FRISCO, Texas -- A funny thing happens when a team wins game. Suddenly, owners, directors of personnel, scouts and coaches are smart again.

Two years ago, Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones was the NFL's executive of the year. Many folks envied the Cowboys' roster. Then last year, the Cowboys were 4-12 and the "When will Jerry the owner fire Jerry the GM?" question was asked again.

Now that the Cowboys are 4-1 to start 2016, everybody from Jones, to executive vice president Stephen Jones to senior director college/pro personnel Will McClay to Jason Garrett is being viewed differently.

"I don't want to get ahead of us because as we know a lot of this draft pick thing, a lot of the grade comes with how you win these football games," Jerry Jones said after Sunday's win against the Cincinnati Bengals. "It's hard to be considered a great personnel person if you don't win ballgames. When you win, there is a lot of credit that goes around. A lot of people should have the credit for selecting these players that are really showing up out here right now. I could start naming of course, we're so proud of what we do in our personnel department and all of that. In my mind, they work hard enough. Will McClay works hard enough. Stephen works hard enough, all of them work hard enough. Some good things should happen for them. I'm glad to see it happening."

The draft is a franchise's lifeblood and it is feeding the Cowboys in 2016.

The Cowboys are receiving major contributions from their last six first-round picks: Tyron Smith (2011), Morris Claiborne (2012), Travis Frederick (2013), Zack Martin (2014), Byron Jones (2015) and Ezekiel Elliott (2016).

You have to go back to the early years of Jones' tenure -- or as everybody wants to call it: the Jimmy Johnson era -- to find a similar run of first-round success. Michael Irvin was Tom Landry's final first rounder in 1988, but he was followed by Troy Aikman (No. 1 overall, 1989), Emmitt Smith (No. 17, 1990), Russell Maryland (No. 1, 1991), Alvin Harper (No. 12, 1991), Kevin Smith (No. 17, 1992) and Robert Jones (No. 24, 1992).

The revelation of the current bunch is Claiborne, whom the Cowboys moved up to take with the No. 6 overall pick in 2012. His first four years were a disappointment, just to be kind. But he has found a different level of success in 2016.

"We thought that Mo was exceptional when he came out," Jerry Jones said. "I have been a little surprised that he didn't show earlier. We knew that he was an exceptional athlete, but he has met his challenges and that makes it even more impressive because he's gotten better at the areas he's needed to better, gotten more strength, overcame his injuries, all of those things are coming to bear out there on the kind of season he's having."

Smith was the ninth pick in 2011. Claiborne was the sixth in 2012 and Elliott the fourth in 2016. It should be easier to find draft hits that high.

The Cowboys have three starters that were third-round picks: Tyrone Crawford (2012), Terrance Williams (2013) and Maliek Collins (2016). Anthony Hitchens (fourth round, 2014) is the starting middle linebacker. Quarterback Dak Prescott (fourth round, 2016) is playing better than anybody could have imagined.

The Cowboys have found role players in Rounds 4-7 in Kyle Wilber (fourth, 2012), James Hanna (sixth, 2012), who is injured, Anthony Brown (fifth, 2016) and tight end Geoff Swaim (seventh, 2015).

The one knock is the second round where the only major contributor is DeMarcus Lawrence (2014) and he missed the first four games because of suspension. The Cowboys won't see this year's second rounder, Jaylon Smith, because of a knee injury. Gavin Escobar (2013) has been pushed out of the offense. Randy Gregory (2015) is suspended the first 14 games of the season.

But look at the schools they came from before joining the Cowboys. The first rounders from 2011 on are from USC, LSU, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Connecticut and Ohio State. UConn is hardly a traditional football power, but it is a FBS school. (Dez Bryant, chosen in the first round in 2010 out of Oklahoma State is in that category as well but has missed the last two games.)

But look at the other schools involved: Boise State, Baylor, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Purdue, Mississippi State, Wake Forest, Texas. They are big schools all if not all dominant programs.

Garrett points to the college upbringings of Elliott and Prescott as a big factor in their early NFL success.

"You think about the program those guys came from and the experience they had and the production they had, it certainly has helped them transition maybe more smoothly than most," Garrett said. "We're fortunate to have them. For those guys to be playing as well as they are as early in their career is certainly impressive."