Jerry Jones' 6 Worst Decisions of the Past Decade

4. Drafting Taco Charlton With First-Round Pick

If Dontari Poe was one of the worst free-agent signings of the Jerry Jones era, Taco Charlton is probably the worst draft pick of his tenure.

The Cowboys were laser-focused on bringing in a defensive end in the 2017 NFL Draft to play opposite DeMarcus Lawrence. It was all but guaranteed that they were going to use their 28th-overall pick on an edge rusher and decided to select Taco Charlton out of Michigan.

The reason for this selection was expressed as Charlton being a better fit as a traditional DE in their 4-3 scheme. It was assumed that the team's defensive coordinator at the time, Rod Marinelli had something to do with this decision. How big of a mistake this was was better understood when the player selected two picks after came into the NFL.

T.J. Watt, who was the 30th overall pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers, not only played the same position but also the Cowboys reportedly considered him more talented pre-draft as well. But, he wasn't as big as Charlton and his measurables didn't impress Marinelli or Jerry Jones.

Well, the rest is history. Charlton played in 27 games but only started in seven games for the Cowboys in two seasons, recording four sacks. He moved on to play for four different teams in the following four years but eventually flamed out of the NFL.

Watt, on the other hand, became arguably the best defender in the NFL, winning Defensive Player of the Year awards, breaking single-season sack records, and being a consistent All-Pro selection.

The only positive to be taken from this was that it pushed Jerry Jones and the Cowboys to start prioritizing talent over fit. Picking the best player available rather than focusing on your scheme is always a good strategy and it has worked better for Dallas since then.