Kurt: Sure seems like there’s a second-round curse, right? Since 2000, the Cowboys have had 26 picks in the second round, which includes a pair of second-rounders in 2001, 2002 and 2004 and no picks in 2007, 2009 and 2012.

Of those 26, five eventually earned a trip to the Pro Bowl – Andre Gurode (2002 draft), Sean Lee (2010), DeMarcus Lawrence (2014), Jaylon Smith (2016) and Trevon Diggs (2020) – with only two of those, Lee and Diggs, capturing one All-Pro nod.

The jury is still out on Sam Williams (2022), who just finished up his fourth year, and Luke Schoonmaker (2023) and Donovan Ezeiruaku (2025), who have played three seasons and one, respectively. But outside of those recent picks and the five Pro Bowlers, just one of the other 18 prospects was signed to a second contract by the Cowboys, and that was Randy Gregory, a player who was suspended multiple times during his time in Dallas for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

In all, having two-thirds of your second-round investments fail to spend more than four seasons on the roster doesn’t seem ideal, which begs the question, Why has it been such a struggle for the Cowboys to hit on their second-round picks?

Well, they’ve gambled on a few players in the second round, selecting prospects who perhaps fell in the draft due to injuries, like Smith or Bruce Carter (2011), or had off-the-field questions, such as Gregory or Kelvin Joseph (2021). And considering four times they’ve drafted a tight end, a case could be made the club simply chased needs and reached for players in the second round on several occasions.

Unfortunately, the Cowboys have also just run into some bad luck. Though neither was a sure-fire star, Dwayne Goodrich (2000) and Quincy Carter (2002) eventually left due to legal troubles while Williams, Chidobe Awuzie (2017) and obviously Diggs were hampered by injuries. And then there is the tragic case of Marshawn Kneeland (2024).

But considering that second-rounders are expected to be impact players, failing to consistently land those types has no doubt hurt the team both in the starting lineup and its depth. The Cowboys simply need to get better results from their second-round picks, a problem that, as of now, they won’t get to remedy, given Dallas currently doesn’t have a second-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.