Well, that was probably one of the more exciting NFL Draft weekends I’ve ever seen. A record number of trades were finalized. A goodly amount of quarterbacks were drafted. And a nice feel-good story late on Saturday to top it off.
But now that enough time has passed since the Rams selected good old “What’s-His-Name?” with the final pick, lets take a look back at how the Cowboys fared. I’m leaning toward an overall grade of B-. Mostly because I think they panicked in the second round.
Their UDFA signings immediately following their final pick though kept this grade from a C+. We’ll take a look at those players as well. First, the Drafted Eight.
A Solid Start
The Cowboys’ run defense was the fatal flaw in 2022. They addressed that in the first round by picking Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith. This was a solid pick, despite the wailing and gnashing of teeth of not drafting Michael Mayer at tight end after Dalton Kincaid was sniped the pick before.
Dallas did not need a tight end. They needed to address the lines on both sides of the ball and did so here. So far so good.
The Big Reach
If the front office just had to get a tight end, they could have waited. A total of six tight ends were selected after the fourth round. Taking Luke Schoonmaker, who is already three years older than an average rookie, seems like a reach the more I look at it.
It gets a little worse when you look at the next player selected, offensive guard O’Cyrus Torrence. He would have filled another more pressing need.
In the Cowboys draft history they found Jason Witten in the third round and both Dalton Schultz and Jake Ferguson in the fourth. The last three tight ends they drafted in the second round? Gavin Escobar, Martellus Bennett and Anthony Fasano. I’m thinking Dallas eventually rues making this pick.
The Unknown Man
When the Cowboys selected DeMarvion Overshown I’m betting a lot of you went: “Who?”. I’m betting a lot of you didn’t watch a lot of Texas Longhorns football either.
Overshown is going to be the steal of the draft. Just wait and see.
Off The Rails
The fourth round pick of Viliami Fehoko is still a puzzle to me. Where’s he going to find snaps to get in on Sundays? Unless they play on moving him to linebacker, I don’t like this pick at all.
The pick of offensive tackle Asim Richards was the result of letting Torrence get away from them three rounds earlier. He might develop into a solid pick, but that won’t be this year.
The picks of defensive back Eric Scott Jr. (6th) and wide receiver Jalen Brooks (7th) will also likely not pan out this year. But the pick sandwiched in between them stole the show on Saturday.
Bring Your Son To Work….For Days
By now we all know the story of Cowboys college scout Chris Vaughn and how the used a sixth round pick to draft his son, Deuce Vaughn from Kansas State. Even as a dad myself, I can’t even begin to grasp how that must have felt.
And to be honest, of the five picks Dallas made on Saturday, this is the only one I really liked. Not because of the feel-good aspect of it either.
Yes, Deuce Vaughn is a small running back. But do you recall another player of similar stature named Darren Sproles? He drove defenses insane in his day. I get the feeling Deuce Vaughn is going to end up doing the same.
The League Of The Undrafted
While Dallas didn’t hit a grand slam in the draft, they did improve the team in areas of greatest concern. They followed that up with some solid undrafted free agent signings.
The top two that caught my eye were Florida A&M edge Isaiah Land and North Dakota State fullback Hunter Luepke. I watch two college football teams’ games every year — Texas and North Dakota State. For those worrying about how Tony Pollard or Deuce Vaughn are going to get a yard on 3rd-and-1? Forget about it.
Luepke gains two yards on every play he touches the ball before the defense even touches him. He’s your short-yardage brute and a great get by the Cowboys.
There are several other signees we’ll keep an eye on. But, despite two questionable picks in the second and fourth rounds, Will McClay and company did well this year.
Honestly we all going to disagree with the 1st 2 picks so leave like that
I can’t believe they passed on OC in the second round when many had him projected in the first, and they really needed him. He would certainly start next year and fill a much needed backup thus year. I’m exited to see Vaughn play
Im happy with the first pick. I wanted Mazi and he wouldn’t be there for our 2nd. Other than that, only time will tell how happy i am about the rest.
Do you know anything about the draft? It’s obvious that you don’t. I’m not sure why you bother following and writing about the boys when you know jack.
Your crystal ball is cloudy, much like your arrogance!
Richard I couldn’t agree with you more! I liked the Mazi Smith pick. I ‘m not familiar with DeMarvion Overshown. Didn’t like any of the other players and certainly thought the staff could’ve done better. The UFA seem to be better picks than those guys the team took ahead of them.Leupke, Durden, Wheat, Bostik, and Land have legitimate shots to make the roster coming out of camp barring serious injuries. If this is evaluated fairly, some of the draft picks after Schoonmaker probably shouldn’t make the team. Mazi Smith and Deuce Vaughn, and Schoonmaker are the guys who’s going to make the team. Schoonmaker only because of where and when he was taken. With Ferguson and Hendershot already there, WHY DID THEY FEEL THE NEED TO TAKE THAT GUY SO HIGH????
The pick you didn’t like in Fehoko is the one that will surprise you the most. Wait and see. The kid is different. His versatility and size will help the Def keep the Oline guessing.
I think the O’Cyrus Torrence was rated a considerably higher than the Cowboys had him.
I wasn’t a fan of the Schoonmaker selection but, I understand he might have been the last one the Cowboys liked and he likely is gone by Pick 90.
As for the Fehoko, I see him as a 3 Tech DT and he is a hair on fire player. I think he has a chance to be very productive.
I, like you, really like the Overshown pick. He’s perfect for Dan Quinn’s scheme.
I give the Cowboys marks for this draft for the simple reason they drafted Mazi Smith.
DT Mazi, great pick, fills a big need. A
TE Schoonmaker, reach, not a big need, and worse when top OG was sitting there. D
LB Overshown, former safety so cover skills, 4.56/40 and bring pop. B
DE Fehoko, good production at San Jose St? C
OT Richards, flex, developmental/depth. C
CB Scott, little underrated, good size. C+
RB Vaughn, very good pick this late, very good production despite size concerns. B+
WR Brooks, many better options earlier, 4.69/40, good size, decent YAC. C