	Penn St.	+17.2	starter
2021	R2, #44	Kelvin Joseph	DB	Kentucky	+29.0	backup
2021	R3, #75	Osa Odighizuwa	DL	UCLA	+32.5	starter
2021	R3, #84	Chauncey Golston	DL	Iowa	-0.7	backup
2021	R3, #99	Nahshon Wright	DB	Oregon St.	-17.8	backup
2021	R4, #115	Jabril Cox	LB	LSU	-38.3	active
2021	R4, #138	Josh Ball	OL	Marshall	-33.5	active
2021	R5, #179	Simi Fehoko	WR	Stanford	-20.4	backup
2021	R6, #192	Quinton Bohanna	DT	Kentucky	-17.4	backup
2021	R6, #227	Israel Mukuamu	DB	South Carolina	+32.3	backup
2021	R7, #238	Matt Farniok	G	Nebraska	-13.3	active
2020	R1, #17	CeeDee Lamb	WR	Oklahoma	+20.7	starter
2020	R2, #51	Trevon Diggs	CB	Alabama	+7.8	starter
2020	R3, #82	Neville Gallimore	DT	Oklahoma	+6.1	backup
2020	R4, #123	Reggie Robinson II	CB	Tulsa	-46.6	active
2020	R4, #146	Tyler Biadasz	C	Wisconsin	+50.5	starter
2020	R5, #179	Bradlee Anae	DE	Utah	-25.0	active
2020	R7, #231	Ben DiNucci	QB	James Madison	-24.7	active
2019	R2, #58	Trysten Hill	DT	Central Florida	-17.9	backup
2019	R3, #90	Connor McGovern	G	Penn St.	+33.3	starter
2019	R4, #128	Tony Pollard	RB	Memphis	+47.3	starter
2019	R5, #158	Michael Jackson	CB	Miami (FL)	+51.4	starter
2019	R5, #165	Joe Jackson	DE	Miami (FL)	-36.7	active
2019	R6, #213	Donovan Wilson	S	Texas A&M	+37.4	starter
2019	R7, #218	Mike Weber	RB	Ohio St.	-27.2	released
2019	R7, #241	Jalen Jelks	DE	Oregon	-22.7	released
2018	R1, #19	Leighton Vander Esch	OLB	Boise St.	-11.1	starter
2018	R2, #50	Connor Williams	T	Texas	+24.6	starter
2018	R3, #81	Michael Gallup	WR	Colorado St.	+33.9	starter
2018	R4, #116	Dorance Armstrong Jr.	DE	Kansas	+26.8	backup
2018	R4, #137	Dalton Schultz	TE	Stanford	+45.6	starter
2018	R5, #171	Mike White	QB	Western Kentucky	+9.3	active
2018	R6, #193	Chris Covington	LB	Indiana	+29.9	active
2018	R6, #208	Cedrick Wilson Jr.	WR	Boise St.	+39.2	backup
2018	R7, #236	Bo Scarbrough	RB	Alabama	+32.5	active
2017	R1, #28	Taco Charlton	DE	Michigan	-37.2	bust
2017	R2, #60	Chidobe Awuzie	CB	Colorado	+26.4	starter
2017	R3, #92	Jourdan Lewis	CB	Michigan	+32.4	starter
2017	R4, #133	Ryan Switzer	WR	North Carolina	-20.3	backup
2017	R6, #191	Xavier Woods	S	Louisiana Tech	+56.0	starter
2017	R6, #216	Marquez White	CB	Florida St.	-27.6	released
2017	R7, #228	Joey Ivie	DT	Florida	-25.2	active
2017	R7, #239	Noah Brown	WR	Ohio St.	+46.1	backup
2017	R7, #246	Jordan Carrell	DT	Colorado	-21.7	released
2016	R1, #4	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Ohio St.	+9.9	starter
2016	R2, #34	Jaylon Smith	OLB	Notre Dame	+8.2	starter
2016	R3, #67	Maliek Collins	DT	Nebraska	+23.2	starter
2016	R4, #101	Charles Tapper	DE	Oklahoma	-51.4	active
2016	R4, #135	Dak Prescott	QB	Mississippi St.	+47.3	starter
2016	R6, #189	Anthony Brown	CB	Purdue	+31.0	starter
2016	R6, #212	Kavon Frazier	S	Central Michigan	-13.4	backup
2016	R6, #216	Darius Jackson	RB	Eastern Michigan	-15.8	active
2016	R6, #217	Rico Gathers	TE	Baylor	-24.7	active
2015	R1, #27	Byron Jones	CB	Connecticut	+14.5	starter
2015	R2, #60	Randy Gregory	OLB	Nebraska	+23.4	backup
2015	R3, #91	Chaz Green	T	Florida	-38.6	bust
2015	R4, #127	Damien Wilson	ILB	Minnesota	+12.3	backup
2015	R5, #163	Ryan Russell	DE	Purdue	-28.3	active
2015	R7, #236	Mark Nzeocha	OLB	Wyoming	-8.7	backup
2015	R7, #243	Laurence Gibson	T	Virginia Tech	-22.3	released
2015	R7, #246	Geoff Swaim	TE	Texas	+44.7	backup
2014	R1, #16	Zack Martin	G	Notre Dame	+19.2	starter
2014	R2, #34	DeMarcus Lawrence	DE	Boise St.	+25.8	starter
2014	R4, #119	Anthony Hitchens	LB	Iowa	+34.3	starter
2014	R5, #146	Devin Street	WR	Pittsburgh	-26.8	backup
2014	R7, #231	Ben Gardner	DE	Stanford	-24.7	released
2014	R7, #238	Will Smith	LB	Texas Tech	-23.3	released
2014	R7, #248	Ahmad Dixon	DB	Baylor	-21.3	active
2014	R7, #251	Ken Bishop	DT	Northern Illinois	-20.7	active
2014	R7, #254	Terrance Mitchell	DB	Oregon	+10.1	starter
2013	R1, #31	Travis Frederick	C	Wisconsin	+22.0	starter
2013	R2, #47	Gavin Escobar	TE	San Diego St.	-65.1	bust
2013	R3, #74	Terrance Williams	WR	Baylor	+3.6	backup
2013	R3, #80	J.J. Wilcox	DB	Georgia Southern	-41.1	bust
2013	R4, #114	B.W. Webb	DB	William & Mary	+25.3	starter
2013	R5, #151	Joseph Randle	RB	Oklahoma St.	-25.8	backup
2013	R6, #185	DeVonte Holloman	LB	South Carolina	-33.8	active
2012	R1, #6	Morris Claiborne	DB	LSU	-18.1	backup
2012	R3, #81	Tyrone Crawford	DE	Boise St.	-8.3	backup
2012	R4, #113	Kyle Wilber	LB	Wake Forest	-33.8	backup
2012	R4, #135	Matt Johnson	DB	Eastern Washington	-44.1	released
2012	R5, #152	Danny Coale	WR	Virginia Tech	-40.5	released
2012	R6, #186	James Hanna	TE	Oklahoma	-18.6	backup
2012	R7, #222	Caleb McSurdy	LB	Montana	-26.4	released

Questions

How good is Jerry Jones at drafting?

Jerry Jones has 35 starters and 9 busts from 118 picks, with a hit rate of 41% and -4.1 Draft Value Added per pick. A positive number means the picks outperformed their draft slot.

How good is Jerry Jones at evaluating linebackers?

Jerry Jones has drafted 13 linebackers: 3 starters, 1 busts, -12.1 DVA per pick. That is 5.8 points below the league average for linebackers.

How good is Jerry Jones at evaluating defensive ends?

Jerry Jones has drafted 12 defensive ends: 1 starters, 1 busts, -14.6 DVA per pick. That is 0.7 points below the league average for defensive ends.

How good is Jerry Jones at evaluating defensive backs?

Jerry Jones has drafted 12 defensive backs: 4 starters, 1 busts, -7.5 DVA per pick. That is 4.4 points above the league average for defensive backs.

Filter every pick by Jerry Jones