Dallas and Atlanta swapped first-round positions in 1992,…
Dallas and Atlanta swapped first-round positions in 1992, with the Cowboys receiving No. 17 and No. 120 for Nos. 19 and 104. Dallas selected cornerback Kevin Smith at No. 17, while Atlanta took running back Tony Smith at No. 19. Kevin Smith became a long-term Cowboys starter and championship-era defender; Atlanta's return never matched that impact, giving Dallas the win.
Atlanta Falcons Received
- pick 1992 first round pick (#19-Tony Smith (Derrell))
- pick 1992 fourth round pick (#104-Frankie Smith)
Dallas Cowboys Received
- pick 1992 first round pick (#17-Kevin Smith (Rey))
- pick 1992 fifth round pick (#120-Greg Briggs / Gregg Briggs)
Trade Analysis
Dallas and Atlanta exchanged a small amount of first-round position in the 1992 draft, but the player outcomes created a meaningful gap. Dallas received the 17th overall selection and pick No. 120. Atlanta received No. 19 and pick No. 104. The Cowboys used No. 17 on Texas A&M cornerback Kevin Smith and No. 120 on Gregg Briggs. The Falcons selected Southern Mississippi running back Tony Smith at No. 19 and Frankie Smith at No. 104.
Kevin Smith became the central result. He developed into a long-term Dallas starter, appeared in 103 regular-season games and intercepted 19 passes. He was part of the Cowboys' championship-era secondary and remained with the franchise throughout his NFL career. That kind of multi-year starter is an excellent outcome from a mid-first-round selection, especially for a team already building a contender.
Atlanta did not receive comparable value from Tony Smith. His NFL career lasted only 33 games and produced 329 rushing yards. Frankie Smith also failed to become a major long-term contributor. The Falcons did gain the higher of the two supplemental selections, moving from the fifth round to the fourth, so the trade structure itself was not reckless. The issue was how the resulting picks performed.
Dallas's B-plus reflects turning a modest shift in draft slots into a durable starting cornerback. Atlanta's C recognizes that the cost to move within the first round was not enormous, but the Falcons did not land the impact runner they needed. This is a good example of a trade whose paper value was fairly close on draft day but whose player development made the hindsight verdict straightforward.