Draft Day 1 Thoughts/Opinions

Creeper said:

The Raiders two picks did not surprise me because that's what the Raiders do. I knew they would take Ruggs. Something just told me they would go for the flash with that pick.

The Giants had to take an OT. Anyone who watched them in 2019 knows that their big weakness was OL and its been a problem for several years. Nate Solder has been inconsistent at best. OT was the right pick, maybe Thomas was not the right OT. I think he will be fine, maybe not Tyron Smith but he will improve their OL. btw, the failed drug test did not hurt Becton. He went where a lot of people said he would go.

I have no idea what the Falcons were thinking but before the draft everyone had them taking Kinlaw or Chaisson. Chaisson was there and they passed on him. I heard they were trying to trade up to take Chase Young but my guess is the Skins wanted too much. But if this is true then why not take chaisson, unless they didn't like him as a player.

I think the Cowboys need to go DT or CB in round 2. Hopefully the run on CBs in round 1 means the demand has been filled and Diggs or Fulton will drop to the Cowboys. But it could be teams will pick CBs because so many went early. But that means the DTs will fall. Maybe Madubuike, Davis, Gallimore or Elliott will fall to 51. Then again, what if Delpit falls to 51? I think he won't but what if he does?

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I am probably in the minority but I think Chaisson was a reach. He doesn’t strike me as a player with first round talent. He’s a Taco type of pick in terms of talent.

Cowboyny said:

-First of all, terrible news about Dak's losing his brother. All our thoughts and prayers out to the Prescott family.

-I don't think anybody expected Lamb to fall this far, some hoped that Ruggs would be the one who had an outside chance. I don't believe they would of taken him over Chaisson. Credit the Cowboys for sticking to their board and taking the best player available.

-Got to like what Jax done, they landed both the Cowboy primary targets in CJ Henderson and Chaisson. Both are considered boom/bust prospects, but have top 5 upsides. Swing big or don't swing at all. Also, really liked what the 49ers accomplished with their 2 selections.

-Giants finally made the right selection, perhaps Garrett influenced the selection. They stayed away from the athletic freak in Simmons to grab a high level Tackle that they have sorely lacked in many seasons. It doesn't matter how good your skill positions are if you cannot protect your QB.

-Thought the Falcons, Raiders, Seahawks, Saints,Chargers all took major reaches. Granted, we all go by the media scouting, where the actual draft slotting can be off, but some of these moves many are head scratchers. Chargers give up major draft capital for Murray who I think is just a two down player. Arnette, Terrell are major reaches.

-Day 2 hopes

-Would like to see a WR run ahead of us. Still a lot of depth at the position.
-The Cowboys should be able to either grab a DB or Edge player at 51, will they trade up for a CB?
-It wouldn't surprise me if the UCLA TE is the pick in the third rd, all Cowboy insiders say they love him.

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UCLA + TE + Dallas = bad taste in mouth

darthseinfeld said:

I think the WR run happened earlier than expected, and that helps us in terms of defensive talent in the 2nd. There are also still couple WR's that go ahead of our picks, we should be rooting for Pittman, Mims, Shenault, and Higgins to go before 51 now

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Agree.

The 1st rule of the 2nd round should be "Don't pass on a player that is ranked as a 1st round pick on the team's draft board".

• It's rare for that type of player to be available but...
• In 2009 the Cowboys had pick #51. RB LeSean McCoy was available but the Cowboys traded down. The RBs on the roster were gone with a couple of years.
• LeSean McCoy
  • Super Bowl champion (LIV)
  • 6× Pro Bowl (2011, 2013–2017)
  • 2× First-team All-Pro (2011, 2013)
  • NFL rushing yards leader (2013)
  • NFL rushing touchdowns leader (2011)
  • NFL 2010s All-Decade Team
  • Philadelphia Eagles All-Time Rushing Yards Leader

With the trend of RBs being pushed down draft boards and less of them being drafted in the 1st round, the early 2nd is spot where some RBs usually get drafted.

There are 3 RBs available that were considered borderline 1st round talents. The 1 RB picked in the 1st was ranked by some draft media as the 4th RB in this draft.

There could also be a TE picked before the Cowboys pick. Kmet doesn't wow with measurable(s) but when watching Notre Dame games it seems like every other play is a pass to Kmet for a 1st down. There is a small school guy that shows excellent on-field athleticism and body control and is a very good and strong blocker.

Interior OL is another position that tends to get drafted in the 2nd. There was only 1 interior OL taken in the 1st.

There might not be any QBs drafted in the 2nd this year.

There does not appear to be any off-ball LB that would be too good to pass up at #51 but some team before the Cowboys could take one based on need.

xwalker said:

Agree.

The 1st rule of the 2nd round should be "Don't pass on a player that is ranked as a 1st round pick on the team's draft board".

• It's rare for that type of player to be available but...
• In 2009 the Cowboys had pick #51. RB LeSean McCoy was available but the Cowboys traded down. The RBs on the roster were gone with a couple of years.
• LeSean McCoy
  • Super Bowl champion (LIV)
  • 6× Pro Bowl (2011, 2013–2017)
  • 2× First-team All-Pro (2011, 2013)
  • NFL rushing yards leader (2013)
  • NFL rushing touchdowns leader (2011)
  • NFL 2010s All-Decade Team
  • Philadelphia Eagles All-Time Rushing Yards Leader

With the trend of RBs being pushed down draft boards and less of them being drafted in the 1st round, the early 2nd is spot where some RBs usually get drafted.

There are 3 RBs available that were considered borderline 1st round talents. The 1 RB picked in the 1st was ranked by some draft media as the 4th RB in this draft.

There could also be a TE picked before the Cowboys pick. Kmet doesn't wow with measurable(s) but when watching Notre Dame games it seems like every other play is a pass to Kmet for a 1st down. There is a small school guy that shows excellent on-field athleticism and body control and is a very good and strong blocker.

Interior OL is another position that tends to get drafted in the 2nd. There was only 1 interior OL taken in the 1st.

There might not be any QBs drafted in the 2nd this year.

There does not appear to be any off-ball LB that would be too good to pass up at #51 but some team before the Cowboys could take one based on need.

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Who do you have as targets?

numnuts23 said:

UCLA + TE + Dallas = bad taste in mouth

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???

Gavin Escobar: San Deigo State
Dalton Schultz: Stanford

TEs from UCLA:
Caleb Wilson Arizona Cardinals TE
Thomas Duarte Miami Dolphins TE
Marcedes Lewis Jacksonville Jaguars TE
Mike Seidman Carolina Panthers TE
Bryan Fletcher Chicago Bears TE
Jeff Grau Washington Commanders TE
Randy Austin Atlanta Falcons TE
Charles Arbuckle New Orleans Saints TE
Derek Tennell Seattle Seahawks TE
Paul Bergmann Indianapolis Colts TE
Harper Howell New England Patriots TE
Tim Wrightman Chicago Bears TE
Rob DeBose San Francisco 49ers TE
Rick Walker Cincinnati Bengals TE
Bob Christiansen Los Angeles Rams TE

xwalker said:

???

Gavin Escobar: San Deigo State
Dalton Schultz: Stanford

TEs from UCLA:
Caleb Wilson Arizona Cardinals TE
Thomas Duarte Miami Dolphins TE
Marcedes Lewis Jacksonville Jaguars TE
Mike Seidman Carolina Panthers TE
Bryan Fletcher Chicago Bears TE
Jeff Grau Washington Commanders TE
Randy Austin Atlanta Falcons TE
Charles Arbuckle New Orleans Saints TE
Derek Tennell Seattle Seahawks TE
Paul Bergmann Indianapolis Colts TE
Harper Howell New England Patriots TE
Tim Wrightman Chicago Bears TE
Rob DeBose San Francisco 49ers TE
Rick Walker Cincinnati Bengals TE
Bob Christiansen Los Angeles Rams TE

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I had it in my mind that David Lafleur went to UCLA - just went and checked. My bad! I could have SWORE he played there. Getting old man, getting old

numnuts23 said:

UCLA + TE + Dallas = bad taste in mouth

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Dude your an idiot!

Cowboyny said:

Thomas was the hot name here in NY for a few weeks, if they went the OT direction. You are right many viewed him as the 3rd or 4th Tackle in the draft.

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Not to wish ill of others, but as a Dallas fan I'm hoping the same Giants front office guy that picked Ereck Flowers in the top ten made this pick also.

numnuts23 said:

I had it in my mind that David Lafleur went to UCLA - just went and checked. My bad! I could have SWORE he played there. Getting old man, getting old

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PTESD.

Post Tight End Stress Disorder.

Kaiser said:

PTESD.

Post Tight End Stress Disorder.

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My gosh is that not the truth!!

Kaiser said:

Not to wish ill of others, but as a Dallas fan I'm hoping the same Giants front office guy that picked Ereck Flowers in the top ten made this pick also.

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Different GM's.

darthseinfeld said:

Who do you have as targets?

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There are several that I have not studied enough to rule them out, but I'll comment on some players I've reviewed in at least 2 full games:

OL Josh Jones: Hard to pass on a LT prospect at #51.

S Xavier McKinney: Solid ready now player. Should be able to play FS or SS.
S Jeremy Chinn: Small school guy. Very big but moves like a CB and played some at CB.
S Kyle Dugger: Solid Player.
S Grant Delpit: Good size/speed but terrible tackler and takes terrible angles.
S Antoine Winfield Jr: Opposite of Delpit. Lacks the measurable(s) at 5-9 but a solid "football player""

CB Trevon Diggs: I thought he might be a late 1st round pick.
CB Kristian Fulton: Should be good but might be scheme dependent. Plays a physical press style.

EDGE Yetur Gross-Matos: Solid player with good size/measurable(s)
EDGE Zack Baun: Small as an edge player. Might be a perfect fit in the hybrid role that Cowboys DC Nolan has used in the past.
EDGE Josh Uche: Short as 6-1, but very long arms. More athletic than several of the other Edge options.
EDGE A.J. Epenesa: Maybe a better version of Crawford; although, Crawford had better measurable(s).

DL Marlon Davidson: Player as a DE and 3-4 style OLB in college at 6-3, 303. Surprising bend/agility for a player his size. Should be a 4-3 3tech DT but has versatility in multiple front type defense.

numnuts23 said:

I had it in my mind that David Lafleur went to UCLA - just went and checked. My bad! I could have SWORE he played there. Getting old man, getting old

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LSU if I recall correctly.

btcutter said:

With 3 quality WRs who should be on the field at least 75% of the time our TE need just went down little more. I wouldn't draft a TE until 4th at earliest.

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Great point.

Lamb not only addresses the need at 3rd WR, but he allows them to play a higher percentage of 3 WRs sets.

They still need a good starting TE in 3 WR sets but it makes the starting TE the 4th or 5th option in the passing game.

xwalker said:

Ruggs:
I'm not surprised that Ruggs went before Jeudy but I am surprised he went before both Jeudy AND Lamb.

OT:
Jay Glazer appears to have legit "inside info". He said almost all teams had OT Thomas and Becton below the other 2 OTs on their draft boards.

Glazer said after the 2nd OT was picked that only the Jets would take Becton over Wirfs.

Falcons:
I'm not surprised the Falcons took AJ Terrell over Chaisson. IMO, Terrell was a bit underrated by the draft media.

I think despite being somewhat stacked at WR, the Falcons might have taken Lamb over Chaisson.

Cowboys:
I think they'll definitely take a defensive player in the 2nd.

They should go BDA...Best Defensive Player Available...

Generally it is more likely in the 2nd than the 1st that there will be multiple players with similar rankings available.

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My comments about the Falcons were more about the rumors having them taking Chaisson before Dallas. If the Falcons tried to trade up and failed then taking Terrell could have been a fall back option for them. He is a good player and probably would have gone somewhere else in the first round. Maybe the Raiders wanted Terrell but settled for Arnette.

reddyuta said:

sorry but i would be pissed if we go offense in the 2nd and 3rd rd.

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He said defense in the 2nd

morasp said:

I thought for where they were picking the Vikings got a couple of really good players with Gladney and Jefferson.

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Yeah, they came away with those two players plus added a 4th without losing out on either. Two greatest needs
Good job.

Verdammung said:

1. Bengals select Joe Burrow - Duh.
2. Commanders select Chase Young - Damnit.
3. Lions select Jeffrey Okudah - There was talk that maybe Patricia wanted Brown and the GM wanted Okudah. Says a little something about the future of the Lions.
4. Giants select Andrew Thomas - Solid player, but I don't have concerns about facing him twice a year.
   
5. Dolphins select Tua Tagovailoa - Yes.
6. Chargers select Justin Herbert - K.
7. Panthers select Derrick Brown - Over Isaiah Simmons? I don't know about that.
8. Cardinals select Isaiah Simmons - They probably needed an OL, but this is a team that isn't afraid to take position-less players on defense.
9. Jaguars select C.J. Henderson - Thank you for taking that option away from us.
10. Browns select Jedrick Wills - My OT #1.
11. Jets select Mekhi Becton - Good luck with that.
12. Raiders select Henry Ruggs III - They were rumored to want to duplicate Tyreek Hill and that's exactly what this dude can be.
13. Buccaneers select Tristan Wirfs - Eh... I think they got really spooked they would lose their final lineman and the 49ers told them someone was trying to come up for their pick.
14. 49ers select Javon Kinlaw - Risky, but trading Buckner and immediately turning that into his replacement while saving $20 Million a year is damn fine GM work.
15. Broncos select Jerry Jeudy - This might be blasphemous, but I would have rather of had Jeudy than Lamb.
16. Falcons select A.J. Terrell - I cannot tell you how ecstatic I was when they took that option away from us. We all owe Falcons fans a drink.
17. Cowboys select CeeDee Lamb - I didn't believe they would pass on Chaisson and I'm happy that they did. Personally, Lamb was my WR #3, but he was one of 12 first round grades I gave. Honestly, at the rate we're going with these receivers, maybe you couldn't wait on drafting receiver and needed to pull the trigger in the first.
18. Dolphins select Austin Jackson - Suddenly I understand why the Buccaneers needed to trade up one spot; to make sure this wasn't a possibility.
19. Raiders select Damon Arnette - LOLOLOLOLOL.
20. Jaguars select K'Lavon Chaisson - Jaguars do seem to love to clean up for us.
21. Eagles select Jalen Reagor - Maybe the Eagles should have traded up to get one of these top three guys, but I don't think they were that wrong pick Reagor over Jefferson. I had them graded neck and neck; Jefferson would have been safer, but it's what flavor of ice cream you want.
22. Vikings select Justin Jefferson - Good pick.
23. Chargers select Kenneth Murray - K.
24. Saints select Cesar Ruiz - But why? Not saying he isn't worth the pick, but why draft a center and play him at guard a year after trading up to draft a center?
25. 49ers select Brandon Aiyuk - I don't know about this. Need, sure, but is he the best complement or the best value?
    
26. Packers select Jordan Love - LOLOLOLOLOL.
27. Seahawks select Jordyn Brooks - Seahawks just do not care.
28. Ravens select Patrick Queen - That's a pretty Baltimore pick right there.
29. Titans select Isaiah Wilson - Ew.
30. Dolphins select Noah Igbinoghene - Whut? Why?
31. Vikings select Jeff Gladney - Death, taxes, and the Vikings taking cornerbacks in the first round. Well there goes my guy.
32. Chiefs select Clyde Edwards-Helaire - Not the best back, but the right back for what the Chiefs want to do.

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Overall, good job.

4. Thomas is a good player and will help the Giants a lot. I know Giants fans hate this pick, but I think Thomas will be the most steady of the OTs coming out this year. The Giants need steady because their OL was very shaky. Look at it this way, Chaisson doesn't have to worry about getting owned by Thomas twice a year.
15. & 17. I had Lamb and Jeudy neck and neck. I do not compare them to Ruggs who I see as a specialty player. Lamb is a little slower than Jeudy. Lambs 4.5 40 is a tad concerning, but its not his speed that makes him dangerous.
21. The thing about Reagor is he will never be a number 1 receiver IMO. He is not that type of guy. I admit I could be wrong about this, but he is another guy you have to be creative with. He is not a guy you line up outside and ask him to do what Cooper, or Thomas or the top receivers do. I think he will make plays, but whether he is as effective in the NFL as he was in college, I don't know.
24. Yeah, this makes no sense.
26. LOL. Wouldn't you have loved to have been in the room with Aaron Rodgers when this pick was announced?
29. Must need a swing tackle or they were just desperate for beef.
31. Love this pick for the Vikings.
32. Chiefs are still celebrating.

My thoughts on Day 1 as a whole: I thought it was a shockingly sober night. Few trades, and on almost every pick I either thought "I like this" or "I can see where they're coming from".

My commentary on a few more notable picks:


Giants select Andrew Thomas: Simmons was BPA, but with all their investment in Daniel Jones and Barkley, helping them out was a sensible thing to do. I would have gone with Wirfs, but Thomas is probably the safest bet among all the tackles. Just a very conservative pick IMO.

Panthers select Derrick Brown - this was a miscalculation IMO. Simmons is a top 5 blue chipper, Brown is like an 11-20 guy. Don't overthink it, Panthers.

Raiders select Henry Ruggs - seems like a stupid Raiders pick, but I'm all on board. Ruggs was my WR1.

Bucs select Tristan Wirfs. Perfect pick. Like I said earlier, I'd have been down for Wirfs at pick 4. I don't even care about the trade up. The Bucs are working with a 2 year window to win, so they need to be aggressive about helping Brady now; they couldn't risk losing Wirfs and running out some muppet at RT next year just to keep a freaking fourth.

Falcons select AJ Terrell - when we got to about pick #15 and Kinlaw was off the board, I poured myself a shot of whiskey in preparation for dealing with the upcoming AJ Terrell pick at #17. When the Falcons picked him at #16, I downed the shot in celebration. This was the first truly stupid selection of the night.

Raiders select Damon Arnette - am I the only person who thinks this pick isn't completely crazy? Just based solely on film, I thought Arnette was the best second-tier corner out there. Now I wouldn't have drafted him as the #3 corner, because of that scary 40, his age, and his rumored dickishness off the field. That's too much baggage for a top 20 pick. But I thought he absolutely had first round tape.

Eagles select Jalen Reagor - it's annoying how Howie Roseman does business. He never gets cute with the draft. Eagles have needed speed at WR forever, he gets a burner with some really good tape. If I were Philly, I would have tried my damndest to trade up for a top 3 WR (and I think they did), but if you're stuck there in the 20s, Reagor is a solid pick.

Chargers select Kenneth Murray - I had Murray as a top 20 player, so I'm fine with this from a value perspective. Strategically though, I think this is a huge mistake. The Chargers defense is fine. You just drafted a franchise QB, and your offensive line has sucked ever since Tomlinson left. Protect the damn kid. If I were the Chargers GM, my game plan for the first three rounds would've been Herbert -> OL -> OL, and now they're out of ammo to add anyone.

Packers select Jordan Love - Ohhhh boy, Rodgers is going to be pissed.

Seattle selects Jordyn Brooks - it's weird how Seattle tries to get cute and outsmart themselves in the first round every single year.

Chiefs select Clyde Edwards-Helaire: Andy Reid has never taken a top 50 running back in the last 20 years, but now's a great time to make an exception. CEH is going to pillage and burn for the next 5 years in that Chiefs offense, and KC is absolutely going to get their first round money's worth.

xwalker said:

Great point.

Lamb not only addresses the need at 3rd WR, but he allows them to play a higher percentage of 3 WRs sets.

They still need a good starting TE in 3 WR sets but it makes the starting TE the 4th or 5th option in the passing game.

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Playmakers...Zeke, Cooper, Lamb and Gallup.........low on list is TE, FB.
Get the ball to your Playmakers!