The upside and possible downside of this year's draft

[Bobhaze]

Overall I think this appears to be a pretty good draft for the Cowboys. I say “appears” because despite what any draft guru or team official or even fired up fans say, none of us know what this draft will turn out to be for at least a year - maybe two.

But this time of year we all must “weigh in” with grades, pronouncements, etc. In the end, only time and scoreboards will ultimately tell.

Here are what I perceive to be some upsides of this draft and some possible downsides:
PROBABLE UPSIDE

• Caleb Downs - If we just acquired this guy and no one else, in my book it would still be a good draft. He appears to be the total package of physical and mental talent with rare All Pro potential. Probably the best safety we’ve had since Darren Woodson.
• Of our 7 draft picks, 5 were on defense. As first rounder picks, Downs and Lawrence appear to have the most immediate impact. “MLaw” will need some more development. We will see.
• These defensive picks were clearly influenced by what new DC Christian Parker wants for his defense - flexibility. The Cowboys brass have appeared to give Parker a large say-so in this draft.
• 4th round pick Drew Shelton from Penn State is an underrated pick. He has played multiple positions on the OL and is athletic enough to play outside as a T or inside as a G. Strengthens our depth and potential at OL.

POSSIBLE DOWNSIDE

• Several guys we selected - Malachi Lawrence and Jaishawn Barham for example - will need some time to develop. MLaw is a great athlete but he’s also a bit raw. Barham is also likely going to need some time to develop. Those two guys are talented but they have not exhibited consistency in their positions in college. Patience will be needed.
• Giving Parker, a 34 year old coach who has never been a DC this much influence has risks. We’ve seen our FO give prior DCs a huge say so in drafts past. Rod Marinelli, Dan Quinn, Mike Zimmer and even Matt Eberflus last year were very influential in drafts past, with mixed results at best. We have to hope this will be different.
• Always remember - NFL history says players drafted on Day 3 - rounds 4-7 - have a very low chance of long term impact. 5th through 7th rounders have less than 10% chance of even being here in 3 years.

Bottom Line: Getting Caleb Downs looks like we got a future All Pro. And we certainly drafted some other defenders with lots of potential.

Hopefully Christian Parker is the real deal. If he is, we took a good first step to get our defense out of the gutter. If he isn’t, the search for a defensive philosophy that works may be delayed.

 

[jazzcat22]

Don't forget the trade to get Dee Winter. Also Rashan Gary. And last years acquisitions of George Pickens and Q. Williams.

I like the draft overall, and what they have done in FA and trades.
Yes we all needs to wait to see it on the field, stating with Parker's defense and his schemes and ideas.
On paper everything is pointing up. Going into TC this year is far more exciting than it was the past 2 years.

I think they brought in too many Edge / DE / LB types. Where are they going to put them all. Yes it makes for some god TC competition. But how do they distribute the snaps to see who can do what. I am sure there is a plan though.

I need to update my roster spreadsheet. And take a look at the overall roster to get my way too early thoughts on it.
I hope they come out soon, and give some type of early depth chart. Not that it means anything, but I would like to know what players will be listed as LB's and not DE's.

 

[Bobhaze]

Don't forget the trade to get Dee Winter. Also Rashan Gary. And last years acquisitions of George Pickens and Q. Williams.

I like the draft overall, and what they have done in FA and trades.
Yes we all needs to wait to see it on the field, stating with Parker's defense and his schemes and ideas.
On paper everything is pointing up. Going into TC this year is far more exciting than it was the past 2 years.

I think they brought in too many Edge / DE / LB types. Where are they going to put them all. Yes it makes for some god TC competition. But how do they distribute the snaps to see who can do what. I am sure there is a plan though.

I need to update my roster spreadsheet. And take a look at the overall roster to get my way too early thoughts on it.
I hope they come out soon, and give some type of early depth chart. Not that it means anything, but I would like to know what players will be listed as LB's and not DE's.

Good point about the trade additions, Gary and Winters and FAs like Thompson and Durant. I didn’t include them only because I was looking at draft picks. But yes, those guys will certainly help.

My take on Gary is he will be a good if not great pass rusher. He is 28, has had some good if not spectacular seasons, and is certainly an upgrade for us.

Winters is interesting. I like his speed and aggressiveness. He’s certainly an upgrade to this bad LB corps. But he’s probably not a long term solution. He was only a starter in SF because of an injury. I would still like to see a veteran LB added.

Thompson at S in FA is a very good pairing with Caleb Downs. Best safety combo we’ve had in decades. Cobie Durant our 1 yr FA add at corner has ball skills but is a little undersized.

Bottom line - we got better on D, no doubt. But we had nowhere to go but up, lol.

 

[acr731]

Bottom Line: Getting Caleb Downs looks like we got a future All Pro.

Be careful there.... I'm sure similar things were said about Ryan Leaf coming out of college. There are countless examples of athletes who dominated the college ranks but couldn't quite figure things out at the professional level. Downs doesn't have elite NFL speed and will be going up against receivers who do.

At the other end of the spectrum is Tom Brady. He apparently wasn't well thought of and was passed over 198 times before he was finally picked up by NE in the 6th round. It's another example of you never know what you have until they get out there and play. Roger Staubach was passed over all the way to the 10th round of the 1964 draft, although that may have been because of his commitment to the US Navy. No one wanted to give up a draft pick they wouldn't see on the field for another 4 years.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Be careful there.... I'm sure similar things were said about Ryan Leaf coming out of college. There are countless examples of athletes who dominated the college ranks but couldn't quite figure things out at the professional level. Downs doesn't have elite NFL speed and will be going up against receivers who do.

At the other end of the spectrum is Tom Brady. He apparently wasn't well thought of and was passed over 198 times before he was finally picked up by NE in the 6th round. It's another example of you never know what you have until they get out there and play. Roger Staubach was passed over all the way to the 10th round of the 1964 draft, although that may have been because of his commitment to the US Navy. No one wanted to give up a draft pick they wouldn't see on the field for another 4 years.

Busts happen. Caleb could bust. He was widely considered to be the must bust proof player of the draft.

And let’s give Cowboys their due. It’s a small list of picks they’ve had bust that was drafted that high.

 

[Bamx]

Overall I think this appears to be a pretty good draft for the Cowboys. I say “appears” because despite what any draft guru or team official or even fired up fans say, none of us know what this draft will turn out to be for at least a year - maybe two.

But this time of year we all must “weigh in” with grades, pronouncements, etc. In the end, only time and scoreboards will ultimately tell.

Here are what I perceive to be some upsides of this draft and some possible downsides:
PROBABLE UPSIDE

• Caleb Downs - If we just acquired this guy and no one else, in my book it would still be a good draft. He appears to be the total package of physical and mental talent with rare All Pro potential. Probably the best safety we’ve had since Darren Woodson.
• Of our 7 draft picks, 5 were on defense. As first rounder picks, Downs and Lawrence appear to have the most immediate impact. “MLaw” will need some more development. We will see.
• These defensive picks were clearly influenced by what new DC Christian Parker wants for his defense - flexibility. The Cowboys brass have appeared to give Parker a large say-so in this draft.
• 4th round pick Drew Shelton from Penn State is an underrated pick. He has played multiple positions on the OL and is athletic enough to play outside as a T or inside as a G. Strengthens our depth and potential at OL.

POSSIBLE DOWNSIDE

• Several guys we selected - Malachi Lawrence and Jaishawn Barham for example - will need some time to develop. MLaw is a great athlete but he’s also a bit raw. Barham is also likely going to need some time to develop. Those two guys are talented but they have not exhibited consistency in their positions in college. Patience will be needed.
• Giving Parker, a 34 year old coach who has never been a DC this much influence has risks. We’ve seen our FO give prior DCs a huge say so in drafts past. Rod Marinelli, Dan Quinn, Mike Zimmer and even Matt Eberflus last year were very influential in drafts past, with mixed results at best. We have to hope this will be different.
• Always remember - NFL history says players drafted on Day 3 - rounds 4-7 - have a very low chance of long term impact. 5th through 7th rounders have less than 10% chance of even being here in 3 years.

Bottom Line: Getting Caleb Downs looks like we got a future All Pro. And we certainly drafted some other defenders with lots of potential.

Hopefully Christian Parker is the real deal. If he is, we took a good first step to get our defense out of the gutter. If he isn’t, the search for a defensive philosophy that works may be delayed.

There's for sure some positives, but the main downside will always be Jerry as the acting GM. If Dallas hired an actual GM that would change the negative 10 fold.

 

[Ranching]

Overall I think this appears to be a pretty good draft for the Cowboys. I say “appears” because despite what any draft guru or team official or even fired up fans say, none of us know what this draft will turn out to be for at least a year - maybe two.

But this time of year we all must “weigh in” with grades, pronouncements, etc. In the end, only time and scoreboards will ultimately tell.

Here are what I perceive to be some upsides of this draft and some possible downsides:
PROBABLE UPSIDE

• Caleb Downs - If we just acquired this guy and no one else, in my book it would still be a good draft. He appears to be the total package of physical and mental talent with rare All Pro potential. Probably the best safety we’ve had since Darren Woodson.
• Of our 7 draft picks, 5 were on defense. As first rounder picks, Downs and Lawrence appear to have the most immediate impact. “MLaw” will need some more development. We will see.
• These defensive picks were clearly influenced by what new DC Christian Parker wants for his defense - flexibility. The Cowboys brass have appeared to give Parker a large say-so in this draft.
• 4th round pick Drew Shelton from Penn State is an underrated pick. He has played multiple positions on the OL and is athletic enough to play outside as a T or inside as a G. Strengthens our depth and potential at OL.

POSSIBLE DOWNSIDE

• Several guys we selected - Malachi Lawrence and Jaishawn Barham for example - will need some time to develop. MLaw is a great athlete but he’s also a bit raw. Barham is also likely going to need some time to develop. Those two guys are talented but they have not exhibited consistency in their positions in college. Patience will be needed.
• Giving Parker, a 34 year old coach who has never been a DC this much influence has risks. We’ve seen our FO give prior DCs a huge say so in drafts past. Rod Marinelli, Dan Quinn, Mike Zimmer and even Matt Eberflus last year were very influential in drafts past, with mixed results at best. We have to hope this will be different.
• Always remember - NFL history says players drafted on Day 3 - rounds 4-7 - have a very low chance of long term impact. 5th through 7th rounders have less than 10% chance of even being here in 3 years.

Bottom Line: Getting Caleb Downs looks like we got a future All Pro. And we certainly drafted some other defenders with lots of potential.

Hopefully Christian Parker is the real deal. If he is, we took a good first step to get our defense out of the gutter. If he isn’t, the search for a defensive philosophy that works may be delayed.

It "appears " that you don't want to give Jerry any credit....lol

 

[rambo2]

Don't forget the trade to get Dee Winter. Also Rashan Gary. And last years acquisitions of George Pickens and Q. Williams.

I like the draft overall, and what they have done in FA and trades.
Yes we all needs to wait to see it on the field, stating with Parker's defense and his schemes and ideas.
On paper everything is pointing up. Going into TC this year is far more exciting than it was the past 2 years.

I think they brought in too many Edge / DE / LB types. Where are they going to put them all. Yes it makes for some god TC competition. But how do they distribute the snaps to see who can do what. I am sure there is a plan though.

I need to update my roster spreadsheet. And take a look at the overall roster to get my way too early thoughts on it.
I hope they come out soon, and give some type of early depth chart. Not that it means anything, but I would like to know what players will be listed as LB's and not DE's.

Barham is an inside backer that they can move around. Lawrence is an edge. Overton will play inside.

 

[Stash]

I’m seeing a lot of specialization, with players set for specific roles and packages.

Downs will be on the field all the time, but several of the others look like specialists to me.

Lawrence a pass rush specialist with Gary playing more obvious running downs.

Overton being a run defense specialist possibly spelling Quinnen Williams on some obvious run plays.

Barham seems like more of a physical defender rather than a coverage linebacker, at least early on.

I have the feeling that we’re going to see a lot of specialization and rotation happening in Parker’s defense.

 

[acr731]

Busts happen. Caleb could bust. He was widely considered to be the must bust proof player of the draft.

And let’s give Cowboys their due. It’s a small list of picks they’ve had bust that was drafted that high.

I'm not saying I think he will be a bust - I know nothing about him to be honest. But the extreme praise he has been getting here at CZ since Thursday is a bit premature to say the least. Would he have been showered with the same praise had the Gnats or Iggles picked him up instead? Probably not. Comments here would have been blasting the pick for his lack of elite speed, or for many other reasons teams would be regretting wasting a top 10 pick on a safety. But when Dallas does it it's a genius pick for the best overall defensive player on the board, and proclamations that the defense if fixed.

Let's see how he does in the pre season before elevating him up to Ed Reed levels when he hasn't even taken his first NFL snap.

 

[jazzcat22]

I’m seeing a lot of specialization, with players set for specific roles and packages.

Downs will be on the field all the time, but several of the others look like specialists to me.

Lawrence a pass rush specialist with Gary playing more obvious running downs.

Overton being a run defense specialist possibly spelling Quinnen Williams on some obvious run plays.

Barham seems like more of a physical defender rather than a coverage linebacker, at least early on.

I have the feeling that we’re going to see a lot of specialization and rotation happening in Parker’s defense.

The guys on the ticket were discussing this on Saturday.
Who will be the starters. But the answer was, does it really matter. As using a rotation, and as you say, some specialization and specific packages.
It is more of who the top 15 players are, not the starting 11.

 

[Osroc]

Be careful there.... I'm sure similar things were said about Ryan Leaf coming out of college. There are countless examples of athletes who dominated the college ranks but couldn't quite figure things out at the professional level. Downs doesn't have elite NFL speed and will be going up against receivers who do.

At the other end of the spectrum is Tom Brady. He apparently wasn't well thought of and was passed over 198 times before he was finally picked up by NE in the 6th round. It's another example of you never know what you have until they get out there and play. Roger Staubach was passed over all the way to the 10th round of the 1964 draft, although that may have been because of his commitment to the US Navy. No one wanted to give up a draft pick they wouldn't see on the field for another 4 years.

Your point is valid, but it appears Downs has the Brain for the Game, so to speak which is over half the battle.
Barring injury (knock on wood), I think he's going to be a great one.

 

[Starforever]

All upside to me. Last year there were too many pieces that did not fit. I believe they will be more disciplined and unified.

 

[Aven8]

They covered as many deficiencies as they could have with the picks they had. The D now appears to have depth and some talent. Until they get them on the field together they won’t know anymore than us. I do know having a player like Downs will change a lot as far as leadership between QW and him on the backend.

 

[OGSixshooter]

It "appears " that you don't want to give Jerry any credit....lol

LOL. Does anyone believe the 83 year old man is scouting players, watching tape and interviewing players?

 

[rambo2]

Your point is valid, but it appears Downs has the Brain for the Game, so to speak which is over half the battle.
Barring injury (knock on wood), I think he's going to be a great one.

Downs is a coach on the field and a dominate player. A guy who was good enough to walk out of high school and start at Alabama for a Hall of Fame coach. A guy who his Ohio State coach said he was the best high school player that he has ever seen.

 

[rambo2]

LOL. Does anyone believe the 83 year old man is scouting players, watching tape and interviewing players?

That 83 year old was smart enough to trade up to take Downs.

 

[CowboyChris]

i’m still very skeptical about the RB, CB, and inside LB positions,

 

[Osroc]

I’m seeing a lot of specialization, with players set for specific roles and packages.

Downs will be on the field all the time, but several of the others look like specialists to me.

Lawrence a pass rush specialist with Gary playing more obvious running downs.

Overton being a run defense specialist possibly spelling Quinnen Williams on some obvious run plays.

Barham seems like more of a physical defender rather than a coverage linebacker, at least early on.

I have the feeling that we’re going to see a lot of specialization and rotation happening in Parker’s defense.

My question to that would be: Does that make the D predictable?

 

[big dog cowboy]

Don't forget the trade to get Dee Winter. Also Rashan Gary. And last years acquisitions of George Pickens and Q. Williams.

Love bringing in these vets and especially love hearing the former teams fans crying over losing them.