Fansided
Fansided

NFL Compensatory Picks: The best every team has ever had

By Erik Lambert

27 Jan 2002 : Brian Dawkins of the Philadelphia Eagles during the NFC Championship Game against the St.Louis Rams at the Dome at the America's Center in St.Louis, Missouri. The Rams advance to the Superbowl after winning 29-24. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
27 Jan 2002 : Brian Dawkins of the Philadelphia Eagles during the NFC Championship Game against the St.Louis Rams at the Dome at the America's Center in St.Louis, Missouri. The Rams advance to the Superbowl after winning 29-24. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 15
Next
49ers defensive end Marques Douglas is stopped at the line by Dallas guard Larry Allen late in the game as the Dallas Cowboys defeated the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 34 to 31 at Monster Park, San Francisco, California, September 25, 2005. (Photo by Robert B. Stanton/NFLPhotoLibrary)
49ers defensive end Marques Douglas is stopped at the line by Dallas guard Larry Allen late in the game as the Dallas Cowboys defeated the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 34 to 31 at Monster Park, San Francisco, California, September 25, 2005. (Photo by Robert B. Stanton/NFLPhotoLibrary) /

Larry Allen (OG, Dallas Cowboys)

The Cowboys wisely took advantage of the compensatory process during its infant stages back in the early 1990s when teams were awarded higher draft choices in the 1st and 2nd rounds. Dallas collected the 46th overall pick in 1994 after free agency had gutted much of their roster the previous year. They made sure to put it to great use, choosing giant guard Larry Allen out of Sonoma State. He became a dominant force up front, paving the way for Emmitt Smith to eventually take the NFL all-time rushing title. He retired with 11 Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl ring.

Tom Nalen (C, Denver Broncos)

A seventh-round pick in the 1994 NFL Draft, Tom Nalen quickly became one of the best centers in the NFL over his 194 career games.

Nalen made five Pro Bowls, two All-Pro teams, and won two Super Bowls as the pivot in Mike Shanahan’s famous zone blocking scheme.

Nalen played 14 seasons in the NFL and all of those with the Denver Broncos.

In that time, the Broncos had six different players rush for 1,000 yards and Nalen was a major part of the team’s dominance in the late 90s.

He was the last player from the Super Bowl teams to leave the Broncos.

Home/NFL Draft