2023 Draft Big Boards, Position Rankings & Mocks

[Simpleton]

Yea I'd be fine with Torrence in the first, he's definitely a mauler and between him and Smith, plus Steele on the opposite side, we could have another "Great Wall" situation in a year or two.

It's just hard to see us going OL in the 1st if we bring back Tyron and Peters, and almost impossible if we bring back McGovern on top of that.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

It's just hard to see us going OL in the 1st if we bring back Tyron and Peters, and almost impossible if we bring back McGovern on top of that.

That was my thought. If he's clearly the best player available, great. But I hate to go OL in the first too often.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

Yea I'd be fine with Torrence in the first, he's definitely a mauler and between him and Smith, plus Steele on the opposite side, we could have another "Great Wall" situation in a year or two.

It's just hard to see us going OL in the 1st if we bring back Tyron and Peters, and almost impossible if we bring back McGovern on top of that.

Yeah, I'm not wanting to spend a first on another O-lineman but I could find worse ways to spend my resources. I want to get back to the great wall of China days where my QB can step back there and have a perfectly clean pocked in front of him, I want my RB's to have 2 or 3 yards before they even see a defender. There are just such great advantages to having a special O-line. Hell the Eagles are doing it right now with a stellar O-line. Now using first round picks isn't the only way to do it and certainly it might not even be the best way to do it. But I'm open to the idea if that's what we want to do. I at least feel good about dominating the line of scrimmage. Everything really flows off of that.

I'd probably prefer that to drafting a corner or TE or RB. Now you find me a game breaking WR or a stellar DT and my decision is easy. I really do think bullying other teams is going to be the only route to this team winning in the playoffs. I don't think we are going to be out scheming people. I think we are going to smash the ball in people's faces and play action off of that with a lot of slants and other things. The defense in my opinion really just needs that beast in the middle. I think Quinn can figure out the rest of the defense with the young pieces he has all over that side of the ball.

 

[Simpleton]

Yeah, I'm not wanting to spend a first on another O-lineman but I could find worse ways to spend my resources. I want to get back to the great wall of China days where my QB can step back there and have a perfectly clean pocked in front of him, I want my RB's to have 2 or 3 yards before they even see a defender. There are just such great advantages to having a special O-line. Hell the Eagles are doing it right now with a stellar O-line. Now using first round picks isn't the only way to do it and certainly it might not even be the best way to do it. But I'm open to the idea if that's what we want to do. I at least feel good about dominating the line of scrimmage. Everything really flows off of that.

I'd probably prefer that to drafting a corner or TE or RB. Now you find me a game breaking WR or a stellar DT and my decision is easy. I really do think bullying other teams is going to be the only route to this team winning in the playoffs. I don't think we are going to be out scheming people. I think we are going to smash the ball in people's faces and play action off of that with a lot of slants and other things. The defense in my opinion really just needs that beast in the middle. I think Quinn can figure out the rest of the defense with the young pieces he has all over that side of the ball.

Agreed, unfortunately there likely won't be any no-brainer DT's to be had in the late 1st.

If it were me I'd consider moving up in the 2nd for one of Ika, Benton or Mazi Smith, ideally one of them would drop to us but if they start going off the board I'd definitely considering giving up a 4 and change to move up 5-10 spots for one.

 

[Rev]

Yeah, I'm not wanting to spend a first on another O-lineman but I could find worse ways to spend my resources. I want to get back to the great wall of China days where my QB can step back there and have a perfectly clean pocked in front of him, I want my RB's to have 2 or 3 yards before they even see a defender. There are just such great advantages to having a special O-line. Hell the Eagles are doing it right now with a stellar O-line. Now using first round picks isn't the only way to do it and certainly it might not even be the best way to do it. But I'm open to the idea if that's what we want to do. I at least feel good about dominating the line of scrimmage. Everything really flows off of that.

I'd probably prefer that to drafting a corner or TE or RB. Now you find me a game breaking WR or a stellar DT and my decision is easy. I really do think bullying other teams is going to be the only route to this team winning in the playoffs. I don't think we are going to be out scheming people. I think we are going to smash the ball in people's faces and play action off of that with a lot of slants and other things. The defense in my opinion really just needs that beast in the middle. I think Quinn can figure out the rest of the defense with the young pieces he has all over that side of the ball.

That's a lot of words to say that you want to draft Bijan Robinson.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

That's a lot of words to say that you want to draft Bijan Robinson.

Bijon is the one I look at and go I don't want to draft him in the first but I get why we could. Jerry values RBs and admittedly rookie Zeke changed thos offense dramatically. Demarco Murray changed this offense dramatically.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

By the way this same mock has us taking Clark Phillips III in the second round. If I'm being real honest I don't know that a trust a guys knowledge about the Cowboys if he is giving us a 5'10" corner in the second round. Not that we only draft 6'4" guys but I don't think we will go bite size either.

 

[Simpleton]

By the way this same mock has us taking Clark Phillips III in the second round. If I'm being real honest I don't know that a trust a guys knowledge about the Cowboys if he is giving us a 5'10" corner in the second round. Not that we only draft 6'4" guys but I don't think we will go bite size either.

Phillips is legit but the fact that he thinks we need an "outside CB" because Bland only played in the slot shows he's not particularly well versed in the Cowboys specifically.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

Phillips is legit but the fact that he thinks we need an "outside CB" because Bland only played in the slot shows he's not particularly well versed in the Cowboys specifically.

Yeah I like Phillips but I have no hang ups about size with corners. I think short dudes can cover extremely well. I just don't think Dallas views corners the same way. I think there are a lot of good corners in this draft too. I say it every year but there are a lot of guys I'd love to grab in the second round of this draft. But ultimately we are only going to have one second round pick. And we have a first that we will need to use on someone.

 

[Simpleton]

Yeah I like Phillips but I have no hang ups about size with corners. I think short dudes can cover extremely well. I just don't think Dallas views corners the same way. I think there are a lot of good corners in this draft too. I say it every year but there are a lot of guys I'd love to grab in the second round of this draft. But ultimately we are only going to have one second round pick. And we have a first that we will need to use on someone.

It'd really take a lot for me to go CB in the first given our depth there. I can't really see any scenario where a guy like Cam Smith in the first is better value than someone like Rush or Forbes later on.

 

[boozeman]

I've always been a fan of big dudes like this. I don't want athletic interior lineman being knocked backwards. But not sure that's the Cowboys preference though.

It all depends on what we choose to run schematically on the offensive line.

Supposedly we should be getting prepared for heavy inside zone running. That will mean a guy like Torrence who is a better for gap schemes less attractive.

 

[Simpleton]

It all depends on what we choose to run schematically on the offensive line.

Supposedly we should be getting prepared for heavy inside zone running. That will mean a guy like Torrence who is a better for gap schemes less attractive.

While true, I think a lot of the variation we saw in the running game last year came from Schottenheimer and that included a decent mix of gap and zone principles.

 

[mcnuttz]

Bijon is the one I look at and go I don't want to draft him in the first but I get why we could. Jerry values RBs and admittedly rookie Zeke changed thos offense dramatically. Demarco Murray changed this offense dramatically.

And 1st year Zeke amplified it and then...

 

[boozeman]

There apparently has been a kerfuffle on Twitter from both sides of the "RBs don't matter" crowd.

All in all, I think the value of Robinson would be worth it. But then there are the fatalists that believe we would make the same mistake with him that we did with Elliott. It is simple to me, but whatever.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

All in all, I think the value of Robinson would be worth it. But then there are the fatalists that believe we would make the same mistake with him that we did with Elliott. It is simple to me, but whatever.

Yeah I mean the simple answer is just let Bijan play out the 5 years. Ride him hard and let him go. That's no worse then you got out of say Byron Jones. So I won't hate on the potential pick. Shores up RB for 5 years. But don't bother past those 5, please.

And yes I would prefer my first round pick be a 10 year guy here. But that's not easy to do in the late first. But if you see a guy who you legit think will be a high end starter here for 8-10 years, then take that over Robinson.

 

[boozeman]

Yeah I mean the simple answer is just let Bijon play out the 5 years. Ride him hard and let him go. That's no worse then you got out of say Byron Jones. So I won't hate on the potential pick. Shores up RB for 5 years. But don't bother past those 5, please.

And yes I would prefer my first round pick be a 10 year guy here. But that's not easy to do in the late first. But if you see a guy who you legit think will be a high end starter here for 8-10 years, then take that over Robinson.

Precisely.

There is some impression that it is a foregone conclusion that the first rounder gets a contract. It is hit or miss with them, I fail to see where it is a true trend. And the late first has brought a mixed bag. This is not like spending the first on a back. It's about getting a talent that more than a few "experts" has stated is a top five player in this draft. I believe that right now, he is. I have not watched him a ton and nitpicked yet, but compared to the rest of the pool, he is a cut above. To me it is a dumb argument if you consider the value.

 

[shoop]

By the way this same mock has us taking Clark Phillips III in the second round. If I'm being real honest I don't know that a trust a guys knowledge about the Cowboys if he is giving us a 5'10" corner in the second round. Not that we only draft 6'4" guys but I don't think we will go bite size either.

Maybe he can touch his toes without bending over

 

[Cowboysrock55]

Precisely.

There is some impression that it is a foregone conclusion that the first rounder gets a contract. It is hit or miss with them, I fail to see where it is a true trend. And the late first has brought a mixed bag. This is not like spending the first on a back. It's about getting a talent that more than a few "experts" has stated is a top five player in this draft. I believe that right now, he is. I have not watched him a ton and nitpicked yet, but compared to the rest of the pool, he is a cut above. To me it is a dumb argument if you consider the value.

I do wonder what he will run. Not that important to me but he doesn't really have break away speed to me. And maybe it was just limited what I have seen. But this isn't Barkley or even Jonathan Taylor, I don't think he has that type of speed. If I'm being honest it looks more like 4.5-4.55 speed. Not saying that's what he will run, but that is how it looks on a field to me.

And that doesn't mean I think he is slow. He just doesn't look elite in terms of straight speed.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I do wonder what he will run. Not that important to me but he doesn't really have break away speed to me. And maybe it was just limited what I have seen. But this isn't Barkley or even Jonathan Taylor, I don't think he has that type of speed. If I'm being honest it looks more like 4.5-4.55 speed. Not saying that's what he will run, but that is how it looks on a field to me.

And that doesn't mean I think he is slow. He just doesn't look elite in terms of straight speed.

Exactly what I see, too.

 

[Simpleton]

Precisely.

There is some impression that it is a foregone conclusion that the first rounder gets a contract. It is hit or miss with them, I fail to see where it is a true trend. And the late first has brought a mixed bag. This is not like spending the first on a back. It's about getting a talent that more than a few "experts" has stated is a top five player in this draft. I believe that right now, he is. I have not watched him a ton and nitpicked yet, but compared to the rest of the pool, he is a cut above. To me it is a dumb argument if you consider the value.

I don't think he's a top 5 prospect but he's definitely in that 10-15 range at the very least, if not somewhere in the back half of the top 10. The thing is that we honestly don't have many glaring needs, and the positions that we do have needs at are kind of weak in the range we'll be picking.

On defense the secondary and DE are more or less squared away, LB could be a need but it's not a huge one assuming we re-sign LVE, DT is obviously a need but there won't be a no-brainer dynamic DT available at 26. Offensively, QB is what it is, even if Schultz leaves TE isn't a huge need and if Schultz is re-signed then it isn't a position we should draft at all, OL is mostly squared away for the moment and if we bring back some combo Tyron/Peters/McGovern there just isn't much room for a 1st, WR is a need but it's kind of a weak year in the first.

This isn't to say I wouldn't take a DE or LB or WR, I definitely would if the talent is there, but what if a clear BPA at a position of need like Addison or Mayer isn't there? What if we're choosing between Jalin Hyatt or Robinson? Felix Anudike-Uzomah or Robinson? Drew Sanders or Robinson? Darnell Washington or Robinson?

I could see a reasonable argument for Robinson.

We clearly need to be a run-first/play action offense and Robinson would give us quite literally the best RB duo of maybe the last 20 years. It'd also allow us to move on from Pollard as soon as he drops off (I'm assuming we re-sign him for 3-4 years) since Robinson will still be on a rookie deal.