I'm just saying that I view it as a mistake because I think if they had reversed their decision and taken Johnson, first, Pollard would have been there with their second fourth rounder a few picks later.
What's wrong with me having that opinion? It's widely shared.
Good thread Stash.
Like you, I think that Dallas wanted both Pollard and Johnson and they had to decide which one to take first.
I imagine they went with Pollard first because he was the more important player for them... not necessarily that they thought Pollard was the better player. By that I mean they intend to get Pollard on the field plenty in 2019, with him seeing time at RB/slot WR as well as kick returner, while Johnson probably wouldn’t see the field much this season. The team needs to become more diverse in its offensive attack and Pollard was a target to help do just that.
IOW, pollard was key to the new direction the team wants to take while Johnson was not.
Also, I don’t think they felt like there was really anyone that they could take at RB that would be able to do what Pollard can. If they lost him they might have to wait until next year to get a guy who they felt had the ability to fill that unique role, just relying on Austin again (which I don’t think they wanted to do). That versatility and size/speed combo wasn’t really there after Pollard, while there were guys like Mike Jackson they liked that would be available if Johnson got taken ahead of them.
Looking at their decision to take Tony first in that light, it is easy to see why they did it the way they did.
Would Pollard have lasted until their next pick? He very well might have, but they weren’t willing to risk findings out because they didn’t have a viable backup option if he didn’t last. With Johnson, there were guys they could take to groom at CB if he got taken.
That is what I feel was likely the team’s thought process.
I get the feeling that Mike Jackson was just slightly below Isaiah Johnson on the Cowboys CB rankings.
The CB they really wanted was Justin Layne but he was picked at #83 and they had pick #90.
Three we know they liked:
Justin Layne
¤Picked in the 3rd round (#83).
Isaiah Johnson
¤Picked in the late 4th (#129).
¤Great measurable(s) but very raw.
Mike Jackson
¤Picked in the 5th (#158).
¤Measurable(s) not too far from Johnson.
¤More developed CB than Johnson.
Player ..... .………… Johnson ... Jackson .... Layne
Height ..... . ………… 6’1-7/8” . .. . 6’0-5/8” . .. . 6’1-3/4”
Weight ...... ………… 205 ….. ….. 210 ….. ….. 192
40 Yard ... . ………… 4.40 . . . . . . 4.45 . . . . . . 4.50
20 Yard ... . ………… 2.56 . . . . . . 2.64 . . . . . . 2.65
10 Yard ... . ………… 1.55 . . . . . . 1.60 . . . . . . 1.59
Bench ....... ………… 9 . .…. .…. . 13 . . . . . . . . x
Vert ......... . ………… 36 1/2 … … 40 1/2 … … 37 1/2
Broad ...... . ………… 11'01" … … 10'10" … … 11’02”
SS ........... . ………… 4.06 . . . . . . 4.12 . . . . . . 4.09
3-Cone .... . ………… 6.81 . . . . . . 7.12 . . . . . . 6.90
Hand ....... . ………… 9 . .…. .…. . 9 3/4 .… …. 9 1/4
Arm ......... . ………… 33 1/8 … … 32 1/2 … … 33
Wingspan... ………… 79 1/2 … … 77 1/4 … … 80 1/8
Note: Mike Jackson had a hand timed 4.39 forty.