2017 Cowboys Draft Grades

Cotton

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[h=1]2017 NFC East Draft Grades: Cowboys address big needs with even bigger talent[/h][h=2]Plus Giants do a lot with a little and Eagles and Redskins face durability concerns in our NFC East grades[/h]

Grading an NFL Draft immediately after it occurs is akin to giving your compliments to the chef based on the menu. It will take at least three years before we can truly assess how the 32 NFL teams fared over the weekend.

But waiting is no fun. As such, let's take a take at which NFC East teams appear to have done the best job of filling needs and building for the future via the seven rounds of the 2017 draft.

Dallas Cowboys



The Cowboys had huge holes to fill in the secondary and edge rusher in the 2017 NFL Draft and -- on paper, at least -- it appears that the club did a spectacular job of addressing them, patiently waiting for a toolsy edge rusher in Taco Charlton to slide down to them at No. 28 overall and adding two of the better cover corners in the draft in Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis in the second and third rounds, respectively.

Dallas added playmakers at safety (Xavier Woods) and in the return game (Ryan Switzer) on Day 2, as well as a quality developmental receiver in Noah Brown late in the draft. Given the quality of the receivers Dallas will be facing in the NFC East (and now playing against a first-place schedule), it remains to be seen how well the young secondary will fare. Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli is an accomplished teacher, however, and for the first time in years Dallas has the raw talent on defense to match that on the other side of the ball.

Grade: A-

New York Giants



With only six picks, the Giants did not have much to work with in the 2017 draft, but general manager Jerry Reese filled major holes, nonetheless. While Mississippi's Evan Engram is more of a hybrid receiver than a traditional tight end, his ability to split the seam gives Eli Manning another dynamic weapon to go along with star Odell Beckham Jr., veteran addition Brandon Marshall and speedy second-year pro Sterling Shepard. New York added a plug-and-play replacement for run-stuffer Jonathan Hankins in Alabama's Dalvin Tomlinson in the second and a slashing, hard-nosed runner in Wayne Gallman to the backfield in the fourth round.

In between, the Giants also addressed the future of the quarterback position with Cal's Davis Webb, a strong-armed pocket passer who, as the son of a football coach, possesses the mind and work ethic to quickly acclimate to New York's offense and challenge Geno Smith as Manning's backup and eventual replacement. Late-rounders Avery Moss and Adam Bisnowaty are schematic fits who could surprise.

Grade: B-

Philadelphia Eagles



The raucous Eagles crowd had plenty to cheer about over draft weekend. The Eagles started things off emphatically, nabbing Tennessee's Derek Barnett -- the pass rusher who broke the late Hall of Famer Reggie White's career sack record in just three seasons -- as well as Washington cover corner Sidney Jones, a surefire first-round pick until tearing his Achilles at his pro day.

The Eagles added flashy weapons for young quarterback Carson Wentz in North Carolina's vertical threat Mack Hollins, West Virginia's jitterbug Shelton Gibson and the NCAA's all-time leading rusher in Donnel Pumphrey, a Darren Sproles-like mighty mite out of San Diego State. Don't be surprised if late round defensive tackle Elijah Qualls makes this roster. He plays with the burst and motor to carve out a role. Durability concerns for several of the Eagles' picks drop the grade slightly, but on paper, this is one of the year's better draft classes.

Grade: B+

Washington Redskins



Though he was unceremoniously fired before the draft, former general manager Scot McCoughan's fingerprints were all over this collection of talent for the Redskins as the club consistently nabbed the tough guys that have characterized his previous classes. Certainly helping Washington's cause were the lingering questions about the long-term health of Jonathan Allen's shoulders, which pushed the All-American into Washington's lap at No. 17 overall. Fellow Tide standout Ryan Anderson is the epitome of an alpha male. It will not take him long to land a primary role on this defense.

Cornerback Fabian Moreau comes with plenty of durability questions himself, but he is a first-round talent who the Redskins nabbed at No. 81 overall. Washington added a power back in Samaje Perine to boost its backfield, one of the few true inline blocking tight ends in the draft in Jeremy Sprinkle and some intriguing developmental prospects in Chase Roullier and Robert Davis late. Durability concerns push down this grade slightly, just as it did for the rival Eagles.

Grade: B
 

Cotton

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Sports Illustrated:

Dallas Cowboys: B+

The first pick, DE Taco Charlton (No. 28 overall), was about finding a player to help fix the Cowboys’ need off the edge. The next four selections increased their overall team flexibility, both on offense and defense. CBs Chidobe Awuzie (No. 60) and Jourdan Lewis (No. 92) are scrappy defenders capable of holding their own outside or in the slot. (Using a pick on Lewis will come with scrutiny, because he’s awaiting a July trial on a domestic abuse allegation.) S Xavier Woods (No. 191) is another interchangeable piece, which will help take pressure off Byron Jones. WR Ryan Switzer (No. 133) can pair in the slot with Cole Beasley or handle return duties while playing behind the Cowboys’ proven receiver. A solid group, pending Lewis’s availability.
 

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Joe Fan

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For all the talk of the "war daddy" pass rusher for the main negatives from this draft outside of trading up who did they expect that to be? TJ Watt?
 

Cotton

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NFL.COM...



Dallas Cowboys

Draft picks: Taco Charlton (No. 28 overall), Chidobe Awuzie (No. 60 overall), Jourdan Lewis (No. 92 overall), Ryan Switzer (No. 133 overall), Xavier Woods (No. 191 overall), Marquez White (No. 216 overall), Joey Ivie (No. 228 overall), Noah Brown (No. 239 overall), Jordan Carrell (No. 246 overall)

Day 1 grade: A-
Day 2 grade: A
Day 3 grade: B
Overall grade: A-

The skinny: Dallas had a choice between Charlton and T.J. Watt. Either could have fit their bill, and the need was certainly there. I had Watt with a higher grade, but Charlton's length and agility are impressive. He'll be a very good player for Jerry Jones and Jason Garrett. The Cowboys found another corner/safety combo in Chidobe Awuzie, and got great value in doing so. They again helped the secondary with a tough-minded slot starter in Jourdan Lewis; this makes sense given the team's interest in trading Orlando Scandrick. Dallas picked up Cole Beasley 2.0 in Ryan Switzer.
 

Plan9Misfit

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For all the talk of the "war daddy" pass rusher for the main negatives from this draft outside of trading up who did they expect that to be? TJ Watt?
Please remember that the lower graded rankings were likely due to the fact that those reporters probably wanted a DB in the 1st round and got mad that it didn't happen.
 

boozeman

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Boy the Giants grades seem to be all over the place.
They should be. The easily had the strangest draft in the division.

The Redskins killed it. Eagles, eh, okay. The Giants ignored their OL until the 6th round, didn't draft any LBers (again) and have set themselves up to have a QB controversy in 2018 if Manning has a crappy season.
 

Cotton

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Kiper's:

“DALLAS COWBOYS: B-

Top needs: Defensive end, defensive back, tight end/wide receiver

Brandon Carr, Morris Claiborne and J.J. Wilcox all left in free agency, and the Cowboys just needed bodies to fill those snaps. I thought they missed an opportunity at pick No. 28 to get a first-round talent — Kevin King and Budda Baker were still on the board — and instead chose Taco Charlton. . . Yes, Dallas needed an end after DeMarcus Lawrence underwhelmed last season and Randy Gregory was suspended for at least the 2017 season, but a premier pass-rusher made more sense. I don’t think that’s Charlton, who is No. 46 on my board.”
 

dallen

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It seems weird to penalize Dallas for not taking a premier pass-rusher when their weren't any available. Should we have waited until even later when there was less talent available?
 

Cowboysrock55

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Its funny how Charlton has gone from an elite pass rushing prospect with top notch athletic ability to basically a slug run defender.
 

Smitty

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Its funny how Charlton has gone from an elite pass rushing prospect with top notch athletic ability to basically a slug run defender.
Where was Charlton ever listed as an elite pass rushing prospect? Serious question.

My impression is that the scouts have all viewed him as more of a left end.
 

vince

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It seems weird to penalize Dallas for not taking a premier pass-rusher when their weren't any available. Should we have waited until even later when there was less talent available?
Reason being is because they could've taken a top cornerback instead and waited for a similar DE in the 2nd round.
 

Smitty

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Reason being is because they could've taken a top cornerback instead and waited for a similar DE in the 2nd round.
I'm not even the biggest Charlton fan, and I will tell you the DE's available in round 2 were not similar to Charlton. He is a Day 1 starter type.... Rivers and Basham, I don't think so.
 

Genghis Khan

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Kiper didn't grade us too well last year either if I remember correctly, so there's that.
 

Genghis Khan

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They should be. The easily had the strangest draft in the division.

The Redskins killed it. Eagles, eh, okay. The Giants ignored their OL until the 6th round, didn't draft any LBers (again) and have set themselves up to have a QB controversy in 2018 if Manning has a crappy season.
I agree, but it's weird to see them as high as a B+ and as low as a D+, and literally every grade in between.
 

Genghis Khan

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I'm not even the biggest Charlton fan, and I will tell you the DE's available in round 2 were not similar to Charlton. He is a Day 1 starter type.... Rivers and Basham, I don't think so.
I agree; and I think it's solid strategy to assess the relative position strengths later in the draft and decide the DBs you can get later are better than the DEs you can get later.
 

Smitty

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I agree; and I think it's solid strategy to assess the relative position strengths later in the draft and decide the DBs you can get later are better than the DEs you can get later.
It depends. You don't want to say, "Well, DBs are much stronger into the second round than DE's are" and then pass on Charles Woodson or Ed Reed to take Greg Ellis.

But yeah, I don't think that's the case here.
 

townsend

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I'm not even the biggest Charlton fan, and I will tell you the DE's available in round 2 were not similar to Charlton. He is a Day 1 starter type.... Rivers and Basham, I don't think so.
All the pre draft stuff I'd heard was a Charlton level DE wouldn't even make it to our pick.
 

Cowboysrock55

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Where was Charlton ever listed as an elite pass rushing prospect? Serious question.

My impression is that the scouts have all viewed him as more of a left end.
Rare combination of size, length and athletic traits as a rusher. Long-levered frame with athletic, knotted calves. Brings freaky athletic traits to table and is still growing into his body. Flashes instant reaction time off snap and up the field thanks to his twitch.

Also I like their comp of Carlos Dunlap.
 
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