2016 Draft

[Cattle_Rancher]

Since everyone wants to grade let’s grade something we actually have something to grade. These guys have played 3 full seasons.

EE great RB he is a beast only complaint here is do you get true value for the 4th pick on a RB could of taken Ramsey a solid DB or Buckner a solid DT and maybe got more long term value but I think this pick is a solid A

Jaylon Smith he showed this past season what a great LB he can be but coming out with the injury and passing on Michael Thomas a solid WR and passed on Deion Jone who has been as good as Jaylon and was healthy in 2016. The Cowboys got really lucky on a big gamble. I give the player an A but the pick itself an F.

Maliek Collins he flashes but overall nothing to write home about and there was decent talent left on the board. I’ll give it a D

Charles Tapper I was really excited about this kid he was going to get to play in his natural 4-3 DE spot so gifted but a bad back derailed everything. I give it an F how does your medical staff miss it

Dak Prescott some hate him some love him starting to think this is a trend with Cowboys QBs. I’d bet if this site was around when Roger or Troy played there would of been people on here spewing hate about them. For my opinion Dak has looked really good and progressing. I had him as a raw 2nd Cowboys got him in the 4th I think he has out played both rankings. I give this pick an A+

Anthony Brown has played ok at times not bad for 6th round give it a B

Darius Jackson and Rico Gathers neither is amounted to much but most 6th rounders don’t I give them a D

Overall they got 3 really good starters and a couple of rotation guys can’t be to upset with that I think an A- to A for this draft.

 

[slick325]

If you land a potential HOF player with your Top 5 pick and then land a starting QB you believe is already a "franchise QB"...then you get an A+ for that draft.

Jaylon Smith recovering and being a bona fide Pro Bowl type player is icing on the cake. His story is an amazing one. The gamble paid off IMO. Anthony Brown and Maliek Collins are solid contributors too.

 

[WillieBeamen]

Zeke- A

Jaylon- C

Maliek- C

Charles- F

Dak- C

Brown- B

Frazier- D

Jackson- D

Rico- F

 

[jazzcat22]

This was an excellent draft.
I did not like they took the flyer on Smith at the time. But they look like geniuses from it. Complete opposite of Gregory. I liked the pick at the time, but now they look stupid for that.

Just goes to prove why it is needed to wait 3 years. Some player take 2, some 4. Some are a home run right away. Some are bust, but I still will give them that 3 years. As we see it all the time.

 

[Carter]

This draft was an A+

We basically drafted 4 Starters (Zeke, Jaylon, Dak, Maliek) and 2 Backups (Brown, Frazier) who started games in this Draft alone.

Also helps when you pick early each Round

 

[Haimerej]

Charles Tapper I was really excited about this kid he was going to get to play in his natural 4-3 DE spot so gifted but a bad back derailed everything. I give it an F how does your medical staff miss it

The same way every medical professional who ever examined him in his entire life missed it.

 

[beware_d-ware]

We got 5 starters and 3 Pro Bowlers out of one class and people still want to complain. Tell me how many other teams did better.

2016 was an easy A+ draft.

 

[Proof]

Ironically jaylon has played more full seasons than Deion Jones lol, and the year he redshirted doesn’t count against the team. Love it.

As far as tapper, he’s been living with this condition his whole life. No one caught it

 

[jazzcat22]

Zeke- A

Jaylon- C

Maliek- C

Charles- F

Dak- C

Brown- B

Frazier- D

Jackson- D

Rico- F

Is this at the time of the draft, or now?

Then and now
Zeke A and A
Jaylon F and A
Maliek C and C- because of his injuries
Charles F and F
Dak B because they finally picked a QB and I guess still a B but need to see him this season

From here it is hard to grade later picks initially
Brown C and B
Frazier C and C+
Jackson D and D
Rico D and F

 

[Jake]

Is this at the time of the draft, or now?

Then and now
Zeke A and A
Jaylon F and A
Maliek C and C- because of his injuries
Charles F and F
Dak B because they finally picked a QB and I guess still a B but need to see him this season

From here it is hard to grade later picks initially
Brown C and B
Frazier C and C+
Jackson D and D
Rico D and F

Imagine the grade if Jerry had pulled off the trade to move back into the first round for Paxton Lynch? He was upset that he didn't, at the time.

 

[northerncowboynation]

Since everyone wants to grade let’s grade something we actually have something to grade. These guys have played 3 full seasons.

EE great RB he is a beast only complaint here is do you get true value for the 4th pick on a RB could of taken Ramsey a solid DB or Buckner a solid DT and maybe got more long term value but I think this pick is a solid A

Jaylon Smith he showed this past season what a great LB he can be but coming out with the injury and passing on Michael Thomas a solid WR and passed on Deion Jone who has been as good as Jaylon and was healthy in 2016. The Cowboys got really lucky on a big gamble. I give the player an A but the pick itself an F.

Maliek Collins he flashes but overall nothing to write home about and there was decent talent left on the board. I’ll give it a D

Charles Tapper I was really excited about this kid he was going to get to play in his natural 4-3 DE spot so gifted but a bad back derailed everything. I give it an F how does your medical staff miss it

Dak Prescott some hate him some love him starting to think this is a trend with Cowboys QBs. I’d bet if this site was around when Roger or Troy played there would of been people on here spewing hate about them. For my opinion Dak has looked really good and progressing. I had him as a raw 2nd Cowboys got him in the 4th I think he has out played both rankings. I give this pick an A+

Anthony Brown has played ok at times not bad for 6th round give it a B

Darius Jackson and Rico Gathers neither is amounted to much but most 6th rounders don’t I give them a D

Overall they got 3 really good starters and a couple of rotation guys can’t be to upset with that I think an A- to A for this draft.

Most of us give credit to McClay for the draft improvement. What some don't realize is we added a new Director of College Scouting in 2016 with McClay's raves of approval, Lional Vital. I think he and his scouts deserve a lot of the credit for the big improvements in 2016, 17 and 18. Hope it holds true in 2019. And yes, Taco has another year to prove something but lets look at the DB's added that year as well.

Good post Ranching

 

[northerncowboynation]

We would have tarred and feathered Aikman after his first two years but the internet was in it's infancy and there was no Twitter

 

[PJTHEDOORS]

So Maleik Collins gets the same grade as Darius Jackson and Rico Gathers., a D? Collins needs just to stay healthy. When he is rijght, the guy is good.

B- for me.

And Jaylon Smith will only get better. He's a stud. A+ for where he was picked knowing his upside. Some draft analysis had him going #1 overall.

 

[Mr_437]

This draft was an A+

We basically drafted 4 Starters (Zeke, Jaylon, Dak, Maliek) and 2 Backups (Brown, Frazier) who started games in this Draft alone.

Also helps when you pick early each Round

Nickelback is considered a starter. Really it's 5 starters, so we can brag a little bit more.

 

[northerncowboynation]

ok, we have the talent, we have a solid coaching staff, now can we put it all together in 2019? Putting it all together for me means at least an NFC championship game. If not, we all know the next step that should be taken

 

[northerncowboynation]

Nickelback is considered a starter. Really it's 5 starters, so we can brag a little bit more.

Nickelback is considered a starter. Really it's 5 starters, so we can brag a little bit more.

Nikelback is Canadian rock band wanna be and if you paid to see them in concert you would want your nickel back

 

[GenoT]

Since everyone wants to grade let’s grade something we actually have something to grade. These guys have played 3 full seasons.

EE great RB he is a beast only complaint here is do you get true value for the 4th pick on a RB could of taken Ramsey a solid DB or Buckner a solid DT and maybe got more long term value but I think this pick is a solid A

Jaylon Smith he showed this past season what a great LB he can be but coming out with the injury and passing on Michael Thomas a solid WR and passed on Deion Jone who has been as good as Jaylon and was healthy in 2016. The Cowboys got really lucky on a big gamble. I give the player an A but the pick itself an F.

Maliek Collins he flashes but overall nothing to write home about and there was decent talent left on the board. I’ll give it a D

Charles Tapper I was really excited about this kid he was going to get to play in his natural 4-3 DE spot so gifted but a bad back derailed everything. I give it an F how does your medical staff miss it

Dak Prescott some hate him some love him starting to think this is a trend with Cowboys QBs. I’d bet if this site was around when Roger or Troy played there would of been people on here spewing hate about them. For my opinion Dak has looked really good and progressing. I had him as a raw 2nd Cowboys got him in the 4th I think he has out played both rankings. I give this pick an A+

Anthony Brown has played ok at times not bad for 6th round give it a B

Darius Jackson and Rico Gathers neither is amounted to much but most 6th rounders don’t I give them a D

Overall they got 3 really good starters and a couple of rotation guys can’t be to upset with that I think an A- to A for this draft.

Keeping in mind, the 2016 draft was aided by the fact that we were coming off 2015’s 4-12, bottom-feeder season; a season that was lost, for the most part, because one player, QB Tony Romo, started only four games. The result was that we picked high all the way through the 2016 draft.

No matter how or when we choose to spin it, the 2019 draft will never compare favorably to the 2016 draft.

 

[Kolemmitt]

Wow. Some of you guys are way too tough.
Zeke -A Would be an A+ if he wasn't the #4 pick.
Smith - A Would be an A+ if he had played more early, but if he continues on the path he is on, it may turn into an A+
Collins - C+ PT starter in the 3rd round. Probably would have been higher after a promising rookie year, if it wasn't for injuries.
Tapper - D Never really did much. Injuries derailed him, still fourth-rounder.
Dak A+ I don't care if you are Dak -hater or Dak- lover, but if you get a guy at the bottom of the 4th that goes to the playoffs twice, two pro-bowls and wins more games than any other QB not named Tom Brady during the first three years of his career, you hit a home run. Plain and simple. Even he never throws another pass in the NFL, you hit this one out of the park.
Brown -A spot starter and solid nickel CB sixth round. Really solid pick.
Frazier B solid special teams player. For the sixth round, this is not bad at all.
Jackson - D anything you get out of a sixth rounder is a bonus, but we haven't gotten anything yet and after this draft it looks very unlikely that we will.
Rico- D same as above.

Overall - A Zeke, Smith, and Dak make this draft, getting contributions from Collins and Brown helps it even more.

 

[Cattle_Rancher]

So Maleik Collins gets the same grade as Darius Jackson and Rico Gathers., a D? Collins needs just to stay healthy. When he is rijght, the guy is good.

B- for me.

And Jaylon Smith will only get better. He's a stud. A+ for where he was picked knowing his upside. Some draft analysis had him going #1 overall.

With Collins I put into consideration where he was drafted and talent on the board. With Jackson and Rico they were 6th rounders who I thought were good shots in the dark like most 6th and 7th round picks they just missed.