Ranking the Cowboys Last 10 First-Round Picks, Worst to Best
4. Travis Frederick, C (2013)
An unfortunate theme for some players on this list is injuries derailing otherwise tremendous careers. Travis Frederick won't appear on this list next year, but for the time being, he deserves recognition as one of the best first-round picks the Dallas Cowboys have made over the last decade-plus.
Frederick is a rare success story from early on in the 2013 NFL Draft, one of the worst draft classes in recent memory. The Cowboys unexpectedly were forced to replace him in their lineup during the 2020 offseason when injuries forced Frederick out of football completely.
And that came just after Frederick finished fourth in the voting for the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award.
During his time with the Cowboys, Frederick proved to be well worth the first round investment. He made it to the Pro Bowl in all but one of the seasons he played. He was named to three All-Pro teams. He didn't miss a single game until he was forced to miss the entire 2018 season due to Guillain-Barre syndrome.
As the leader of the offensive line in Dallas, Frederick was everything you could have asked for at the position. If it weren't for injuries, he should still be out there dominating today.
3. Micah Parsons, EDGE (2021)
The future looks bright for Micah Parsons, but will it be in Dallas? Is it possible that the Cowboys will soon have to make a decision between keeping Parsons or keeping around Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.
But those conversations are for another time. This is the time to talk about what a great pick Parsons was for the Cowboys, how they developed him properly and put him in positions to succeed, and why fate dealt them the right hand in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Cowboys were largely rumored to be enamored by Alabama star cornerback Pat Surtain II in that draft class. The Denver Broncos sniped Surtain off the board with the 9th overall pick, and the Panthers had already taken Jaycee Horn off the board with the 8th pick. The Cowboys were almost just "left" with Parsons, who has turned out to be one of the best pass rushers in the entire NFL.
The 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year has made the Pro Bowl every year of his career and has been named to three All-Pro teams. He's finished in the top three of Defensive MVP voting each year he's been in the league, and has racked up a whopping 40.5 sacks and 89 QB hits. With just one sack in four career playoff games, people are starting to grow a little frustrated with Parsons' disappearance in big situations, but he's been one of the best picks the Cowboys have made in the last decade-plus when it comes to the NFL Draft.