The Cowboys' history when it comes to great players reads like a who's who of all-time NFL talent. Roger Staubach, Bob Lilly, Randy White, Tony Dorsett, Michael Irvin, and Troy Aikman are some of the names that sit at the top of the list.

It certainly doesn't end there. Recently, The Athletic put together a collection of the greatest draft picks teams have made at particular spots in the NFL draft. For the Cowboys, at 17, none other than the NFL's all-time leading rusher, Emmitt Smith.

Dan Pompei on Smith's spot on the list:

"Smith, at 5-9, 205 pounds, ran a 40-yard dash time in the 4.6s. Therefore, Smith was considered small and slow, unlike running back Blair Thomas, who was taken by the Jets with the second pick. But Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson and scout Walt Yowarsky liked Smith, from the University of Florida, better than most. They had him rated the fourth-best player in the draft, so they gave the Steelers the 21st pick and a third-round pick to move up."

Pompei hit the nail on the head with this one. As a rookie in 1990, Smith ran for 937 yards in 15 games which earned him Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and a Pro Bowl nod. In 1991, Smith won his first of four rushing titles with 1,563 yards and lead the Cowboys to the playoffs for the first time since 1985.

The 1992 season is where Smith began to put himself on another level as far as the running back position was concerned. Smith won his second consecutive rushing title with 1,713 yards which set a Cowboys' franchise record. Also, he ran for 108 yards in Super Bowl XXVII in the Cowboys' 52-17 beatdown of the Buffalo Bills for the franchise's third championship. Smith became the first running back to win the rushing title and the Super Bowl.

1993 started rough for Smith and the Cowboys. As Smith looked for a new contract, he missed the first two games and the Cowboys lost both. However, once he was on the field, no other team in the NFL stood a chance. Smith won his third consecutive rushing title with 1,486 yards but it was two performances in particular that were out of this world, and they both came on the road against NFC East rivals.

In Week 6, Smith set the single-game franchise record for rushing yards with 237 in a win against the Philadelphia Eagles. In the season finale versus the New York Giants, with the NFC East crown and a first-round bye on the line, Smith gained 229 all-purpose yards (168 rushing, 61 receiving) after suffering a separated shoulder in the first half. The Cowboys would win 16-13.

The Cowboys played the Bills in a rematch in Super Bowl XVIII. Smith was the spearhead in the Cowboys' 30-13 win as he ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Smith was named MVP.

1994 saw the Cowboys fall short of a third consecutive Super Bowl title when they lost to the eventual champion San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. However, Smith was magnificent again as he ran for 1,484 yards and a league-leading 21 rushing touchdowns.

Smith was at his absolute best in 1995. He became the first running back ever to have five consecutive seasons over 1,400 yards (1,773) and set the NFL record for rushing touchdowns in a season at the time with 25. The Cowboys would win their third Super Bowl in four years by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XXX 27-17.

Smith would play seven more seasons for the Cowboys and run for over 1,000 yards in six of them (ran for 975 in 2002). Smith would become the first player with 11 consecutive seasons over 1,000 yards and in 2002, his final season with the Cowboys, he became the NFL's all-time leading rusher surpassing Hall of Famer Walter Payton.

It wasn't just that Smith was a great runner he was also one of the best blocking backs in league history which made him a complete player. The other two Hall of Fame members of "The Triplets", Irvin and Aikman, were able to produce at a high-level thanks to Smith's blocking which allowed Aikman to find Irvin during their 10 seasons together as a trio.

With his stellar career individually and team-wise, Smith knows what it takes to be great in the NFL. After the Cowboys lost to the 49ers in the first round of the 2021 playoffs, offered some advice to the top offensive stars on the team after they came up small when it mattered the most.

“You’re not a star yet, you’re not a GOAT yet, and you’re not great yet. You have to win championships to become all of that,” Smith said. “Yes, you’re on the most visible football team in the world, and playing for a great organization. But your greatness is when you finish and you finish well. In order to become a legend or legendary, you have to eliminate all of these things we’re talking about, period. Outside of that, you’re gonna be living in the shadows of what came before you.”

Smith was a godsend and one of the greatest players not just for the Cowboys' history but in NFL history.

Feature image via ROB SCHUMACHER, The Arizona Republic via Imagn Content Services, LLC