Draft Grades

[Cotton]

In a winners and losers of the draft article, there was a section for the Swiper and LVE.



Loser: Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch
The writing was on the wall for these guys when the Cowboys landed Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons in the first round, but it's blinking neon lights after Dallas added LSU linebacker Jabril Cox in the fourth. It's entirely possible that both Smith and Vander Esch are off the roster by this time next year, which is pretty crazy considering it wasn't that long ago that they looked like one of the best linebacker tandems in the league. Smith's dramatic drop-off and LVE's injury issues caused the Cowboys to move aggressively to replace them.

I haven't given up hope on LVE just yet. If he can stay healthy I think he can still contribute at a high level. Jaylon on the other hand, can pound sand.

 

[bbgun]

Jaylon on the other hand, can pound sand.

watch the film, mofo

 

[Cotton]

This is bullshit.

Yeah, no damn way were the Parsons and Joseph picks in the C range. I have them both as A to A-.

 

[Simpleton]

Aside from the dumbledore CB in the 3rd the draft was mostly fine.

Parsons could be the best defensive player in the draft, Joseph was average value but a calculated gamble, Odighizuwa was average value and Golston was taken maybe a round early but the steal we got in Cox made up for it.

Losing your shit over picks made in the 150-250 range is obviously ridiculous, nobody truly knows what's going on there, especially this year.

The only thing I truly regret is not trading up for Moehrig but aside from that it was fine overall, not ideal obviously but not horrendous either.

 

[Cotton]

I'm going to put this here, because this JAG doesn't deserve a thread of his own.

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Dallas Cowboys draft Nahshon Wright: Lanky cornerback keeps class all defense entering Day 3

By Jon Machota May 1, 2021

The Cowboys picked Nahshon Wright on Friday with the No. 99 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Wright is Dallas’ fifth defensive pick in this draft after picking linebacker Micah Parsons in the first round, cornerback Kelvin Joseph in the second and defensive linemen Osa Odighizuwa and Chauncey Golston earlier in the third round.

Big Board ranking: The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ranked Wright No. 38 among the cornerbacks in this class, projecting him as a seventh-round pick or priority free agent. “Wright is a long and lanky athlete who is still developing his instincts and technique,” Brugler wrote in his annual draft guide, “but his length and ball skills are interesting foundational traits for a classic press–man corner prospect.”

Introduction: Wright (6-4, 183) has the length that Dan Quinn prefers in cornerbacks in his scheme. He recorded five interceptions and 11 passes defended during the last two seasons at Oregon State. “The scheme, that family and just my build,” Wright said when asked about Dallas being on his radar. “I look at myself as a more athletic and agile Richard Sherman. That scheme just fits perfect.”

How he fits: The top of the cornerback depth chart currently consists of Trevon Diggs, Anthony Brown, Jourdan Lewis and second-round pick Joseph. Wright will have to compete with those four for immediate playing time.

Fast evaluation: This pick could end up being the most criticized of the first five if Wright doesn’t end up contributing over the next few years. Most experts had him graded as a late-round pick. Wright doesn’t seem to lack confidence. When asked what message the Cowboys are trying to send by selecting five defensive players in the first three rounds this year, Wright responded: “We’re going to bring some more life, more turnovers and we’ll definitely get us a sixth championship.”

 

[Cotton]

Fuck it, these are so short, we can just put them all here. Machota gave this pick a C.

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Dallas Cowboys draft CB Kelvin Joseph: Address one of team’s biggest needs

By Jon Machota Apr 30, 2021

The Cowboys picked Kentucky cornerback Kelvin Joseph on Friday with the No. 44 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Joseph is the Cowboys’ second defensive pick in this draft after picking linebacker Micah Parsons in the first round. Joseph was the seventh cornerback off the board.

Big Board ranking: The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ranked Joseph No. 52 overall on his Big Board.

Introduction: The Cowboys need defensive playmakers and Joseph showcased some ability in that area last season, intercepting four passes in nine games before opting out for the rest of the season. He should come in and immediately compete for a starting cornerback spot opposite of last year’s second-round pick, Trevon Diggs.

How he fits: Joseph has the ideal size for Dan Quinn’s defensive scheme at 6-0, 200 pounds with 32-inch arms.

Second guess? As Brugler pointed out, Joseph has some maturity concerns, but is a first–round physical talent. If he can adapt to the pro game, the Cowboys might have gotten a steal. If he struggles with maturity, this could end up being a huge mistake. The Raiders traded up to get ahead of Dallas to draft TCU safety Trevon Moehrig with the No. 43 pick. If Joseph struggles and Moehrig becomes a star safety, there will be plenty of second-guessing about why the Cowboys didn’t trade up to get their free safety of the future. After all, Dallas entered Day 2 with 10 picks remaining in the final six rounds.

Rookie impact: “The Cowboys are getting a playmaker,” Joseph said. “I’m an all-around smart player who is coming in ready to learn, ready to work and ready to take the team to another level.”

Depth chart impact: Joseph will likely compete with Jourdan Lewis and Anthony Brown for a starting spot. Mike McCarthy has preached to the team about takeaways since getting the head coaching job last year. That was one of the few areas the team improved in a year ago. The hope is that Joseph will be able to use his size and athletic ability to further improve a secondary that for the better part of the last decade has struggled to intercept passes.

Fast evaluation: After missing out on a cornerback in the first round, the Cowboys needed to address the position with one of their four Day 2 picks. They hit on Diggs in the second round last year. He made an immediate impact. If Joseph can have anywhere near that kind of success, this was a great pick for Dallas. “I feel like we fitting to do a lot of damage,” Joseph said of pairing with Diggs. “We’re both physical, fast, smart and we’re playmakers. We’re just going to put our techniques together and just learn off each other.”

 

[Cotton]

Machota gave this pick a B.

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Cowboys draft Osa Odighizuwa: Defensive tackle expected to play three-technique

By Jon Machota Apr 30, 2021

The Cowboys picked Kentucky defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa on Friday with the No. 75 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Odighizuwa is the Cowboys’ third defensive pick in this draft after picking linebacker Micah Parsons in the first round and cornerback Kelvin Joseph in the second.

Big Board ranking: The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ranked Odighizuwa No. 9 among the defensive tackles in this class.

Introduction: Odighizuwa lined up all across the defensive line during his time in a 3-4 scheme at UCLA. He was a three-year starter who earned first-team All-Pac 12 honors last season. He totaled four sacks and six tackles for loss in seven games last year. Odighizuwa’s brother, Owa, was a third-round pick by the Giants in 2015. He played two seasons in the NFL.

How he fits: At 6-2, 282, Odighizuwa is expected to play the three-technique tackle position in the Cowboys’ 4-3 base defense. The depth chart at defensive tackle currently consists of Trysten Hill, Neville Gallimore, Antwaun Woods, Carlos Watkins and Brent Urban. Odighizuwa should be able to work into the mix as a rookie with his playing time depending largely on the overall health at the position and how quickly he’s able to pick up Dan Quinn’s system.

Fast evaluation: “I feel like this is a scheme that I will benefit from being in,” Odighizuwa said. “And a scheme that is going to be able to use my tools and my skill set to the best of my abilities because they are a vertical attack, get up the field and get in the backfield. That’s the style of play I like to play. This is a scheme that I can come in and thrive in.”

 

[Cotton]

Another B.

_

Dallas Cowboys draft Chauncey Golston: Will mostly be used to rush off the edge

By Jon Machota Apr 30, 2021

The Cowboys picked Iowa defensive end Chauncey Golston on Friday with the No. 84 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. That selection was part of the trade back with the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round. Golston is Dallas’ fourth defensive pick in this draft after picking linebacker Micah Parsons in the first round, cornerback Kelvin Joseph in the second and Osa Odighizuwa earlier in the third round.

Big Board ranking: The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ranked Golston No. 16 among the defensive ends in this class, projecting him as a fourth-round pick. “Golston doesn’t have desirable bend or explosive traits, but he is long, strong and doesn’t quit working to the ball,” Brugler wrote in his annual draft guide. “He projects as a high–intangible NFL role player who can line up inside and outside.”

Introduction: Golston has the ability to line up at several defensive line positions but will likely see the majority of his reps rushing off the edge. “I just know this team is going to get everything I got,” he said. “Everything out of me. Inside or outside, it doesn’t matter where. I’m just trying to provide when I can.”

How he fits: With DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory expected to start at the two edge rusher spots, Golston will likely compete with Tarell Basham, Dorance Armstrong and Bradlee Anae for playing time. Golston, who is 6-5, 269 pounds, has over an 84-inch wingspan. He had 5.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss last season in eight games, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors.

Fast evaluation: Golston noted that attending the Senior Bowl this year was a big boost to his draft stock. “I went inside a lot on third down pass-rush situations at Iowa,” he said. “My first time being like a three-down guy as a defensive tackle was at the Senior Bowl.”

 

[ravidubey]

I’m liking Osa the more I learn about him and his Senior Bowl performance and practice week.

The Golston pick felt like a good player a round or two early. Wright clearly was a project who Dallas could have safely taken in the last two rounds or secured as a UDFA. Maybe these last two will help, but Dallas should have traded down if they wanted them.

Or maybe other teams were sniffing around. The media ‘scouts’ are all over the place on Wright. Some say 7th/UDFA and some say 4th round. Some say he’s slow and others call him a sleeper with 4.4 speed. He did have five picks and a sack in 16 games.

It’s impossible to know if other NFL teams were threatening to take him at the top of the 4th really unless the Cowboys come clean or show their chart. Some ‘scouts’ didn’t have him ranked at all, and that strikes me as negligent on the scouts part.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

It’s impossible to know if other NFL teams were threatening to take him at the top of the 4th really unless the Cowboys come clean or show their chart. Some ‘scouts’ didn’t have him ranked at all, and that strikes me as negligent on the scouts part.

I can't guess what other NFL teams really thought of Wright. So I'm not going to say we should have just taken him later. If he is a really good player then you take him in the third and can't worry about other teams boards. The media concensus misses all the time. So I'm not concerned about that either.

What I am concerned about is the actual player himself and I don't see it. I haven't watched him the way the Cowboys scouts have. But to take him where they did they had to have at least thought he was the next best corner in the draft. I see a guy who is too tall, too skinny and not quick enough to play corner. Length is great but at 180 pounds does the length matter?

I hope the Cowboys are right and I'm wrong on Wright. But he looks like a guy you put on the practice squad, hope to add 20 pounds of muscle to the frame and then see where he is at that point.

 

[NoDak]

My initial reaction was B-. I think I will hang there. A- is way too high. Hell, I thought I was being a homer at B-.

I broke my grades down up top and came up with a final of B-.

I think that's pretty fair. I think we had an above average draft. Had some good happen, had some bad.

 

[Smitty]

Aside from the dumbledore CB in the 3rd the draft was mostly fine.

Parsons could be the best defensive player in the draft, Joseph was average value but a calculated gamble, Odighizuwa was average value and Golston was taken maybe a round early but the steal we got in Cox made up for it.

Losing your shit over picks made in the 150-250 range is obviously ridiculous, nobody truly knows what's going on there, especially this year.

The only thing I truly regret is not trading up for Moehrig but aside from that it was fine overall, not ideal obviously but not horrendous either.

I thought the entire third round was terrible. Wright was completely off board. Odigizuwa and Gholston were both taken a round or so too high. Botching what should have been the meat of their draft really kills the grade in my book.

 

[NoDak]

It actually seems pretty ridiculous for the first two picks. Like batshit crazy.

Yeah, that's what I thought. Then he tells us he had Mukuamu in the first round of his early mocks.

Basically what he's telling us, is that his evals are all over the place and are pretty far off of what actual NFL teams are thinking.

 

[NoDak]

I’m liking Osa the more I learn about him and his Senior Bowl performance and practice week.

I am, too.

I'll admit, my initial kneejerk reaction was to not like the pick. Not because of his skillset, but because of my perception of thinking we already had players like him on the roster, and what I felt were bigger needs that should be addressed.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

I am, too.

I'll admit, my initial kneejerk reaction was to not like the pick. Not because of his skillset, but because of my perception of thinking we already had players like him on the roster, and what I felt were bigger needs that should be addressed.

Yeah my reaction was to not like him because he is 280 pounds. Ravi has worn me down. The more I know the more I think he could actually be a great 3 technique for us. Prolific wrestler too I believe. Which is always a good thing.

 

[Cotton]

I tried to tell you all about Osa right after we picked him. Maybe you will listen to the board scout more often.

 

[p1_]

I commission Simp to do some in depth analysis on Wright, so maybe we get a glimpse of what Quinn saw or maybe what he was smoking.

 

[ravidubey]

I can't guess what other NFL teams really thought of Wright. So I'm not going to say we should have just taken him later. If he is a really good player then you take him in the third and can't worry about other teams boards. The media concensus misses all the time. So I'm not concerned about that either.

What I am concerned about is the actual player himself and I don't see it. I haven't watched him the way the Cowboys scouts have. But to take him where they did they had to have at least thought he was the next best corner in the draft. I see a guy who is too tall, too skinny and not quick enough to play corner. Length is great but at 180 pounds does the length matter?

I hope the Cowboys are right and I'm wrong on Wright. But he looks like a guy you put on the practice squad, hope to add 20 pounds of muscle to the frame and then see where he is at that point.

He’ll either put on at least some weight or he won’t play I think. He’s 4.47 and had really good interception numbers. He’s not twitchy, but that’s hard at his height. You’ve got to look at his range and wingspan for closing and being able to make plays on the ball.

If he’s in center field, at least one pass per game should give him an opportunity to intercept.

I remember Pat Watkins’ hands of stone in this regard. This guy has much softer hands for sure.

 

[Simpleton]

I commission Simp to do some in depth analysis on Wright, so maybe we get a glimpse of what Quinn saw or maybe what he was smoking.

Sure, just find me some all-22. I don't have it in me to wade through full YouTube games to watch this guy.

 

[Simpleton]

I thought the entire third round was terrible. Wright was completely off board. Odigizuwa and Gholston were both taken a round or so too high. Botching what should have been the meat of their draft really kills the grade in my book.

Golston sure, but Odighizuwa went about where he was expected (late 3rd/early 4th basically).