Draft History: 1998

IRVING - Owner Jerry Jones showed a lot of faith Sunday in coach Chan Gailey's innovative offensive mind, because he didn't get him much help in the draft.

The Cowboys, who failed to score more than one offensive touchdown in 10 games last season and ranked 20th in offense, used three of their first four draft picks on defensive players.

The Cowboys selected Alabama defensive lineman Michael Myers in the fourth round and South Carolina linebacker Darren Hambrick in the fifth round.

They didn't draft an offensive playmaker-type until the seventh round, when they selected California running back Tarik Smith with the 223rd pick.

Only Philadelphia, which finished fifth in the NFL in offense, failed to draft a running back, quarterback or receiver.

The Cowboys also drafted Iowa State offensive lineman Oliver Ross, Alabama-Birmingham safety Izell Reese, Georgia guard Antonio Fleming and Cincinnati tight end Rod Monroe.

The draft picks will report to Dallas on Thursday and participate in a three-day mini-camp, which begins Friday.

Gailey said the Cowboys tried to take the best player available in each round, instead of focusing entirely on need.

"I'm not trying to say I've got a magic wand to wave over the offense, but these are the guys we have," Gailey said. " . . . I like our skill at quarterback. I like our skill at tight end with David LaFleur. I like our skill at running back and our skill at receiver. I don't see a big void."

With the addition of tackle Flozell Adams (second round), Jones said the Cowboys' improved offensive line will make Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin better players.

Since the end of the season, the Cowboys have signed left tackle Larry Allen to a six-year contract, signed free-agent guard Everett McIver to a three-year contract and watched left guard Nate Newton lose nearly 60 pounds.

"I feel better about our offense than I did before I met Chan Gailey," Jones said. So the Cowboys turned their attention to defense.

They were thrilled to find Myers, who played defensive end and defensive tackle, still available.

Myers, an All-America in 1996, played only one game last year after the NCAA suspended him for accepting money from an agent. But he did play in the Senior Bowl, where he impressed college and pro scouting director Larry Lacewell.

As a junior, Myers had 66 tackles, 13 sacks and 24 quarterback pressures. At 6-2 and 286 pounds, defensive coordinator Dave Campo said he has the same type of burst off the line of scrimmage that made former Cowboy Russell Maryland a quality player.

"We feel we managed to get more value with that pick than any other in my 10 years," said Jones, "even though we don't know how productive he's going to turn out to be."

Hambrick also missed much of last season.

He broke his leg in the first game and played in only four games last season.

"He fits the mold of the kind of linebacker that we've drafted before," Lacewell said. "He's like a Darrin Smith or a Dexter Coakley."

The Cowboys made their first trade of the draft in the fifth round.

They sent Seattle the ninth pick in the sixth round and the ninth in the seventh round for Seattle's fifth-round pick, the 15th selection of the round.

Dallas used that pick to draft 6-4, 300-pound Oliver Ross.