Jason Witten’s draft slot still looks outrageous in hindsight.
The former Cowboys tight end spent 17 seasons in the NFL, including 16 in Dallas, and built a resume that put him in the conversation with the best at his position. He made 11 Pro Bowls, caught 1,228 passes for 13,046 yards and 74 touchdowns, and did the bulk of that damage in a Cowboys uniform. In franchise history, he still sits first in receptions with 1,215 and receiving yards with 12,977, while his 72 touchdown catches trail only Dez Bryant’s 73.
That kind of career is hard to square with the fact that Witten was still on the board until the 69th overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft, when Dallas finally grabbed him out of Tennessee. NFL Draft On SI’s Justin Mello looked back across the last 25 years with the 2026 season approaching and chose Witten as the biggest steal from the 2003 class, calling it a “Hall of Fame-worthy career.”
“Jason Witten went from third-round tight end to 11-time Pro Bowler. It's a shame the Dallas Cowboys never managed to win a Super Bowl throughout his illustrious tenure. Witten registered 1,228 receptions for 13,046 yards and 74 touchdowns during his Hall of Fame-worthy career,” Melo wrote.
Witten’s playing days are behind him now, and he has moved into coaching. He won multiple titles at Liberty Christian School and recently took over as the tight ends coach at Oklahoma.
Mello’s list also gave Dallas plenty of credit beyond Witten. The Cowboys had six other players named as honorable mentions for the biggest draft steal over the past 25 years, a reminder that Jerry Jones and company have done more right in the draft than they often get credit for.
Among them was Nick Folk, the sixth-round pick in 2007 who has carved out an 18-season run as a dependable kicker. DeMarco Murray, taken out of Oklahoma in 2011, also made the cut after becoming a dominant back and leading the NFL in rushing in 2014.
DeMarcus Lawrence was included as a second-round pick in 2014, while more recent honorable mentions were Trevon Diggs in 2020 and Jake Ferguson in 2022, though Dallas fans may not view Diggs the same way anymore.
There was also one name that could be argued as a snub: Dak Prescott. Mello listed him among the players who just missed the top spot, but went with Derrick Henry instead.
Henry has been a monster, leading the NFL in rushing twice and in rushing touchdowns three times, but he was the 45th pick overall. Prescott went at No. 135 in 2016 and has become one of the league’s top quarterbacks, which makes the positional value alone a strong case for him to have gotten the nod.
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