With three rookie starters taking the field next week against the Cleveland Browns, there has been a ton of focus on the 2024 Cowboys draft class, and for good reason. What we may be forgetting, however, is that the 2023 draftees have an even larger importance this season.
Last season, Dallas saw perhaps their worst draft class performance in years. They got virtually no positive contributions from any of their rookies.
2023 Dallas Cowboys Draft Class
1: Mazi Smith, Michigan
2: Luke Schoonmaker, Michigan
3: DeMarvion Overshown, Texas
4: Junior Fehoko, San Jose State
5: Asim Richards, North Carolina
6: Eric Scott Jr., Southern Miss
6: Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State
7: Jalen Brooks, South Carolina— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) April 29, 2023
The 1st round pick had just nine solo tackles, the 2nd round pick caught eight passes, and a preseason torn ACL wiped out the season of the 3rd round pick before it could even begin. The picks later than them were just as irrelevant, and now two of them have been cut.
There’s no need to beat a dead horse; Cowboys fans know just how bad things were last season for this crop of rookies. What fans want to know is, will they overcome the rough start for a rebound season in 2024?
That, my friends, is what we’re here to discuss. So let’s get into it.
Here is a look at the five most important 2023 Cowboys draftees that will try to kick off a major redemption tour when Dallas takes the field against the Cleveland Browns next Sunday.
Jalen Brooks: Rising up the Receiver Ranks?
The last pick in the 2023 Cowboys draft class, Wide Receiver Jalen Brooks has been quietly making a name for himself in the Dallas offense.
Coming out of South Carolina, Brooks was viewed as a low-floor, high-ceiling prospect with natural speed, ball skills, and a workable build. Heading into his second year in Dallas, some think those “traits” are becoming talents.
Brooks beat out some serious competition for his roster spot, namely Jalen Cropper, Tyron Billy-Johnson, and Deontay Burnett. Now, his next challenge will be beating out Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin, and rookie Ryan Flournoy for snaps in the regular season.
Cooper Rush deep bomb to Jalen Brooks pic.twitter.com/SUNI8mITCl
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) August 11, 2024
Dallas’ opening depth chart has Brooks as the WR4 behind CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, and Tolbert, which means he only needs to surpass the ladder to become a full-time starter.
This speedster is one of the key guys to watch this season. His work in the short and mid-game is promising because of his yards after catch ability, and man can he beat you deep for a huge gain. It is just going to be a question of can Brooks put it all together to go from a late-round draft pick to a starter.
Deuce Vaughn: The Little Man Earns a Roster Spot
Speaking of earning a roster spot, how about the little guy, Deuce Vaughn snatching a spot on the 53-man straight out of Malik Davis and Royce Freeman’s hands?
It was an impressive preseason for the second-year running back, and with weak talent at his position, he could be a surprise candidate to break-out after a lackluster rookie season. That said, a recent addition to the roster could damage his playing-time prospects this season.
The Cowboys brought in former All-Pro Dalvin Cook, which puts the running back room at Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, Dalvin Cook, Vaughn, and Hunter Luepke.
In short, the room is crowded, and it may be too crowded for the 5’5 Kansas State alum to get meaningful playing time this season. That does not mean, however, that this has not been a successful offseason for Vaughn. His place in Dallas was no guarantee heading into the roster cuts, but his preseason performance forced the Cowboys to keep him.
Deuce Vaughn had 14 preseason rush attempts and gained 3+ yards on all of them. pic.twitter.com/jCPoAuxfG4
— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) August 25, 2024
Where Vaughn does carry potential is with the age of two of the backs ahead of him. Both Cook and Elliott are 29, and they don’t have the ability they once did.
If anything were to happen to them, or if their performance was not up-to-par, you can expect Dowdle and Vaughn to reep the benefits.
It is a big year for Vaughn, but making the roster was his biggest challenge, and he has proven he deserves to be on it.
DeMarvion Overshown: The Long Awaited Return
The absence of 3rd rounder, DeMarvion Overshown, was a dark cloud over last season from start to finish. The Cowboys linebacker problems plagued the defense, as they had safeties playing out of position and guys that had no business seeing major playing time getting starter reps.
Could things have been different with Overshown present? I’m willing to bet he’d at least have made a solid impact, even if he couldn’t have single-handedly changed the outcome of the Packers game.
His speed, size, athleticism, and overall potential had Cowboys fans salivating heading into last season, so you can imagine after a year of recovering, this entire fanbase is clamoring for Overshown to become a leader on defense.
DeMarvion Overshown says he feels great, and was held out of the #Cowboys preseason finale as a precaution.
He is heading into his first-ever NFL regular season game on Sept. 8 — elated and smiling big — after his 2023 ACL tear.
“I’m so excited. I’m ready to strap ‘em up.”
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) August 29, 2024
Expectations may need to be lowered some, as Overshown is still coming off an ACL tear, which can linger.
Even if it does take him a little while to get truly up to speed, his talent is a huge boost for a Cowboys linebacker unit that desperately needs it. Eric Kendricks and Damone Clark alone is not enough. Overshown has a big role in 2024.
We’ll see just how much of an impact he can make in what is really his rookie season, but I’m willing to bet he marks a considerable boost to this Cowboys draft class that struggled mightily in his absence last year. Overshown could be the key that unlocks the potential of the entire defense.
Luke Schoonmaker: Can He Compete with Ferguson?
I never quite understood drafting former Michigan Wolverine, Luke Schoonmaker, in the second round last year. At the time, Jake Ferguson, Hendershot, and Sean McKeon seemed like a fine tight end room, and there was value on the board at positions of actual need.
Needless to say, Schoonmaker’s rookie year did not quiet those concerns.
He caught just eight passes, did not start in a single game, and had a 40% receiving success rate. For the 58th pick in the draft, that is just not going to cut it, regardless of who is in front of you on the depth chart.
If Schoonmaker was going to be that limited because of Ferguson, they should not have drafted him in the first place. He must prove that he can produce while co-existing with the Cowboys’ star tight end.
Even if it means becoming a fantastic blocker who can occasionally reel in some play action passes, he needs to find a role.
Schoonmaker’s 2024 season could be a make-or-break situation, despite it being so early in his NFL career. Impressive preseasons and training camps from backup tight ends John Stephens Jr., and Brevyn Spann-Ford have put his back against the wall. Schoonmaker needs to find a role and crush it, or reset with a new organization.
The Cowboys kept four tight ends. John Stephens Jr. makes it at no. 3 behind Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker and they didn't want to lose 6-7 rookie Brevyn Spann-Ford
— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) August 27, 2024
This is a huge year for him and his future in Dallas.
Mazi Smith: The Big Man Needs a Big Season
One of the top storylines of the entire 2023 season was the rookie year of Mazi Smith. The 26th pick in the draft never got going, starting in just three games and creating more news about a weight-loss controversy than about on-field performance.
Things must improve this time around if the Cowboys draft has any chance of turning this things around.
As the headliner of the class, Smith caught the most criticism, and it’s understandable. He was expected to contribute immediately at the biggest position of need, and he quickly fell into the background.
He seems to be healthy now, has a year of experience under his belt, he’s added back some weight, and a new defensive coordinator in Mike Zimmer could prove to be an important addition for him. In short, the ball is in his court, it is time to shine for Smith.
Cowboys DC Mike Zimmer on DT Mazi Smith: “Obviously he was a high draft pick, and I heard that he kinda struggled a little bit last year. We’re gonna start with the basics, get him in a good stance, get him using his hands the right way, getting his footwork the right way, and… pic.twitter.com/zI5F7bAwzw
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) May 14, 2024
Emerging star Osa Odighizuwa needs help desperately on the interior of the line, and veterans like Linval Joseph can only do so much at this point.
The pressure is on for Smith to emerge on defense, and if he can’t do it this year, the fanbase is going to become suspicious that it will ever happen. Is that fair? Perhaps not, but sometimes a business like the NFL is not fair. It’s game time for Smith, and if the preseason is any indication, he might be ready this time around.
