Looking Back at the Dallas Cowboys’ 2013 Draft Class

In the NFL, teams are built through the draft. Franchise-altering players rarely ever hit the open market and you are more likely to improve your team by trading a player for a draft pick than signing one in the offseason. Successful teams like the Green Bay Packers have built the majority of their roster through the draft. The Dallas Cowboys have also learned that this route is the way to go.

The Cowboys offense is loaded with drafted players, as 10 out of the 11 starters were drafted by the team (fullback Rod Smith is the only player not drafted by Dallas). On the defensive side of the ball, seven contributing players have been drafted by the team. You don’t build a team in one draft, as it takes a few years of successfully drafting players on both sides of the ball to build a winning team.

The 2013 draft class included seven players. Out of the seven drafted players, four are currently still with the Cowboys. Let’s dive into the 2013 Dallas Cowboys draft class.

Round 1 Pick 31: Wisconsin Center Travis Frederick

Drafting a center in the first round isn’t the sexiest pick, but it sure paid off for the Cowboys. Frederick is widely considered the best center in football, right up there with Mike Pouncey, and Ryan Kalil. In 1,207 snaps last season, Frederick only gave up six blown blocks, one sack, and two quarterback hurries. Frederick isn’t going anywhere, as the Cowboys inked him to a six-year, $56.4 million extension ($28M guaranteed) before the season started.

Grade: A+

Round 2 Pick 47: San Diego State Tight End Gavin Escobar

It is not looking good for the fourth-year tight end, as he is now the third-listed tight end behind Jason Witten and Geoff Swaim. Escobar is coming off a season where he only had eight receptions and 13 targets, and only has seven snaps with zero targets in his last two games. Cowboys fans will look back at this selection and shake their head, as the Cowboys selected Escobar one pick ahead of Le’Veon Bell and 16 spots before Travis Kelce. It is highly unlikely the Cowboys re-sign Escobar after this season, barring a breakout performance.

Grade: D

Round 3 Pick 74: Baylor Wide Receiver Terrance Williams

It has been an up-and-down career for Williams. He has never broken over 850 receiving yards in his three seasons, as he recorded a career-high 52 receptions and 840 yards last season. Williams scored a career-high 8 touchdowns in 2014 and hope to see more touchdowns soon, as Dez Bryant is sidelined for a couple more weeks, opening an opportunity for Williams.

Williams hasn’t exactly shined in the Cowboys’ offense, but he has produced higher than expected from a third round pick. The Cowboys selected Williams just two picks before the Chargers selected Keenan Allen. It will be difficult to say if the Cowboys re-sign Williams or not. They will probably offer him a reasonable contract but if a team outbids them, they may not overpay, depending how Williams finishes out the year.

Grade: B

Round 3 Pick 80: Georgia Southern Safety J.J. Wilcox

Wilcox has been more than a serviceable player, starting in 29 games in 2014 and 2015. He now backs up Bryon Jones, but adds much needed depth to the secondary. In four games this year in limited playing time, Wilcox has two defended passes, six tackles, and one forced fumble. Giving out a second contract to a backup safety may not be the move for the Cowboys, but he definitely should be considered if the price is right, so the Cowboys could keep some consistency on defense.

Grade: B

Players No Longer With Team

Round 4 Pick 114: William & Mary Cornerback B.W. Webb
Round 5 Pick 151: Oklahoma State Running Back Joseph Randle
Round 6 Pick 185: South Carolina Linebacker DeVonte Holloman

Webb had a short career with the Cowboys and was waived in August of 2014. He has bounced around to the Steelers, Titans, and is now low on the Saints’ secondary depth chart. Joseph Randle served as the backup to DeMarco Murray and split time with Lance Dunbar in his first two seasons. When Murray left in free agency, Randle never seized the opportunity to start. Randle is most famous for being caught stealing underwear and cologne.

Randle will probably never be on a NFL roster again, as he was arrested for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, possession of drugs, and criminal damage to property. The Cowboys selected Randle 30 picks before the Raiders selected Latavius Murray in the 6th round. Holloman was forced to retire in August of 2014 when he was diagnosed with cervical spinal stenosis.

Grade: F

The Cowboys essentially hit on three of their seven draft picks. They hit the lotto in Travis Frederick, the anchor of the best offensive line in football. After Frederick, they swung and missed on Escobar, but then found productive players in Terrance Williams and J.J. Wilcox in the third round. The rest of the draft class was a disaster, especially Joseph Randle.

Draft Class Grade: B

Without Frederick, this draft class grade could easily be a D. Frederick could likely be the only player from this draft class who will be on the team next season. He is a special player, so the Cowboys deserve credit for drafting him. Outside of Frederick, there is not much to gloat about in this draft class.