2023 draft class a bust?

[fivetwos]

Will McClay is one heck of a great YES man as to why he still has a job boggles the mind.
Too many busts out there in Draft land................

As I just posted elsewhere, he is willing to play the Milli Vanilli sham.

We need a fake behind the scenes GM and a puppet HC to make it appear that Jerry is the man, even though everyone already knows this.

Its never a subject because most of the media trying to earn a living knows better than to cross vindictive Jerry.

It’s a truly disgusting ego show and I can’t wait until it’s over. I really can’t. I don’t even care about winning if the circus would just stop already. This is NOT what I signed up for. I am 100% embarrassed to admit I’m a fan of this team because of that buffoon and his image.

 

[KingintheNorth]

Yes, the Cowboys have improved at drafting.


The idea, mainly here, that they are the best at drafting is a bit silly.

With the bad picks, I don't necessarily dislike the player. I mainly dislike their reasoning behind the pick.

Examples:
Taco Charlton over T.J. Watt over the silly belief TJ couldn't play 4-3 RDE.
Drafting a running back 4th overall.
Drafting a one-legged Linebacker in the 2nd round.
Drafting an admitted drug abuser in the 2nd round.
Trystin Hill over Juan Thornhill because 3Tech's are more valuable than Safeties.
Reaching on Kelvin Joseph in the 2nd because you didn't get Horn or Surtain in the 1st.
Mazi Smith will single handedly improve the run defense.
Reaching for Schoonmaker because you missed out on the run of talented Tight Ends.

The issue is the Jones insisting they are competent football decision makers. There is no accountability for their misses. The improved drafting comes when a great player falls (CeeDee, Micah) or they further they get from the top of the draft where the Jones lose interest and the scouts are allowed to eat.

 

[KingintheNorth]

As I just posted elsewhere, he is willing to play the Milli Vanilli sham.

This is incredibly accurate.

the fact that he keeps turning down chances to interview to be a true GM elsewhere makes me think he is perfectly okay with the facade.

 

[TwistedL0g1k]

Examples:
Taco Charlton over T.J. Watt over the silly belief TJ couldn't play 4-3 RDE.
Drafting a running back 4th overall.
Drafting a one-legged Linebacker in the 2nd round.
Drafting an admitted drug abuser in the 2nd round.
Trystin Hill over Juan Thornhill because 3Tech's are more valuable than Safeties.
Reaching on Kelvin Joseph in the 2nd because you didn't get Horn or Surtain in the 1st.
Mazi Smith will single handedly improve the run defense.
Reaching for Schoonmaker because you missed out on the run of talented Tight Ends.

That's a very good list!

I like to distinguish between mistakes in judgment and mistakes in strategy.

Picking Taco over Watt was a mistake in judgment. They misevaluated. It happens to the best scouting departments.

Drafting Zeke at #4 overall was a mistake in strategy. FAR worse mistake. That's just cold blooded stupidity. A strategic error.

 

[1942willys]

No we didn't. TE was absolutely positively not a need. It was a weird frickin' pick that made no sense.

Mazi was overdrafted for sure and can be labeled a need pick.

Don't just call everything a need pick because you prefer BPA. BPA is not a draft strategy, it's a fan thing that no team uses. Taco was BPA.

The GM thought it was a need and there you are
Not sure where you thought I was one of those BPA fanatics who are just as stupid as the need joes

 

[1942willys]

That's a very good list!

I like to distinguish between mistakes in judgment and mistakes in strategy.

Picking Taco over Watt was a mistake in judgment. They misevaluated. It happens to the best scouting departments.

Drafting Zeke at #4 overall was a mistake in strategy. FAR worse mistake. That's just cold blooded stupidity. A strategic error.

Taco was not on the Scouting staff; not sure who told you that.

 

[KJJ]

According to you he was fine. Do you still believe that?

 

[rnr_honeybadger]

Will the Cowboys address the interior line and get some run stuffing fat men or will they roll with a few undersized ballerinas? History says that it will be the latter. Bonus if the undersized ballerina is playing on one leg.

 

[Creeper]

I think if they left Mazi at 330 lbs he might have been more productive by the end of the year. I have no idea why they made him lose that much weight. His late start on the snap is not a weight issue, it is a reaction time issue.

Schoonmaker I think will be okay at some point. I wouldn't have drafted a TE there but they have him so we'll see what happens. If I were him I would be working on my blocking, especially run blocking. But I think he has the ability to be a decent 2nd TE. His problem is with Ferguson he will have trouble getting throws his way.

Fehoko is an interesting pick. They did not need him at DE, but maybe they will in 2024 if they lose Fowler and Armstrong to free agency. Fehoko is a little rough around the edges but his strength is his motor. My gut feelin gis he will be better than Golston, which isn't saying a lot but I think he will contribute.

The 2023 draft was really about depth. The Cowboys were not looking for starters.

 

[big dog cowboy]

According to you he was fine. Do you still believe that?

Yes. When he got hurt he wasn't even supposed to play. Well he overcame and did. And he played well. He provided all the blocking the Cowboys were looking for on offense and special teams when they made the pick. We knew he came from a run first offense and the receiving skills would need sharpened.

Considering he wasn't even supposed to see the field I'd say he accomplished a lot this year. I'd like to say he will show more in the passing game next year but with only so many touches to go around and being 6th or 7th on the target count in the passing game he will only see so many.

 

[KJJ]

Yes. When he got hurt he wasn't even supposed to play. Well he overcame and did. And he played well. He provided all the blocking the Cowboys were looking for on offense and special teams when they made the pick. We knew he came from a run first offense and the receiving skills would need sharpened.

Considering he wasn't even supposed to see the field I'd say he accomplished a lot this year. I'd like to say he will show more in the passing game next year but with only so many touches to go around and being 6th or 7th on the target count in the passing game he will only see so many.

I never read anywhere where he wasn’t supposed to play. He was dealing with plantar fasciitis in camp, and the team said he would play through it. The injury was never even mentioned during the season. I don’t get where you think he played well. Even his blocking didn’t grade out well in the PFF grades that were posted during the season. He wasn’t being targeted very much because he wasn’t dependable and couldn’t get open. He had at least two drops and didn’t run a route deep enough to score TD in a critical game. He also made another mistake by not getting out of bounds after a catch to stop the clock. I honestly don’t know what you see in him. He was a huge disappointment.

 

[Mr_437]

It's not looking good, but we have to see how Mazi, Overshown, Fehoko, Scott Jr., and Wheat can fit into Zim's defense. I believe the defensive players are the one's that can make it a good draft. Schoon will improve imo, Richards and Brooks have to improve drastically to stick around past 2 more years.

 

[fivetwos]

I think if they left Mazi at 330 lbs he might have been more productive by the end of the year. I have no idea why they made him lose that much weight. His late start on the snap is not a weight issue, it is a reaction time issue.

Schoonmaker I think will be okay at some point. I wouldn't have drafted a TE there but they have him so we'll see what happens. If I were him I would be working on my blocking, especially run blocking. But I think he has the ability to be a decent 2nd TE. His problem is with Ferguson he will have trouble getting throws his way.

Fehoko is an interesting pick. They did not need him at DE, but maybe they will in 2024 if they lose Fowler and Armstrong to free agency. Fehoko is a little rough around the edges but his strength is his motor. My gut feelin gis he will be better than Golston, which isn't saying a lot but I think he will contribute.

The 2023 draft was really about depth. The Cowboys were not looking for starters.

Well the 2009 special teams draft had us in the toilet by mid-2010.

Let’s see how this one goes. It’s not even just that, they have had a few really bad ones lately when the big plan is to build through the draft. Hitting on your first rounder isn’t enough in that case, and last year they didn’t even do that.

What exactly is supposed to happen on the field? This little run is probably over.

 

[plasticman]

Players drafted by the Cowboys over the past four seasons have been awarded Pro Bowl status 12 times. The next closest is Detroit with 8. No other team has more than 5.

This group of Cowboys also has 5 All Pro designations among them, first in the NFL. There are only 19 All Pro awards given to the total four draft classes for the whole league.

You also have to credit their personnel department for above average success in the market of undrafted rookies. They had over a hundred started over the past 4 seasons.

 

[DanTanna]

This class is on it's way to being a huge bust. And those praying Overshown will be awesome - his NFL draft grade was Special Teamer/Career back up.

 

[DUO_CORE]

Peeps after the '89 season, "Aikman is a bust!"
Yea, he has a bust in Canton.

 

[kskboys]

This just in. No team uses BPA in the draft.

Confirmed by.....a fan.

Correct, glad you were able to get it!!!!!!!

Every once in a while in the mid to later rounds a team will just take a player willy nilly because they consider them BPA. Mostly, it's a fan trying to simply the process simply because there is so much going into drafting, it's difficult to comprehend w/o tons of study and evaluation, which most aren't going to do.

 

[kskboys]

Mazi may never be the stud DT everyone lusts for, but I don't think he will be a bust. He'll be a contributor at some level. Power positions are a big jump from college to pros. I'll bet he's better next season.

Schoon was a baffling pick, but he did develop into a decent blocking TE by the end of the season. Over-drafted yes, but hardly worthless.

Overshown has potential, but can he stay healthy? I have doubts...

Imagine if Dallas had taken a stud RB in the second round, instead of a 3rd string developmental TE. That might have actually made a real difference last season. Ignoring the RB position with Pollard coming off injury was the biggest mistake of the draft. There was an excellent OL prospect available there too.

And in Schooner's scouting report: "Short yardage target who picks up first downs."

Too bad we didn't already have one of those so we wouldn't have to use a high pick to get one!!!

 

[CowboysLakerBamaFan]

It's not a complete bust YET...but it's fair to say it's creeping along on a couple of tires with slow leaks, squeaky breaks, and a timing belt that's hanging on by a thread.

You can't put a stop on it yet,.. .but you can see which way the needlebis pointing, andnits pointing in the wrong direction.

 

[baltcowboy]

Schoonmaker had that seam touchdown against Carolina. He does get down field for a big man. Dak overthrew him against San Francisco but he beat the coverage on that play. The old man has potential. Ferguson took a step forward last offseason, why can’t Luke.