Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys aced the 2020 NFL Draft, according to most report cards, although not everyone agrees with the grades.
One of the proven maxims in football is that a draft class cannot accurately be graded until a few years have passed. These are college kids who aren’t done developing as athletes. Plenty of first rounders who once looked like superstars on draft night have washed out as forgettable busts. By the same token, there’s certainly a long list of guys who never heard their name called but have gone on to long and wildly successful NFL careers.
So, yes. Assigning letter grades to a group of players who haven’t even shown up for their first day at the office yet is, inherently, a flawed exercise.
But it sure is fun.
There’s a natural inclination to immediately quantify how each team’s decision-makers did. Did they pull together players who seem like good fits? Were they shrewd in making moves up or down to improve their draft capital? Did they fill obvious team needs? Did they have good luck securing players who were coveted by other teams? Did they over-reach and waste a high pick on a kid they could have grabbed later? Did they pluck a little-known gem out of obscurity? Did they make picks based on a clear strategy? Did they set themselves up for long-term success?
In short, a draft report card is about one thing and one thing only: how much optimism did the team give its fans about the future?
Suffice it to say that this year’s NFL Draft has left Cowboys Nation feeling exceptionally optimistic. Here’s a rundown of how the Dallas Cowboys and their Class of 2020 were graded by various outlets, with commentary where provided:
“The Cowboys were already fairly loaded at receiver with Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup, but Jerry Jones decided to make Dak Prescott’s life even better with the first-round selection of Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb, the best overall receiver in this draft class. Yes, Jerry Jeudy is a slightly better route-runner, and Henry Ruggs III is faster, but nobody in class brings the complete package at the position like Lamb does. He’ll be a force multiplier outside and in the slot.
“Then, Dallas took Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs in the second round — a natural press-man cornerback who has some elements of early Richard Sherman in his game. He’s a very different kind of player than Byron Jones, who went to Miami in free agency, but he gives Mike Nolan lockdown ability to one side.
“The Cowboys went with great players throughout their draft. I love the pick of Utah edge-rusher Bradlee Anae in the fifth round — he’s a smaller, twitched-up guy who can make bad things happen for quarterbacks. And defensive tackle Neville Gallimore from Oklahoma, their third-round pick, is a perfect one-gap interior disruptor. Add in Wisconsin center Tyler Biadasz, and Tulsa press cornerback Reggie Robinson II, and the Cowboys not only got a great haul, but they also established a clear paradigm for their cornerbacks.”
“How about that guy Jerry Jones? Drafting from a yacht, he had the Cowboys living the absolute high life finding extreme value throughout the draft, starting with Lamb at No. 17 overall. Jones was laser-focused on their biggest needs and didn’t let the best available player pass him up, either. Lamb is a massive upgrade from Randall Cobb. Diggs and Robinson are good rebounds from losing Byron Jones in free agency. Gallimore gives them another way to get to the QB inside and Anae is capable of filling the edge void created by Robert Quinn. After seeing another reliable interior Badger retire from their offensive line in Travis Frederick, Biadasz was a steal, too.”
“With Randall Cobb joining Houston, the Cowboys needed a new slot receiver. What they smartly realized is if they found one who could also play the “Z” position, going in motion and aligning outside, that would allow them to slide pricey star Amari Cooper into the slot, where he’s guaranteed to avoid the press-jam coverage that sometimes gives him trouble. Even better is that CeeDee Lamb himself can also play significant snaps inside, affording offensive coordinator Kellen Moore the ultimate flexibility with his first-round wide receivers. Expect to see even more of the creative pre-snap motioning and stack-release tactics from Moore this season.
“Having Lamb and Cooper together almost assures that Michael Gallup, who is quietly developing into a nice ‘X’ receiver, will often face one-on-one coverage. And in that same vein, it could mean lighter run boxes for Ezekiel Elliott. This is a quality pick with a potentially significant domino effect.
“Right corner Byron Jones departed in free agency this year, and next year the Cowboys face losing left corner Chidobe Awuzie and/or slot/utility corner Jourdan Lewis, as both are finishing up their rookie deals. Don’t be surprised if Awuzie is retained and Lewis walks. But even if both return, an immediate and direct replacement for Jones is prudent, since it would allow Lewis to keep providing valuable, versatile depth on the back end. Trevon Diggs is a long-armed, physical corner and is stepping into a Mike Nolan-led scheme that, thanks to its expected emphasis on blitzing, will feature press-man on the outside. Dallas hit another home run in this draft, filling an important, specific need with a top-level talent at a later-than-expected draft slot. And in case they wind up losing both Awuzie and Lewis, they got a jump on replenishing their depth by also drafting Reggie Robinson in Round 4.
“Up front, Neville Gallimore was yet another Cowboys selection whom many expected to be taken a lot higher. He is not a particularly large or long-limbed man, and so quickness and mechanics are key to his success. He showed those traits at Oklahoma; if he plays with more consistent leverage, he has a chance to be a contributing pass rusher.
“Lastly, the Cowboys in Round 4 went after another Wisconsin center, Tyler Biadasz, after their previous one, Travis Frederick retired suddenly earlier this offseason. Biadasz was a three-year starter in a Badgers offense that had a dominant run game.”
“Cowboys apparently trust their Southwest area scout. Lamb was the steal of the first round and the Diggs-Robinson combination softens the blow of losing free agent Byron Jones.”
“They didn’t overthink it with WR CeeDee Lamb sitting there at No. 17. Nice pick – even if it didn’t fill a hole, Lamb was too good to pass up and might’ve been wearing Eagles green otherwise. Down the board, Jerry Jones and Co. appeared to do a pretty good job of wedding value with need, getting CB Trevon Diggs in Round 2, DT Neville Gallimore in Round 3, Wisconsin C Tyler Biadasz in Round 4 (who better to replace retired ex-Badger Travis Frederick?) and a potential steal with the selection of pass rusher Bradlee Anae in the fifth. This team probably should be expected to win the NFC East.”
“Dallas dipped back into the Oklahoma pipeline in the third round with defensive tackle Neville Gallimore, who was an underrated force on the interior for a Sooners defense headlined by Los Angeles Chargers first-round pick Kenneth Murray.
“After skipping on the secondary Thursday to pick CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys took Alabama’s Trevon Diggs, the brother of Buffalo wide receiver Stefon, in the second round.
“The Cowboys deserve credit for filling a pair of needs Friday after they were gifted a player they did not believe would be available Thursday at No. 17.”
“Some were worried about what owner Jerry Jones would do with no one in the room to stop him, thinking of the time in 2014 that Jones supposedly had to be prevented from drafting quarterback Johnny Manziel over guard Zack Martin. The fears were unfounded. The Cowboys did well: WR CeeDee Lamb fell to them at No. 17 overall, and they came back to get the CB they needed with Trevon Diggs in the second round.”
“I’m seemingly the only person in the minority of not liking the selection of wide receiver CeeDee Lamb in the first round. It just didn’t make sense to draft at No. 2 wide receiver with the 17th pick on a team that had so many glaring needs on defense. Namely, K’Lavon Chaisson, who was taken a few picks later, had value and filled a need.
“Cornerback Trevon Diggs, taken in the second round, gives the Cowboys the player they needed in the secondary. He’s a big cornerback who should push for a starting job following the departure of Byron Jones. Defensive tackle Neville Gallimore was a nice pickup in the third round. If his production ever matches his athleticism, watch out. Tulsa defensive back Reggie Robinson II in the fourth round was a smart depth pickup.”
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