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By Jon Machota
Apr 30, 2022
In the previous two drafts the Cowboys have had with Mike McCarthy as head coach, Dallas came away with immediate impact starters in LB Micah Parsons and WR CeeDee Lamb. Both made the Pro Bowl last season. This year’s first-round pick seemed like more of a reach to fill a need. The same could be said about the Cowboys’ next four picks.
Dallas executive vice president Stephen Jones didn’t see it that way.
“Not at all,” he said. “You look at it and obviously there are positions there where it helps, but that was across the board. We didn’t get a quarterback. We didn’t get a running back. Those are positions of strength for us. Obviously we signed our three safeties back, so position of strength, but I wouldn’t necessarily say there were those positions that were doing that to us when we were picking other players. I think it was just sorting through when was the best time to get these players. If the best guy right off the bat is the (offensive) lineman, then take him. If it would have been the pass rusher, then take him.
“I think we did a really good job of working through our board. We just worked through it and made good decisions.”
The picks
Biggest surprise: Tyler Smith. While Smith potentially fills an immediate need at left guard and long-term need at left tackle, there were talented defensive players still on the board at the time, like edge rushers Jermaine Johnson and George Karlaftis and linebacker Devin Lloyd. All three were selected within the next six picks. The Cowboys deserve the benefit of the doubt with first-round offensive linemen, considering the success they’ve had with Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick and Zack Martin. But Tyler Smith doesn’t seem as ready to play on Sundays as the other three were when they were drafted. He has the size, tools, ability and work ethic to be a good left tackle and might be a solid starting left guard up until that point, but there’s more uncertainty with him than the team’s other recent first-round picks.
Biggest question mark: Tyler Smith. Maybe he ends up being the best offensive tackle in this draft class. Maybe he becomes a first-round bust. Maybe he’s something in the middle. The Cowboys obviously feel very confident about their ability to get him ready to help improve their disappointing offensive line from a year ago. Smith is aware of those who may question the pick or are critical of his play in college. He seems to have the right attitude and work ethic to prove the Cowboys were right.
“I truly want to be the greatest at what I do,” Smith said. “I put everything I have into what I do. … I know there’s more to do, I know there’s more in me. We’re just scratching the surface.”
Remaining needs: The Cowboys did a good job of filling their needs. Kicker is the only glaring one left and they will likely address that by bringing in multiple undrafted players and perhaps some veterans to compete for the job. “I would’ve used a pick on a kicker if I hadn’t wanted to use it on something I thought was better than a kicker,” Jerry Jones said. “I went into this thing thinking we might use a pick on a kicker, but we had a better choice.”
They could also probably use another safety to go along with Jayron Kearse, Malik Hooker, Donovan Wilson and Israel Mukuamu. Center is an interesting spot because many thought the Cowboys would draft one as early as the second round to provide competition for Tyler Biadasz. They made it clear Saturday that the plan is to have Matt Farniok, a seventh-round pick last year, as a backup there. Adding another player in undrafted free agency is also a good bet.
Post-draft outlook: The loss of DE Randy Gregory has been addressed by re-signing Dorance Armstrong, signing Dante Fowler and drafting Williams. Trading WR Amari Cooper led to the drafting of Tolbert. Using the 24th pick on Smith is their biggest answer to the departures of offensive linemen La’el Collins and Connor Williams. The holes have been filled. That doesn’t mean the team is better than it was last year. And the rest of the NFC East looks to have improved their rosters this offseason. The Cowboys should still be the favorites to win the division, but the gap is closing.
Jerry Jones said he believes Dallas improved over the last three days “as much as we improved the team last year after the draft. I’m not exaggerating. You say, ‘My God, you had Micah leading the way there,’ I think we’ve got that kind of improvement from when we started the draft to sitting right here, that’s my opinion.”
“We drafted nine players,” McCarthy added, “so we got a lot better here the last few days.”
Apr 30, 2022
In the previous two drafts the Cowboys have had with Mike McCarthy as head coach, Dallas came away with immediate impact starters in LB Micah Parsons and WR CeeDee Lamb. Both made the Pro Bowl last season. This year’s first-round pick seemed like more of a reach to fill a need. The same could be said about the Cowboys’ next four picks.
Dallas executive vice president Stephen Jones didn’t see it that way.
“Not at all,” he said. “You look at it and obviously there are positions there where it helps, but that was across the board. We didn’t get a quarterback. We didn’t get a running back. Those are positions of strength for us. Obviously we signed our three safeties back, so position of strength, but I wouldn’t necessarily say there were those positions that were doing that to us when we were picking other players. I think it was just sorting through when was the best time to get these players. If the best guy right off the bat is the (offensive) lineman, then take him. If it would have been the pass rusher, then take him.
“I think we did a really good job of working through our board. We just worked through it and made good decisions.”
The picks
- Tyler Smith, OT/OG, first round, 24th overall pick
- Sam Williams, DE, second round, 56th overall pick
- Jalen Tolbert, WR, third round, 88th overall pick
- Jake Ferguson, TE, fourth round, 129th overall pick
- Matt Waletzko, OT, fifth round, 155th overall pick
- DaRon Bland, CB, fifth round, 167th overall pick
- Damone Clark, LB, fifth round, 176th overall pick
- John Ridgeway, DT, fifth round, 178th overall pick
- Devin Harper, LB, sixth round, 193rd overall pick
Biggest surprise: Tyler Smith. While Smith potentially fills an immediate need at left guard and long-term need at left tackle, there were talented defensive players still on the board at the time, like edge rushers Jermaine Johnson and George Karlaftis and linebacker Devin Lloyd. All three were selected within the next six picks. The Cowboys deserve the benefit of the doubt with first-round offensive linemen, considering the success they’ve had with Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick and Zack Martin. But Tyler Smith doesn’t seem as ready to play on Sundays as the other three were when they were drafted. He has the size, tools, ability and work ethic to be a good left tackle and might be a solid starting left guard up until that point, but there’s more uncertainty with him than the team’s other recent first-round picks.
Biggest question mark: Tyler Smith. Maybe he ends up being the best offensive tackle in this draft class. Maybe he becomes a first-round bust. Maybe he’s something in the middle. The Cowboys obviously feel very confident about their ability to get him ready to help improve their disappointing offensive line from a year ago. Smith is aware of those who may question the pick or are critical of his play in college. He seems to have the right attitude and work ethic to prove the Cowboys were right.
“I truly want to be the greatest at what I do,” Smith said. “I put everything I have into what I do. … I know there’s more to do, I know there’s more in me. We’re just scratching the surface.”
Remaining needs: The Cowboys did a good job of filling their needs. Kicker is the only glaring one left and they will likely address that by bringing in multiple undrafted players and perhaps some veterans to compete for the job. “I would’ve used a pick on a kicker if I hadn’t wanted to use it on something I thought was better than a kicker,” Jerry Jones said. “I went into this thing thinking we might use a pick on a kicker, but we had a better choice.”
They could also probably use another safety to go along with Jayron Kearse, Malik Hooker, Donovan Wilson and Israel Mukuamu. Center is an interesting spot because many thought the Cowboys would draft one as early as the second round to provide competition for Tyler Biadasz. They made it clear Saturday that the plan is to have Matt Farniok, a seventh-round pick last year, as a backup there. Adding another player in undrafted free agency is also a good bet.
Post-draft outlook: The loss of DE Randy Gregory has been addressed by re-signing Dorance Armstrong, signing Dante Fowler and drafting Williams. Trading WR Amari Cooper led to the drafting of Tolbert. Using the 24th pick on Smith is their biggest answer to the departures of offensive linemen La’el Collins and Connor Williams. The holes have been filled. That doesn’t mean the team is better than it was last year. And the rest of the NFC East looks to have improved their rosters this offseason. The Cowboys should still be the favorites to win the division, but the gap is closing.
Jerry Jones said he believes Dallas improved over the last three days “as much as we improved the team last year after the draft. I’m not exaggerating. You say, ‘My God, you had Micah leading the way there,’ I think we’ve got that kind of improvement from when we started the draft to sitting right here, that’s my opinion.”
“We drafted nine players,” McCarthy added, “so we got a lot better here the last few days.”
