2026 Cowboys Draft Chatter Thread

Cowboysrock55 said:
I'll say more towards Chris Canty. For whatever that is worth.
Click to expand...
Another good example. I went with Spears because he was a first rounder, like Faulk is expected to go. Where you expect more. Canty was what, a 3rd? 4th rounder? So yeah... that aligns with what I said above about looking for somebody like that later, and not in the first.
 
NoDak said:
Another good example. I went with Spears because he was a first rounder, like Faulk is expected to go. Where you expect more. Canty was what, a 3rd? 4th rounder? So yeah... that aligns with what I said above about looking for somebody like that later, and not in the first.
Click to expand...

Physically they just look similar. Spears was always chunky looking to me. Body of a DT.

Canty was fourth round, 6'7" 279 pounds.
 
Last edited:
Spears and Canty were both 3-4 DE's so we aren't in total disagreement on the type of player, but what I think both of you are missing is the upside he has rushing on the interior.

The home run upside is if he develops as an edge rusher, but if he just improves a bit as an interior rusher he could easily put up 4-8 sacks a year on top of excellent run defense.
 
So, we'd be drafting him on the hopes he could develop as an edge rusher. Where our need lies. But IF he improves as an interior rusher, MAYBE we could get 4-8 sacks. Nope. Not the kind of risk I want in the first.

btw... Isn't it a yearly gripe that this team takes too many chances on upside, injury, character, etc... in the draft?

Sign me up if he's still there at 92. If not? Oh well.
 
Canty was a monster up front as a stay at home 3-4 DE or 4-3 DT. Big dude who could bat down passes, too. Better that spot than Spears who claimed to be more dynamic but really wasn't.

Canty would have gone in the 1st or 2nd round had he not had his eye injured in a bar fight. The Cowboys had a good medical opinion regarding Canty's recovery and got a steal in the 4th.

I think the Giants got him during the prime of his career (and a Superbowl win), prolly because they mostly played him as a 4-3 DT with other great players, unlike the Cowboys using Wade's weird smallish-NT scheming.
 
ravidubey said:
Canty was a monster up front as a stay at home 3-4 DE or 4-3 DT. Big dude who could bat down passes, too. Better that spot than Spears who claimed to be more dynamic but really wasn't.

Canty would have gone in the 1st or 2nd round had he not had his eye injured in a bar fight. The Cowboys had a good medical opinion regarding Canty's recovery and got a steal in the 4th.

I think the Giants got him during the prime of his career (and a Superbowl win), prolly because they mostly played him as a 4-3 DT with other great players, unlike the Cowboys using Wade's weird smallish-NT scheming.
Click to expand...
Looking back at Canty's time with the Cowboys, would you say it would have been worth a first? Or even a second? I woulnd't. He was a bit overrated here (monster?) because he was compared against Spears who cost a first rounder. He was a good 4th round pick. Somebody that contributed and started games for us. Certainly not a difference maker, which is what you should want from your premium picks.
 
NoDak said:
So, we'd be drafting him on the hopes he could develop as an edge rusher. Where our need lies. But IF he improves as an interior rusher, MAYBE we could get 4-8 sacks. Nope. Not the kind of risk I want in the first.

btw... Isn't it a yearly gripe that this team takes too many chances on upside, injury, character, etc... in the draft?

Sign me up if he's still there at 92. If not? Oh well.
Click to expand...
Yeah, despite our need it's hard to believe what you described is really anywhere close to the BPA.

There are freaks available, three or four really good WRs, OL, and a beast of a TE in Sadiq.

I know we'd be crucified for grabbing offense, but there will come a time when we won't care that we took talent over need-- ESPECIALLY if the best defensive players have already been taken when it comes to our selection.

Also especially at pick 20. I think having both Pickens and Lamb and our utter ineptness on defense has overshadowed the weakness at OT on our roster-- but Guyton and Steele have been BIG weaknesses.

Towards the end of the year, Dak was getting pressured a lot as a result. Austin Barber at 112 would be nice, but I don't think he would start meaningful games in 2026.

If Mauigoa fell to 20 and Dallas took him, Freeling, or Kadyn Proctor at that spot-- I wouldn't cry, especially if we had already traded down from 12 for more picks.
 
Last edited:
NoDak said:
Looking back at Canty's time with the Cowboys, would you say it would have been worth a first? Or even a second? I woulnd't. He was a bit overrated here (monster?) because he was compared against Spears who cost a first rounder. He was a good 4th round pick. Somebody that contributed and started games for us. Certainly not a difference maker, which is what you should want from your premium picks.
Click to expand...
It's the endless DT debate. People look at stats, see none and assume a guy was 'a contributor' and not great.

He was not well supported in Dallas with an undersized Ratliff playing 3-4 NT in Wade's weird scheme that had Canty most often double-teamed.

The Giants put him in a 4-3 where he could thrive and he did, especially playing next to JPP
 
ravidubey said:
It's the endless DT debate. People look at stats, see none and assume a guy was 'a contributor' and not great.

He was not well supported in Dallas with an undersized Ratliff playing 3-4 NT in Wade's weird scheme that had Canty most often double-teamed.

The Giants put him in a 4-3 where he could thrive and he did, especially playing next to JPP
Click to expand...
He was not a DT for us. And he was far from 'great'. Even with the Giants.
 
NoDak said:
So, we'd be drafting him on the hopes he could develop as an edge rusher. Where our need lies. But IF he improves as an interior rusher, MAYBE we could get 4-8 sacks. Nope. Not the kind of risk I want in the first.

btw... Isn't it a yearly gripe that this team takes too many chances on upside, injury, character, etc... in the draft?

Sign me up if he's still there at 92. If not? Oh well.
Click to expand...

I'd argue we have just as much of a need for an "interior rusher" as we do an edge rusher right now. We have Quinnen who is elite, Clark who is fine but better against the run and then ????

At least on the edge we have Houston as depth behind the starters, we don't have much in the way of interior pass rush after our top 2.

The key with him is his versatility to play the run on the edge as an OLB, as well as on the interior as a 5T, and then rush in nickel/dime from the interior.
 
NoDak said:
He was not a DT for us. And he was far from 'great'. Even with the Giants.
Click to expand...
He was a 3-4 DE, which is much the same role, and a DT with the Giants.

I don't know how to stress it more, he was very good and had a long, productive, career as a starter on the inside. He wasn't a pass rusher despite picking up sacks here and there, but he was a strong contributor.

Our run and pass defense took a step back after the Giants signed Canty away with a big contract and we thought we could replace him with Igor Olshansky.

Also, by every measure he was better than Marcus Spears who we all should be pissed about having used a 1st round pick on.
 
ravidubey said:
He was a 3-4 DE, which is much the same role, and a DT with the Giants.

I don't know how to stress it more, he was very good and had a long, productive, career as a starter on the inside. He wasn't a pass rusher despite picking up sacks here and there, but he was a strong contributor.

Our run and pass defense took a step back after the Giants signed Canty away with a big contract and we thought we could replace him with Igor Olshansky.
Click to expand...
You’re looking at his role with the Giants. Which was not what he did for us.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom