Cowboys draft: Pick 56 has historically been a mixed bag

After looking at the history of pick 24 for the Dallas Cowboys, pick 56 has been quite the let down

Previously we looked at the level of success the Dallas Cowboys have when they draft with the 24th pick. Historically, it’s been a very successful selection for Dallas in their history and that should give fans a lot of confidence on Day 1.

Historically, however, their second-round success has been very inconsistent. In recent history, the odd philosophy the front office has when it comes to the second round undoes the hard work they do before and after the second round. Of the second-round selections the team has made there has been some real talent, like Larry Allen. But in recent history it’s been a little hit or miss. Trevon Diggs and DeMarcus Lawrence have been the most notable modern success stories for Dallas in this range, but none of the above were at pick 56.

Here is the list of the Cowboys historical picks at number 56 and what they achieved for that price tag.

1978
TE, Todd Christensen
BYU

The very first Dallas Cowboys pick at number 56 set the tone for the team historically. Christensen was a two-time All-Pro, five-time Pro Bowl and two-time Super Bowl champion while playing tight end in the NFL. Unfortunately, none of that happened while in Dallas.

He was drafted in 1978 as running back for Dallas with the intention to be backup for Tony Dorsett, and preseason he looked extremely good with plenty of potential. But he had a foot injury during preseason and never played a down in his rookie year.

In 1979, he would return healthy but the team was pushing to line Christensen out at tight end in the hope his size and speed would make him a solid pass catcher and impossible to defend. He would refuse and argue with the coaches on the move of position and he was later waived by Dallas. He would later sign with Oakland and help them win two Super Bowls, playing at tight end.

Photo by Owen Shaw/Getty Images

2001
DB, Tony Dixon
Alabama

Officially this pick was never supposed to be number 56 but the Cowboys made two trade-downs from pick 37 to finally make selection at number 56. Prior to that the Cowboys sent two first-round picks to the Seattle Seahawks for wide receiver Joey Galloway in the hope they could find an elite receiver to replace Michael Irvin, who had suffered a career-ending injury. We all remember the Galloway move going down in flames and he managed to only score 12 touchdowns in the four years he played for Dallas. He tore his ACL the first year he played for the Cowboys and in 2004 they shipped him off to Tampa Bay for Keyshawn Johnson.

After the trade in the first round, the Cowboys traded down from pick 37 to pick 52 with Indianapolis. Then at 52 they traded down again to pick 56 with Miami to garner more capital. Finally after all that movement, the Cowboys chose defensive back Tony Dixon in hopes of helping a stricken secondary. He would go on to only play for four years and finished with 126 tackles, five tackles for loss and one interception.

The irony for Dallas during this draft was they spent so much energy and draft capital finding a wide receiver. But Miami used their pick they traded with Dallas to select wide receiver, Chris Chambers. He would go on to earn a Pro Bowl appearance and have two seasons scoring 11 touchdowns.

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2022
DE, Sam Williams
Ole Miss

This pick is still up for debate. With the moves Dallas has made this offseason and losing some major rotational pass rushers, Sam Williams is now in pole position to be the third edge in the rotation. We’ve seen flashes of his burst and athleticism, especially on special teams when he was used as a gunner.

On his limited snap count on defense, Williams has shown he has the potential to breakout this year. He’s played 508 total snaps on defense the last two years and has registered nine sacks, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and 15 tackles for loss. It’s not a bad résumé for a guy on limited snaps.

But there in lays the rub. He is a second-round pick that has yet to take a major role and he’s into his third season. His trajectory looks like this is the season he starts to pay back that high draft capital. He even has the potential to be the biggest breakout player for Dallas this year. If he fails to do so though, he joins the ranks of the other failed pick 56 players.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images