The Dallas Cowboys are building a dynasty

Thanks to excellent drafting and talent acquisition in recent years, the Dallas Cowboys are setting themselves up to be the NFL’s next powerhouse dynasty.

The Dallas Cowboys are 12-2 and playoff bound. And on top of that, they have clinched a first round bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Life is good in Dallas. Who would have thought this was possible after The Great Debacle of 2015?

Allow me to explain how it happened.

As is common with winning football programs, it started up front. But I’m not talking about the offensive line. I’m referring to the front office. The Cowboys have one of the best scouting departments in the league, headed by scouting director Will McClay. Thanks to them, they have drafted as well as any team in the league recently.

First Round Hits

Since 2010, let’s take a look at the Cowboys first round draft choices:

Looking over that list, you’ll see some pretty impressive players. You’ll also notice that five of those seven players are bolded. Those players have been named to a pro bowl. Drafting five pro bowlers in the first round of seven drafts is pretty darn impressive. And it is a big reason for this team’s recent success.

Moreover, if you look at what the Cowboys have built through their draft, you’ll see something even more impressive. They have used three recent first round picks on offensive lineman, creating The Great Wall of Dallas. Then, they drafted Ezekiel Elliott. The front office put an electric talent behind their monster offensive line, knowing it could only lead to success.

Later Round Hits

The scouting prowess doesn’t stop there. The Cowboys have added several key pieces through the later rounds of the draft as well. Let’s look at some notable ones:

Again, there are a lot of impressive names on that list. Personally, I think these late round hits are trending upwards. Now, there are some questionable players on this list. Jaylon Smith obviously hasn’t taken the field yet, but he was once a top five talent for a reason.

Most notably, is the teams 2016 draft class. They selected three starters in the third round or later. One of whom, happens to be Tony Romo‘s heir.

This excellent drafting is what makes the Cowboys such a threat going forward. They are youthful team with loads of talent on both sides of the ball. If the chips fall right, we could be looking at the NFC’s version of the Patriots. And that is something all Cowboys fans will rejoice about.

For my thoughts on gameday, be sure to follow @JLongPass on Twitter! Happy holidays to all!