Okay, I’ve given my opinion on the Cowboys’ picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. And I’ve graded how the NFC East did overall too.
Judging by some of the responses, a few of you disagree.
Too bad. Because you’re dead wrong.
And with half a century of watching NFL football – along with 40 years of covering the game at every level – under my belt, yes, I’m right.
Once you come to terms with that, we’ll be just fine. Now, if we could just get Jerry Jones to see the light…
What Dallas Should Have Done
Unfortunately, I only write about time travel in some of my novels. I don’t actually have a time machine in my office.
After this past weekend I sure wish I had one.
Because the Cowboys made two critical blunders that will haunt them this season.
Their three combined picks in the first and third round were rock solid. Dallas’ front office was on its way to an A+ draft grade.
But the Cowboys immediately downgraded that mark with their second round pick.
An edge linebacker was not a position of need. Even if they were looking for DeMarcus Lawrence’s future replacement, that could have been dealt with later.
What they needed to do with that second round pick was find their next running back for the next five years.
Loose Lips Sinks Drafts
Jerry just couldn’t help himself could he?
Jones blabbed to the entire world that Dallas wanted to draft Texas running back Jonathon Brooks in the second round.
So it came as no shock that a team traded up to grab him before he fell to Dallas. Then the Cowboys compounded their error.
When they finally went on the clock in the second round they passed on Florida State running back Trey Benson – who is just as good as Brooks without the injury issues.
So instead of addressing a major area of need, they went with a position that is in great shape – they drafted another edge rusher.
Western Michigan’s Marshawn Kneeland will not be a starter in 2024. He may not even be a starter in 2025.
And while he spends most of his game time on the bench, the Cowboys are left with a running back room full of RB3’s.
And yes, I include Ezekiel Elliott in that description.
Benson could have been the bell cow back with Rico Dowdle and Royce Freeman spelling him. But no, we get a weak running back by committee instead.
No matter how much the Cowboys improved their offensive line last weekend – and they did improve it – you need someone to carry the ball.
Right now, they don’t have that.
When Is It Too Many Cornerbacks?
Another area of non-need was the defensive backfield.
So, naturally, Dallas burned its fifth round pick on a cornerback. It’s only the most overstocked room at The Star, but sure, why not add another one?
The Cowboys needed to shore up their linebacker room instead.
Texas’ Jaylan Ford was taken at linebacker on the very next pick by the Saints. He was one of many available options at linebacker.
Even a defensive tackle would have been the better pick there.
You Picked The Wrong Receiver
In the sixth round the Cowboys finally decided to take a wide receiver. It was an area of need as the team currently does not have a solid WR2 on the roster.
Even then, they still blundered the job.
With USC’s Brenden Rice – the son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice – still on the board, the Cowboys went with Ryan Flournoy.
If you thought there was an invasion of owls Saturday evening you weren’t alone. It was just millions of football fans saying “Who?” at the same time.
Flournoy will be 25 years old in October.
He might turn out to be a good receiver. He might not.
But Rice – or one of many other better options — was player to pick there and Dallas might bemoan this decision as much as they did passing on Randy Moss.
And Jalen Ramsey.
And Derrick Henry.
And Stephen Jackson.
And…okay, the list is way too long to go all the way down to the end here.
Dallas did manage to recover in the seventh round. They picked up another offensive tackle, as well as a defensive tackle that is a promising project.
But those second and fifth round picks are going to come back to haunt Dallas sooner or later.
Did Dallas Admit Botching The Schoonmaker Pick?
A curious UDFA signing cropped up in the hours after the draft closed.
The Cowboys signed Minnesota tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford Saturday night. Spann-Ford is a bruising blocker and a solid pass catcher.
Something Schoonmaker has yet to show himself capable of in Dallas.
With Jake Ferguson a solid TE1, Schoonmaker may be fighting for the TE2 slot with Spann-Ford. He didn’t exactly impress in his rookie year.
If Schoonmaker drops to TE3 – or even worse to TE4 behind Peyton Hendershot – it will make Dallas’ 2023 draft look all the more worse.
And further cement the fact that since ousting Jimmy Johnson and the team he built to win three titles, Jerry Jones is a lousy general manager.
Especially when it comes to putting together strong, complete draft classes. Jones has hit on individual players, yes.
But he’s been getting lapped in the draft by other teams – and especially by the Eagles in his own division.
Just like he was again this year.