Draft History: 1987

Tom Landry called defensive coordinator Ernie Stautner Sunday and told him to get ready to fly to Lincoln, Neb., on Monday. Stautner liked what he saw when he got there, and Tuesday morning when it came time for the Cowboys to make their first-round pick, they liked what they saw – Danny Noonan's name still on the board.

The Cowboys made the powerful Nebraska nose tackle the 12th pick of the 1987 draft as they took the first step in rebuilding their aging defense, one that ranked 23rd in the NFL against the run in 1986. They took their second step in the next round with the selection of Baylor cornerback Ron Francis before turning their attention to offense where they made their next seven selections.

Three were offensive linemen including third-round pick Jeff Zimmerman, a 322-pound tackle from Florida. Dallas followed with a player half his size in the fourth – 161-pound Kelvin Martin of Boston College, a wide receiver who averaged more than 15 yards on punt returns as a junior and senior. They added Texas wide receiver Everett Gay in the fifth round, then created an interesting quarterback battle in the seventh with their choice of Fresno State's Kevin Sweeney, the NCAA career passing leader.

"I think we've done well in the areas that we wanted to hit," Landry said after the third round. "We were looking to help our defense and our offensive line, and we've got three players in those areas. I think all three can help us immediately. We're not the kind of club that guys come in and start for in September. Nobody has really done that too much. But, hopefully, as the season goes on, all three can make an impact."

The 6-4, 280-pound Noonan, who has bench pressed 500 pounds, should provide the biggest impact. He represents instant competition in a line that includes Ed Jones and John Dutton, both 36, and Randy White, 34.

"We felt all along he would be one of a couple players we'd have to make a decision on," said Cowboys vice president Gil Brandt. "He looks a lot like Randy White coming out of college as far as his size, his speed and his quickness."

After watching him work out at Nebraska, Stautner projected Noonan as a possible rookie starter. "If he can absorb enough of what he needs to, there's a possibility he could start. He's a hard worker, tough, and he has a mean streak in him. I don't mean a dirty streak, he's just a hard-working player," Stautner said.

After impressing NFL scouts at the Indianapolis combine in late January, Noonan chose not to perform for any of them again until his Monday workout for Dallas. "Teams had tested me for everything but the length of my nose," Noonan said. "I didn't think they needed to test me any more." He was in the Nebraska weight room Tuesday morning when he received a phone call from his wife, informing him of the Cowboys' selection.

Noonan credits his work in the weight room for transforming him from a 215-pound freshman to a 280-pound senior. "It's either get bigger at Nebraska or get killed," Noonan said. "But there are a lot of strong guys out there. You've got to be able to use it on the field."

If Noonan can use it the way the Cowboys think he can, a logjam could develop at tackle where Kevin Brooks is hoping to unseat Dutton on the left side and White still mans the right side. Stautner said moving either Brooks or Noonan to end could become a possibility. "I haven't even considered that yet," Stautner said. "I'll bring him in as a defensive lineman and go from there."

Landry said he could not predict when Noonan would be ready to start for Dallas or where in the line he would best fit in. "Even if we just use him as a pass rusher this year, he can help us," Landry said. "The competition is going to be very strong."

The Cowboys created some intrigue as they also tried to create some competition in the secondary with their selection of Baylor cornerback Ron Francis in the second round. It was after the Cowboys' first pick that Landry had said "hopefully' the Cowboys would choose an offensive lineman in the second round.

"It was mainly a matter of staying in our order,' said coach Tom Landry. "We felt (Francis) was up there by himself. Hopefully, there will be a lineman up there somewhere later."

That proved to the be the case when the Cowboys took Zimmerman with its third pick. Primarily a guard in college, the 6-3 Zimmerman has also played tackle – and he has also weighed more than 340 pounds this spring.

"The last time we weighed him he was descending at 315,' Landry said. "He's very strong and very big, one of the big lineman-types we see around today. I'm not sure what position he will play but he probably has more of a guard look about him because of his height.'

Offensive line coach Jim Erkenbeck agreed that Zimmerman's best position could be guard but said he will look at him first at left tackle where Mark Tuinei is the incumbent.

"I'm going to try him at left tackle. That's a skill position," Erkenbeck said. "I liked Zimmerman. He comes off as an upbeat guy, he comes from a successful program, and I like the way he gave up his guard position to move to tackle."

After earning All-America honors at left guard as a junior, Zimmerman struggled some at left tackle in 1986. After the season, he struggled with his weight. "When I saw him, he was 316, down from 345," Erkenbeck said. "He looked like an expatriate from a fat farm. But he knows how to play."

When the Cowboys chose Zimmerman, Pitt's All-America tackle, Randy Dixon, was still available. Projected as a possible first-rounder, he didn't go until early in the fourth.

"It's just a matter of where you line players up," said Landry. "We had Dixon up there, too."

Landry said to some extent Zimmerman will typify a new look in the Cowboys' offensive line that will be reshaped under Erkenbeck. "We'll still do a lot of things we did in the past," Landry said. "But these guys like (Nate) Newton and (Crawford) Ker, they can move the guy in front of them."

But Nebraska's Noonan is the lineman who could have the most immediate impact on the club. His presence could spell the end for one of the Cowboy veterans, probably Dutton, who already was facing the challenge of Brooks.'

"With the age on our defensive line, we felt he could come in and apply some pressure," coach Tom Landry said.

Landry said the Cowboys did not attempt to trade up in the first round. "We listened to some (offers), but we didn't feel we needed to move. If these guys come through and play the way we think they can, then we've improved ourselves.

"If they don't, we haven't."