Draft History: 2002

IRVING - Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said he wanted to acquire players in Saturday's draft who would become cornerstones of the franchise.

By the time Dallas had made its final pick of the first day, Jones could hardly stop smiling. By his estimation, Jones had accomplished his mission.

The Cowboys acquired three players rated as first-round picks and the third-best cornerback on their draft board.

Dallas drafted Oklahoma safety Roy Williams in the first round with the eighth pick overall.

Then the Cowboys added Colorado guard-center Andre Gurode (37th overall) and Pittsburgh receiver Antonio Bryant (63rd) in the second round. Dallas used its third-round pick (75th) on Ohio State cornerback Derek Ross.

"I don't know of a time when we've come out of the first day of the draft with three No. 1 picks," Jones said, referring to where the players ranked on the Cowboys' board. "It has exceeded our wildest expectations. We've made ourselves a much better football team."

But has it made the Cowboys a playoff team for the first time since the 1999 season?

"I'm not going there," Jones said laughing. "We have improved our football team since our last game, and I look for us to be competitive this season."

The draft continues at 10 a.m. Sunday with rounds four through seven.

Although Jones and coach Dave Campo were thrilled with their draft haul, adding the 6-1, 219-pound Williams was the key.

Jones said he never wavered when it came to Williams.

Not even when it looked like Williams and Texas cornerback Quentin Jammer would be available when it was the Cowboys' turn to select a player with the sixth pick.

"We didn't want to wake up in the morning and not have Roy Williams on this team," Jones said. "It's no secret that Roy Williams is someone we coveted. I think he can come in here with the skills he has and take us to another level.

"He will allow us to be better next year and for years to come. The plane was in the air to Oklahoma City when we saw Jammer and Williams both there at No. 5."

Williams' selection, however, came with some anxious moments.

Dallas completed a trade with Kansas City seconds before its 15-minute time limit expired.

The Cowboys traded their first-round pick (No. 6) to Kansas City for its first-round pick (No. 8), a third-round pick (75th overall) and a sixth-round pick in 2003. The extra third-round pick allowed the Cowboys to move into the second round and draft Bryant.

The Chiefs selected North Carolina defensive tackle Ryan Sims. Then Minnesota, picking seventh, chose Miami tackle Bryant McKinnie, setting off a fist-pumping, hand-shaking celebration in the Cowboys' draft room.

"Jerry and coach Campo drafted me because they know I'm going to work hard and that I'm a team player and a quick learner."

When asked if he had any weaknesses, Williams chuckled.

"None that I know of," he said.

Jones said Detroit general manager Matt Millen, who owned the third pick, phoned about 30 minutes before the draft to see if Dallas wanted to move up. Jones said the clubs never came close.

The Cowboys have spent their entire off-season improving a defense that finished fourth in the NFL last season but recorded only 24 sacks and nine interceptions.

Dallas has signed three key free agents - defensive tackle La'Roi Glover, cornerback Bryant Westbrook and linebacker Kevin Hardy - known for their big-play ability.

Williams, who will play strong safety while Darren Woodson moves to free safety, also fits that category.

The Cowboys plan to take advantage of his skills by using him to cover slot receivers and tight ends, playing him near the line of scrimmage as a run defender and blitzer.

He often will play opposite Hardy in passing situations, forcing offensive coordinators to make tough decisions about which way to turn their pass protections.

"Roy Williams is an impact player," Campo said. "He makes plays."

The coaching staff wants Williams to chase the ball and make big plays.

"We've had people tell us that there hasn't been a defensive player in quite a while who can come in and take over a football game," Campo said. "He can do that."