2018 Cowboys Draft Chatter Thread...

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Cowboysrock55

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2018 NFL Draft: Candidates for Cowboys to replace Dez Bryant


By Lance Zierlein
NFL Media draft analyst
Published: April 13, 2018 at 02:52 p.m. Updated: April 13, 2018 at 03:54 p.m. 0 Likes | 0 Comments
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After eight seasons, Dez Bryant's career with the Cowboys has come to an end. Dallas released the three-time Pro Bowl selectee on Friday.

Wide receiver was already widely viewed as one of the top needs for the team with so much uncertainty about Bryant's future. So, with less than two weeks to go until the 2018 NFL Draft, I think it's highly likely that Dallas will address the position at some point in the first two rounds -- the club holds pick No. 19 overall in Round 1 and No. 50 overall in Round 2.

Which of this year's prospects would fit in Dallas? Here are some of the top candidates to replace Bryant.

First-round prospects

Calvin Ridley, Alabama
Ridley's the best wide receiver in the draft, and it's really not a close competition. Some question whether Ridley (6-foot, 189 pounds) is big enough to be a WR1, but I think he'll be the latest in the new breed of top-end receivers that lack a little bit of size (Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders). He's the guy on this list that stands out to me as being ready to contribute at a high level right away, and the Cowboys, of course, are doing their homework on him -- they hosted him on a visit, per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.

Courtland Sutton, SMU
Sutton might be the most natural fit if the Cowboys want a player in the same vein as Bryant from a physical standpoint. He has prototypical WR1 size (6-3, 218). Although he lacks plus speed or separation quickness, he's extremely physical and has the ability to make contested catches on a consistent basis. League sources say Sutton's draft stock has improved since coaches and GMs have become more involved in the evaluation process down the stretch. Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett made the short trip to work out Sutton at SMU's pro day.

D.J. Moore, Maryland
Moore's ceiling might be higher than Sutton's. He has good size and athleticism. Much like Stefon Diggs before him at Maryland, he was used with a lot of catch-and-run stuff underneath during his college career, but he has the potential to become a much better receiver down the field with more experience. The buzz about Moore, who also visited the Cowboys, has grown throughout the evaluation process this offseason.

Second-round prospects


D.J. Chark, LSU
Chark has a rare combination of size (6-3, 199) and speed (4.34-second 40-yard dash at the combine). He uses his acceleration to create vertical separation much like Ridley, but Chark has a longer frame. He had limited college production and is still in need of more polish thanks in part to sub-par quarterback play at LSU. He's helped himself this postseason, standing out at the Reese's Senior Bowl and combine.

James Washington, Oklahoma State
Washington is a vertical threat who had a tremendous win percentage on 50-50 balls in college. He operates with great concentration as he gets further away from the line of scrimmage, but he has some occasional lapses in focus on easy throws underneath. He has the build of a running back more than a prototypical wide receiver, but there are teams that think he's one of the receivers in this draft with the most upside. He has visited and worked out for the Cowboys.

Wild card
Antonio Callaway, Florida
Callaway has WR1 potential, but his path to the draft has been beset by trouble during his career at Florida. He has good size and speed, but he didn't play a down in 2017, as he was suspended after facing charges of credit card fraud. He would be a top-50 pick if not for his issues. We've seen the Cowboys take chances on players with off-field problems in the past, and earlier in the draft than other teams would (Randy Gregory). I think Callaway could go anywhere from Rounds 2-5 this year, and it wouldn't be stunning to see him land in Dallas. The team did host him on a pre-draft visit, per Rapoport.
 

VA Cowboy

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WR has been a need and it's even bigger now. I just hope we don't pigeon hole ourselves into taking one in the first if the top receivers are gone and bypass better players at other positions, like DT.
I think Ridley will be gone and many mocks have 2 receivers gone before our pick. It sucks that this could be just the 2nd time in over 25 years we look for WR in the first and the prospects aren't as strong as recent years. I'm not totally sold on Moore or Sutton and definitely don't want to reach on Chark in the first. Of course if we bypass WR in the first we risk missing out on Chark in the 2nd and then are down to 3rd tier receivers at best.
 

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We need to look at Anthony Miller in the 2nd, he may be the 2nd best route runner in the draft and is more explosive than most think. Excellent hands in contested situations and plays bigger than his size, tough over the middle too.
 

Cowboysrock55

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WR has been a need and it's even bigger now. I just hope we don't pigeon hole ourselves into taking one in the first if the top receivers are gone and bypass better players at other positions, like DT.
I think Ridley will be gone and many mocks have 2 receivers gone before our pick. It sucks that this could be just the 2nd time in over 25 years we look for WR in the first and the prospects aren't as strong as recent years. I'm not totally sold on Moore or Sutton and definitely don't want to reach on Chark in the first. Of course if we bypass WR in the first we risk missing out on Chark in the 2nd and then are down to 3rd tier receivers at best.
Then draft Washington. I'm not too worried. Or shit we can just draft another trouble maker like Dez in Callaway. Plus I love Pettis as much as the top guys. Just not sure of Dallas does.
 

Simpleton

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Then draft Washington. I'm not too worried. Or shit we can just draft another trouble maker like Dez in Callaway. Plus I love Pettis as much as the top guys. Just not sure of Dallas does.
Comparing Dez off the field to Callaway is ridiculous. Dez was an immature hot head dumbass who has some TO to him, he has never had legal issues or been arrested.

Callaway may legitimately be in jail 2 years from now.
 

Cowboysrock55

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We need to look at Anthony Miller in the 2nd, he may be the 2nd best route runner in the draft and is more explosive than most think. Excellent hands in contested situations and plays bigger than his size, tough over the middle too.
You know me, I'm not real high on Miller. I worry about his frailty and it may just be because the last game I watched live with him was the Iowa State game where he got hurt on something that looked fairly standard.
 

Simpleton

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You know me, I'm not real high on Miller. I worry about his frailty and it may just be because the last game I watched live with him was the Iowa State game where he got hurt on something that looked fairly standard.
That was one of his worst games of the year, watch him against UCLA, UCF (watch both games for context, in the first he was shut down mostly but the game quickly got out of control, in the AAC championship he was a monster ), and Connecticut if you want to see him at his best.
 

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That was one of his worst games of the year, watch him against UCLA, UCF (watch both games for context, in the first he was shut down mostly but the game quickly got out of control, in the AAC championship he was a monster ), and Connecticut if you want to see him at his best.
Yeah I remember watching Washington's last game thinking he was overrated and then in the second half he exploded. Crazy how good of a deep ball reciever he is.

And I watched enough Memphis to like their QB. When Ferguson gets hot he can be really good.
 

deadrise

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I am the furthest thing from a draft aficionado but I like Chark in the second round, for no other reason that you can't teach size and you can't teach speed.

He has shortcomings but they are in technique and mechanics, which, if you have good coaches -- big if with RHG's crew -- can be worked on over time.

I like the idea that 4.34 speed keeps a safety deep, which opens up things for Zeke.

An excerpt from NFL.com scouting report: "Chark will be coveted by play-action passing attacks looking to win with chunk plays down the field ..."

So me, in my amateurish evaluation thinks, Zeke's running, rolling, got eyes in the backfield, play-action, boom, big play.

How long has it been since Dallas had a guy who really scared anybody deep?
 

Cowboysrock55

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I am the furthest thing from a draft aficionado but I like Chark in the second round, for no other reason that you can't teach size and you can't teach speed.

He has shortcomings but they are in technique and mechanics, which, if you have good coaches -- big if with RHG's crew -- can be worked on over time.

I like the idea that 4.34 speed keeps a safety deep, which opens up things for Zeke.

An excerpt from NFL.com scouting report: "Chark will be coveted by play-action passing attacks looking to win with chunk plays down the field ..."

So me, in my amateurish evaluation thinks, Zeke's running, rolling, got eyes in the backfield, play-action, boom, big play.

How long has it been since Dallas had a guy who really scared anybody deep?
Rocket Ismail?
 

fortsbest

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I don't really think there's any super special WRs in this draft. If it's a 1st rounder I would prefer Moore to Riddley for no other reason than he just looks faster and tougher. Chark looks ok later, but he looks like a few shots over the middle and he may break. Beyond that, I don't know.
 

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Please don't draft a WR #1..............................I pray to Tom every night............................For DIVINE Cowboy intervention from the elders!
 

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Even with the new WR issue I'm still thinkin the value at 19 is at O-line or D-line....................I'm not excited about the LBers projected to be there......................n both WR projected #1s don't thrill me.......................
 

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The WR class does not excite me, but I do like Ridley the best. I just think he will translate better to the NFL game and was held back a bit by style and QB play.
 

p1_

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Itd be nice if we were able to get two receivers from the draft. It would help us to upgrade the entire corps. Dez wasnt the only one playing poorly, and I don't want Beasley and Williams to get comfortable. This is a new group, all Dak friendly you know.
 

boozeman

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I don't really think there's any super special WRs in this draft. If it's a 1st rounder I would prefer Moore to Riddley for no other reason than he just looks faster and tougher. Chark looks ok later, but he looks like a few shots over the middle and he may break. Beyond that, I don't know.
This is a bad draft to go looking for a WR. 2019 looks much more like our speed. But here we are. Typical.
 

Cowboysrock55

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This is a bad draft to go looking for a WR. 2019 looks much more like our speed. But here we are. Typical.
It's a crazy deep WR class. You're crazy. There aren't any elite top 10 draft pick guys. But we don't have a top draft pick so who gives a shit.
 

Cotton

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It's a crazy deep WR class. You're crazy. There aren't any elite top 10 draft pick guys. But we don't have a top draft pick so who gives a shit.
Yeah, this is a very deep WR class. Do not take Ridley or Moore and use your 2-3 round picks on them and profit.
 
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