Taco's draft grades revisited

[Doomsday101]

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones has called this a “big year” for Charlton. Maybe it’s more like make-or-break for the 28th overall pick of the 2017 draft.

“I’m expecting Taco to strap on his pads, put on his helmet and go out there and compete every day to prove that he belongs on this roster,” Cowboys vice president of player personnel Will McClay said on 133.3 ESPN, via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “The injury and all those things, he’s going to have to overcome that and be available. But I expect Taco to put his best foot forward and battle and compete for a spot. But you know what? We’re not going to hold the train for anybody. If you want to compete and roll down with us, here it is. Everybody is going to have that opportunity. I expect Taco to be a much better player and a much more productive player. He was turning the corner last year. Injuries happen, all that other stuff. I expect him to go and battle and compete, and if him or anybody else isn’t willing to compete, hopefully we have enough stuff there to keep us strong throughout the process.”

Charlton is the only one of the Cowboys’ past six first-round draft picks not to have made the Pro Bowl.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...tons-time-might-be-now-or-never-with-cowboys/

 

[Verdammung]

Couldn't be me, I thought he was a JAG and would have drafted Watt.

To the point that people wouldn't have liked Watt if he had a different last name, I disagree. People struggled with the projection due to his 3-4 OLB role, but I saw the ability to win as an edge and technique rusher when he was allowed to. The Cowboys admitted to not being comfortable projecting him and who knows how he'd play if he was on our team, but I know part of something is greater than nothing.

 

[Hennessy_King]

I'll have to look but Cincy had 2 guys drafted that are pretty good. 1 has similar stats to taco and the other Lawson i think had 8 sacks year 1 and was injured all of last year. A lot of guys selected in round 2 and 3 that have much worse stats than taco.

Lawson was my guy i was just messing with you. He had injury issues but even if we took him in round 1 I would have been happy. That kid has some real pass rushing talent.

 

[Sydla]

There was no issue with where taco was drafted. He was a consensus #1 pick.

I still contend if Watt's last name was Smith, no one would have been pounding the table for him.

There were a lot of people on Watt before the draft even happened. He was also considered a first round talent by just about everyone, so to say he only got hype on this board because of his last name is just not accurate.

 

[Jake]

There was no issue with where taco was drafted. He was a consensus #1 pick.

I still contend if Watt's last name was Smith, no one would have been pounding the table for him.

Yep, I've said that as well.

My reason for this thread is less about Taco and more about putting too much stock in what "experts" say the day after a draft. We won't know what we've got until they play.

Sure, some will guess now and if they're right later they'll tell you (while ignoring their wrong guesses), but anyone who says they "know" is lying.

 

[Sydla]

Looking at the list of DE drafted after taco only 1 guy had comparable stats through the 4th round. People still stuck on the fact late 1st round players are really not considered 1st round talent. They are 2nd round talent selected in the 1st.

Great.

It doesn't change the fact that Cowboys may have made a mistake in drafting him (that's the current trend on his career).

 

[Verdammung]

Am I the only one that remembers in DLaw's 4th year, heading into training camp, there were calls to cut him?

Some guys don't 'get it' until year 3 or 4. The patience with DLaw paid off.

And if Gregory could have gotten his head screwed on right, the patience with him was paying off too. .

It's a well made point, but I believe his window with this team is already over.

Whether they'd like to admit it or not, they drafted Taco because they didn't have confidence in Lawrence and now Lawrence is a pro-bowler with a multi-year deal. Now, Taco's only roster spot is backup LE, because of course he can't play RE and it was stupid to believe he ever could, and his attitude is wearing thin on Marinelli and shows no signs of changing any time soon.

 

[tyke1doe]

Isn't this Taco's second year?
Has he arrived as a player?

 

[charron]

Great.

It doesn't change the fact that Cowboys may have made a mistake in drafting him (that's the current trend on his career).

If he was the best 4-3 DE on your board it is not a mistake. Name a better 4-3 DE.

 

[charron]

Lawson was my guy i was just messing with you. He had injury issues but even if we took him in round 1 I would have been happy. That kid has some real pass rushing talent.

He could be the next Dlaw if he can get healthy. But yea when healthy his rookie year he was killing it. The other guy they took looks good too. cincy has some good young guys for sure.

 

[CowboyRoy]

As long as some are fawning over what "experts" have to say about the Cowboys draft, let's revisit our favorite first round pick of recent years - Taco! Lots of A- grades, highest graded first rounder in the division:

Taco in Dallas is too good to be true. He could be the transformational pass rusher the Cowboys need on that side of the ball. Huge need filled by arguably the second-best player at that position.

While Charlton is steady enough against the run that he can be trusted on early downs, Marinelli figures to unleash him most often bending the edge vs. the pass. This fills a need for Dallas, and at a good value.

One team told us early in the draft process that they regarded Taco Charlton as a top-10 prospect. That changed a bit throughout the spring, but Charlton still provides solid value at No. 28 overall.

The Cowboys really struggled to rush the passer last season, and Charlton will help draw double teams that will allow other Dallas pass rushers to have an easier route to the opposing quarterback.

Hmmm...looks like they may have been a bit off in their expectations. I guess there's something to the notion of waiting to see how a guy actually plays before deciding whether he can or not.

"Taco Charlton In Dallas Is Too Good To Be True."

Nonsense. You must have looked long and hard to dig that up. Most write ups on him were not so nice.

 

[CowboyRoy]

If he was the best 4-3 DE on your board it is not a mistake. Name a better 4-3 DE.

He sucks. It was a mistake. End of story.

 

[stiletto]

Nonsense. You must have looked long and hard to dig that up. Most write ups on him were not so nice.

I think anyone can spin any draft pick but the proof is always in the pudding. Didn't take long for me to evaluate Taco (I usually give 2 seasons if they are uninjured).... Won't take long for Hill either. We'll see good/bad pretty quickly I think. Never saw anything but bad with Taco unless he went fully unblocked, from Day 1....

 

[Doomsday101]

Isn't this Taco's second year?
Has he arrived as a player?

Played 2017 and 2018 heading into year 3

 

[Sydla]

Am I the only one that remembers in DLaw's 4th year, heading into training camp, there were calls to cut him?

Some guys don't 'get it' until year 3 or 4. The patience with DLaw paid off.

And if Gregory could have gotten his head screwed on right, the patience with him was paying off too. .

Again, this comparison to Lawrence has to die.

By this point in their careers, Lawrence had shown WAY MORE in terms of play, production and potential than Charlton. Lawrence was an ascending player at this point. Charlton is not. It doesn't mean Charlton can't get better (I suspect he will because frankly, he was pretty bad last year) but using the logic that hey, Lawrence developed so will Taco misses some key information - that Lawrence was showing signs of developing and advancing as a player by this point, Taco has not.

 

[Jake]

Nonsense. You must have looked long and hard to dig that up. Most write ups on him were not so nice.

Actually, it didn't take any longer to find than it did for you to type that dismissive drivel.

Those are from Fox Sports, ESPN, NFL.com, CBS Sports, and Sports Illustrated, among others. Amazingly, I didn't find anything from CowboyRoy.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Some of us knew he was direly over-rated. So many took the cheese.

Most people, including the Cowboys, were hoping for other DEs to fall to us. I don't think anyone was saying "Yay! I'm so glad we got Taco!" I think we picked position, and got bit for it.

 

[Sydla]

If he was the best 4-3 DE on your board it is not a mistake. Name a better 4-3 DE.

Where was it written that they HAD to take a DE there?

If they had evaluated Taco properly and decided he might struggle to develop, they could have just picked another player at another position.

For example, they could have taken Budda Baker, who is a very good safety. He'd be a starter here in Dallas right now.

Why is it so hard for some of you to just admit reality? That based on the current situation and trend, they made a mistake picking Charlton?

 

[Hennessy_King]

He could be the next Dlaw if he can get healthy. But yea when healthy his rookie year he was killing it. The other guy they took looks good too. cincy has some good young guys for sure.

They came out and said they would never draft Lawson tho. Said his arms aren't long enough. Even though he had 10.5 sacks in the sec in his last year and Laremy Tunsil said he was the toughest guy he ever had to block. But his arms weren't long enough.

 

[Outlaw Heroes]

It's a well made point, but I believe his window with this team is already over.

Whether they'd like to admit it or not, they drafted Taco because they didn't have confidence in Lawrence and now Lawrence is a pro-bowler with a multi-year deal. Now, Taco's only roster spot is backup LE, because of course he can't play RE and it was stupid to believe he ever could, and his attitude is wearing thin on Marinelli and shows no signs of changing any time soon.

Why can't he play RE? He's not trying to win with speed so what's the difference if he's facing the better athlete on the right side? You can win with length and technique just as much on the weak side as you can on the strong side. If anything, I think you may have things upside-down. Guys that can rush the passer from the left side can probably do it from the right side two. You play them on the strong side because they have the size and strength to be able to hold up there.