Will McClay shares his thoughts on each Cowboys draft pick

The 2024 NFL Draft is in the books and the Dallas Cowboys executed one trade back to finish the draft with eight total picks.

They addressed left tackle, defensive end, center/interior offensive line, linebacker, cornerback, wide receiver, offensive tackle, and 1-tech defensive tackle.

Like every draft, there are picks that fans like more than others and other picks that made the fanbase scratch their heads.

The biggest takeaway if you scan social media on Tuesday morning is that the Cowboys failed to address running back in the draft.

Instead, they brought back a familiar face by re-signing RB Ezekiel Elliott after playing a year in New England.

Post-draft, The Athletic’s Jon Machota documented an incredible interview with Cowboys VP of Player Personnel Will McClay voicing his thoughts on each of the draft picks.

This topic will be broken up into two separate articles, covering the first four picks of the draft today and concluding tomorrow with the final four picks.

LT Tyler Guyton

“When you build an offensive lineman, you look for athleticism, the feet. We have a history of guys who do things at a high level at that position. There were some traits that definitely showed us that was there. You talk about athletic ability and left tackles are usually more athletic, and this guy is an athletic guy. Basketball background, he has some defense in his nature. We feel good about him moving to the left side. The way he plays the game, there’s a little nasty to him.”

Tyler Guyton was a right side player at Oklahoma but it’s a little misleading because he had a left-handed quarterback so he’s used to protecting the blindside.

If “there’s a little nasty to him” then that’s exactly what this Cowboys team has been missing on a larger scale over the past couple of seasons.

DE Marshawn Kneeland

“The #1 thing about him is the high effort and motor that he plays with. Then to be physically talented enough to play at this level. The more you watch him, the more you see NFL traits and then you see the traits that we are looking for on the defensive side, playing hard all the time and having the ability to rush the passer outside and inside. As hard as DeMarcus Lawrence played at Boise State, there are some similarities there.”

Marshawn Kneeland was a surprise pick to those (not me) that didn’t think defensive end was a need on this team.

How many times last year did we say to ourselves “If only we had another DeMarcus Lawrence on this team”?

Well, Kneeland has the potential to be that guy for the Cowboys for the next 10 years. If he can put it all together, it’s a great use of their 2nd round pick.

OL Cooper Beebe

“Cooper likes to dirt people. I read that, whatever that means. I’m glad he is doing it for us. With his ability and to play the guard position- he’s played all over there- and also snapped, so that ability and demeanor, bringing that to the team was something we wanted to do.”

The Cowboys might have the highest-graded trade in the entire draft after they used the Lions’ desperation for CB Terrion Arnold to receive the 73rd overall pick to move back just five spots.

That incredible fortune netted them their new starting center, Cooper Beebe.

Beebe at 73 is right in line with the theme of this draft: physicality and toughness.

LB Marist Liufau

“He’s a linebacker that can rush, that can play stacked, that can play on special teams. He has 34-inch arms. Adding that multiplicity into our defense and what Mike Zimmer wanted from that specific position. You see those things from the guy and he does it at Notre Dame. He plays all over the field and can drop in coverage. The multiplicity and the number of things he can do at a high level was attractive.”

Marist Liufau is already the most scrutinized pick of the Cowboys’ draft because consensus grades had him as a 5th-round player.

The problem is pick 87 was the Cowboys’ last pick before a stretch of 87 picks passing them by until pick 174 at the end of the 5th round.

It’s already been reported by ESPN’s Todd Archer that the Cowboys didn’t feel Liufau would be there at pick 174, and the price to trade back into the 4th round (2025 3rd) was too rich for their blood.

Tomorrow we will continue with McClay’s mini scouting reports for the final four picks of the Cowboys 2024 draft.