The Dallas Cowboys weren’t greeted with fanfare or praise when they made their selections in the 2022 NFL draft. From their first pick to their last, they raised eyebrows and drew the criticism of many fans, draftniks, and media members.
Dallas’ draft class stood as a stark contrast to the crowd-pleasing 2020 haul which they stumbled into bargain after bargain after leading off with CeeDee Lamb and Trevon Diggs. And the steady 2021 draft class that added 11 players to the roster (one named Micah Parsons), all of whom are still with the team today.
The Cowboys’ class swam against the current of consensus draft boards. It stubbornly attacked positions of need and had no problem reaching for a player if that player was deemed the right fit by Will McClay and team.
Typically, it takes years to properly judge a draft class. Players develop at different rates, opportunities arise at unpredictable times and internal competition can be prohibitive. But at this moment, just one season into their professional careers, the Cowboys draft class has done enough to stand out. Stand out so much that one of the most opinionated football sites on the web is calling them a top-five draft class.
Pro Football Focus recently ranked the Dallas rookie class as No. 5 in the NFL this season. They pointed out Tyler Smith developing at a far faster rate than they had imagined and called DaRon Bland “a steal” in the fifth round. They also still hold out hope for Jalen Tolbert development as a receiver in 2023.
In a separate article dedicated to building an all-rookie team, PFF has Smith included in their starting lineup. While they admitted to bending the rules a little by fitting him in at guard, it’s a testament to how much they think of the player who was supposed to be a project – not a standout rookie.
In all fairness, PFF never hated the Cowboys draft class as much as others. They always loved the ceiling of Smith, Sam Williams, Tolbert, and Waletzko. They just never thought some of these “projects” would be making an impact this quickly into their careers.
The Cowboys’ rookie class of 2022 is a big reason why Dallas is seeing the kind of success they are today. They asked a lot of their first year players this season and they’re getting a lot back.