The Cowboys accidentally revealed their draft board in 2010 and again in 2013 when owner Jerry Jones did interviews in front of it. On Thursday, Jones intentionally leaked the top of the team’s draft board.
Jones was trying to prove the Cowboys had Tulsa offensive lineman Tyler Smith rated ahead of offensive guards Zion Johnson and Kenyon Green. Green went 15th to the Texans and Johnson 17th to the Chargers before the Cowboys selected Smith at No. 24.
So Jones held up a piece of paper that, he said, was printed three days before the draft.
“Can you see that?” Jones asked reporters.
Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones started laughing, before telling his father, “Don’t show them that.”
TV cameras captured the shot of the paper, and WFAA reporter Mike Leslie used a screen-grab to decipher it Tuesday. Leslie and Jon Machota of TheAthletic.com came up with 34 of the 39 names on the paper.
Stephen Jones said in a pre-draft news conference that the Cowboys had 14-16 prospects with first-round grades.
From the photo, those 14 are:
1. Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon: drafted fifth overall by the Giants.
2. Evan Neal, OT, Alabama: drafted seventh overall by the Giants.
3. Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan: drafted second overall by the Lions.
4. Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State: drafted 10th overall by the Jets.
5. Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati: drafted fourth overall by the Jets.
6. Derek Stingley, CB, LSU: drafted third overall by the Texans.
7. Travon Walker, DE, Georgia: drafted first overall by the Jaguars.
8. Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame: drafted 14th overall by the Ravens.
9. Ikem Ekwonu, OT, North Carolina State: drafted sixth overall by the Panthers.
10. Drake London, WR, USC: drafted eighth overall by the Falcons.
11. Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia: drafted 13th overall by the Eagles.
12. Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State: drafted ninth overall by the Seahawks.
13. Lewis Cine, S, Georgia: drafted 32nd overall by the Vikings.
14. Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama: drafted 12th overall by the Lions.
The second-round grades on the front of the paper appear to be:
15. Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State: drafted 11th overall by the Saints.
16. Tyler Smith, OL, Tulsa: drafted 24th overall by the Cowboys.
17. Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah: drafted 27th overall by the Jaguars.
18. Daxton Hill, S, Michigan: drafted 31st overall by the Bengals.
19. Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State: drafted 36th overall by the Jets.
20. Kenyon Green, OG, Texas A&M: drafted 15th overall by the Texans.
21. George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue: drafted 30th overall by the Chiefs.
22. Zion Johnson, OG, Boston College: drafted 17th overall by the Chargers.
23. Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas: drafted 18th overall by the Titans.
24. Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington: drafted 39th overall by the Bears.
25. Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa: drafted 25th overall by the Ravens.
26. David Ojabo, DE, Michigan: drafted 45th overall by the Ravens.
27. Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State: drafted 16th overall by the Commanders.
28. Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State: drafted 26th overall by the Jets.
29. Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida: drafted 23rd overall by the Bills.
30. Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State: drafted 38th overall by the Falcons.
31. Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington: drafted 21st overall by the Chiefs.
32. Quay Walker, LB, Georgia: drafted 22nd overall by the Packers.
33. Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia: drafted 28th overall by the Packers.
34. Logan Hall, DE, Houston: drafted 33rd overall by the Buccaneers.
“The good news is, most of those players are gone,” Stephen Jones said after Jerry Jones put the paper down.
The highest-rated player on the sheet of paper when the Cowboys selected was Georgia safety Lewis Cine, whom they passed on to take Smith.