The NFL's Top 50 Draft Classes of the Decade: No. 6 Dallas Cowboys, 2005

Team Achievements: 42-22, 2009 NFC East Champions, 3 playoff berths.

The Cowboys' 2005 Selections: DeMarcus Ware, LB, Troy (No. 11)
Marcus Spears, DE, LSU (No. 20)
Kevin Burnett, LB, Tennessee (No. 42)
Marion Barber, RB, Minnesota (No. 109)
Chris Canty, DE, Virginia (No. 132)
Justin Beriault, S, Ball State (No. 208)
Rob Petitti, OT, Pittsburgh (No. 209)
Jay Ratliff, DT, Auburn (No. 224).

Class Accolades: DeMarcus Ware - Three-time All-Pro, 4 Pro Bowls, 64.5 career sacks, No. 1 in sacks in 2008 (20), No. 3 in sacks in 2007 (14), 11+ sacks in 4 straight seasons.
Marcus Spears - 8 career sacks, five-year Cowboys' starter.
Kevin Burnett - 61 games played in Dallas, 4 sacks.
Marion Barber - Pro Bowl in 2007, 3,984 career rushing yards, 49 total touchdowns, 163 career receptions, No. 3 in 2006 in touchdowns.
Chris Canty - Three-year Cowboys' starter, compiled 10 sacks.
Jay Ratliff - 2009 All-Pro, 2 Pro Bowls, 21.5 sacks, 10 career fumble recoveries.

Overall Draft Analysis: The Cowboys' 2005 draft class certainly ranks as the decade's finest collection of defensive talent, headlined by the All-Pro duo of Ware and Ratliff. Undoubtedly, Ware garners consideration amongst the decade's most elite defensive game-changers, while currently ranking as the league's most disruptive force off the edge. Ware easily places first in sacks amongst active defenders drafted since 2005, with 64.5 career sacks. The three-time All-Pro selection remarkably recorded 20 sacks in 2008, becoming the seventh player in NFL history to accomplish the feat and merely the second player since Derrick Thomas. Ware compiled 11+ sacks for the fourth consecutive season in 2009, while impressively totaling 24 forced fumbles and a streak of 77 straight regular season starts. Indisputably, Ratliff has become one of the decade's most valuable seventh-round selections. In 2009, Ratliff was selected as a Pro Bowl starter for the second consecutive season, after guiding Dallas' talented defense to its best rushing defense ranking (No. 4) since 2003. The Cowboys' five-year starter, Spears, has contributed significantly to Cowboys' recent defensive resurgence, although career totals do not fully reflect the steady defensive end's ultimate impact. Canty provided additional value throughout a four-year stint in Dallas, after a knee injury and detached retina caused the University of Virginia standout's draft stock to plummet. Burnett performed respectably in 61 games played with the Cowboys, while Beriault never played for the team, due to a devastating knee injury in 2005. Collectively, the Cowboys' talented class of defenders have totaled 251 regular-season starts, to date. Expect Ware and Ratliff to prove invaluable in the foreseeable future, serving as the Cowboys' most dominant defenders.

On the offensive side, Barber has provided tremendous value to the Cowboys' ground attack, primarily as one of the league's most dangerous red-zone rushers. Barber trails only Maurice Jones-Drew in rushing touchdowns, amongst NFL running backs selected since 2005. The former Golden Gopher has also contributed considerably in pass protection, as well as a receiving threat out of the backfield. However, the subsequent emergence of Felix Jones and Tashard Choice may continue to diminish Barber's role within the Dallas offense. Petitti started all 16 games as a rookie, before the team release the lineman in 2006. Inevitably, the Cowboys' '05 class provided tremendous depth and talent from its first selection (Ware) to its last pick (Ratliff). The subsequent performance of Ware, Barber, Spears, and Ratliff in the future will determine the draft's ultimate value. Dallas desperately needs to improve on the team's first playoff win of the decade, in 2009. Expect Ware and Ratliff to forge the Cowboys' place amongst the league's best defenses for the foreseeable future.

The Cowboys' "Perfect Draft" in Retrospect
(Keeping trades, only same positions are eligible)
No. 11 - LB DeMarcus Ware, No. 20 - DE Justin Tuck, No. 42 - LB Lofa Tatupu, No. 109 - RB Marion Barber, No. 132 - DE Trent Cole, No. 208 - S Reynaldo Hill, No. 209 - OT Rob Petitti, No. 224 - DT Jay Ratliff.

References: All statistics and draft results as reflected on NFL.com and Pro-Football-Reference.com.