Revisiting the Cowboys’ history when drafting at No. 12 and No. 20

The Dallas Cowboys‘ pair of first-round selections is officially set.

After the Green Bay Packers fell to the Chicago Bears 31-27 on Saturday, Dallas will also hold the No. 20 pick, in addition to its original selection, the No. 12 pick.

The 2026 draft will be the first time that the Cowboys possess two firsts since the 2008 draft, when they selected running back Felix Jones and cornerback Mike Jenkins in the first round.

Dallas will select 12th for the fifth time in franchise history. This will also mark the second year in a row in which they pick 12th, and the third time this decade.

For the sixth time in team history, the Cowboys will also pick at No. 20, and the first time since 2005.

Here is a look at each time the Cowboys selected 12th and 20th and how each of those picks fared.

Pick No. 12

1987 – DT Danny Noonan

• College: Nebraska
• Years with Cowboys: 5 1/2 (1987-1992) waived during 92 season
• Cowboys stats: 15 career sacks, one interception, one touchdown, one forced fumble
• Fun Fact: Benched 505 pounds in his second season

1991 – WR Alvin Harper

• College: Tennessee
• Years with Cowboys: 5 (1991-1994, 1999)
• Cowboys stats: 124 receptions, 2,486 receiving yards, 18 touchdowns
• Accolades: Two time Super Bowl champion  (XXVII, XXVIII)

2021 – LB Micah Parsons

• College: Penn State
• Years with Cowboys: 4 (2021-2024)
• Cowboysstats: 256 tackles, 63 TFL, 52.5 sacks, 9 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries
• Accolades: 2021 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, four-time Pro Bowl selection (2021-2024), two-time first-team all-pro (2021-2022), second-team all-pro (2023)

2025 – OG Tyler Booker

• College: Alabama
• Years with Cowboys: 1 (2025-present)

Pick No. 20

1968 – WR Dennis Homan

• College: Alabama
• Years with Cowboys: 3 (1968-1970)
• Cowboysstats: 23 receptions, 437 receiving yards, one touchdown

1973 – Billy Joe Dupree

• College: Michigan State
• Years with Cowboys: 11 (1973-1983)
• Cowboysstats: 267 receptions, 3,565 receiving yards, 41 touchdowns
• Accolades: Super Bowl champion (XII), three time Pro Bowl (1976-1978)

1991 – DT Kelvin Pritchett

• College: Ole Miss
• Years with Cowboys: Zero, Pritchett was traded to the Detroit Lions in exchange for a second round (#37-Dixon Edwards), third round (#64-James Richards) and fourth round (#108-Tony Hill) selections

1999 – DE Ebenezer Ekuban

• College: North Carolina
• Years with Cowboys: 5 (1999-2003)
• Cowboysstats: 114 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries
• Accolades: NFL All-Rookie team (1999)

2005 – DE Marcus Spears

• College: LSU
• Years with Cowboys: 8 (2005-2012)
• Cowboysstats: 226 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 10.0 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 13 pass deflections
• Accolades: PFWA All-Rookie Team (2005)