Dallas Cowboys Draft: Success Rate of Recent Picks Made Between '80 and '89

Last time, we looked at the success rates of the Dallas Cowboys' No. 24 and No. 56 picks. Historically, the 24th pick has been much different than the 56th pick in terms of success. But how does that compare to the Cowboys' success rate with the No. 87 pick?

The Cowboys have had the pick only once in team history, at No. 87. So let's take a look at the recent picks the Cowboys have made between his 80th and his 89th picks and assess the level of success the team has had with those players.

2018
WR, Michael Gallup
colorado
(Select 81)
Of all the Cowboys' recent draft picks between 1980 and 1989, Gallup was the most successful. He showed great potential during his rookie year in 2018, starting eight games. The following year was his best season, with over 1,000 yards receiving and six touchdowns. The duo of Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup gave Cowboys fans a sense of elation for the corps after a period of a “wide receiver by committee” approach.

The media and fans really jumped on Dallas' wide receiver unit the following season after the front office selected CeeDee Lamb with a first-round pick. The question most people asked was whether Dallas could have three receivers for over 1,000 yards. Gallup fell short of gaining 843 yards, but he did score a team-high five receiving touchdowns that season.

The following year, 2021, was a year of decline for Gallup. He had high expectations for Gallup, but was sidelined with a calf injury in Week 1 before the season started. He missed seven games and returned in Week 10. Arizona's Gallup made a highlight catch and fell to his knees, later reported to have torn his anterior cruciate ligament. From that moment on, Gallup was never the same. The following season, he didn't do well and didn't look like the explosive player he once was. After that, his performance last season was inconsistent and he never became a force. The question for Gallup and his tenure in Dallas will always be what he would have been without his knee injury. After six seasons in Dallas, Gallup was fired on March 15 due to differences in his contract and production.

Photo by Cooper Neal/Getty Images

2020
DT, Neville Gallimore
oklahoma
(Select 82)
Cowboys fans were full of optimism when Gallimore was drafted as an athletic and explosive three-tech defensive tackle. The “Canadian Bulldozer” never lived up to expectations in Dallas and left Dallas during the 2024 offseason to join the Miami Dolphins. In four years with Dallas, Gallimore had 11 tackles and four sacks. He was drafted for his ability to create pressure from the inside, and Gallimore never really showed that ability.

2021
DL, Chauncey Golston
iowa
(Select 84)
Under Mike Zimmer, Golston is truly an unknown going forward. Zimmer likes his defensive linemen to be big and bulky inside, and is not a coordinator who favors a hybrid at the position. So Golston will have to play on the edge this year. The problem is that he received very little pressure in the three years he played in Dallas.

Zimmer could give Golston some stability by locking him into one role, and hope he develops. But so far, Golston has recorded 79 tackles, three tackles for loss and three sacks in the 47 games he has played since being drafted. There's a lot to like about Gholston, but there are more questions than ever under a new defensive coordinator with a new system.

Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images

2022
WR, Jalen Tolbert
south alabama
(Select 88)
Tolbert's rookie year was quite a headache. He looked lost, confused, and out of place. Was it because my expectations were too high? With that comes a lot of pressure on Tolbert to perform. Perhaps it was a lack of coaching from Mike McCarthy as he tried to put together a roster under enormous pressure himself. Either way, Tolbert left fans feeling empty and disappointed.

Things seemed to get better for Tolbert last year, but the bar was certainly set low. He really shined in training camp and once again captured the attention of fans. But the regular season arrived and Tolbert went silent. He finished the season 100th out of 109 receivers in average passing yards, but with a quarterback like Dak who likes to play with close attention to the football, if he can't get open, the ball is on his side. Don't come to me.

Photo by Cooper Neal/Getty Images