A better draft strategy than standing pat in draft order

[Mcsports]

The Cowboys enter the upcoming draft with 10 of the draft’s 257 picks. With holes at almost every position group on this roster, and with this organization’s refusal to take free agency as a serious way to upgrade the roster, we need a plausible approach that can upgrade this team quickly in the upcoming 2025 draft. Here are the Cowboys current picks by round:

• Round 1: No. 12
• Round 2: No. 44
• Round 3: No. 76
• Round 5: No. 149
• Round 5: No. 174 (compensatory pick)
• Round 6: No. 204 (from Lions)
• Round 6: No. 211 (compensatory pick)
• Round 7: No. 217 (from Titans)
• Round 7: No. 239 (from Packers)
• Round 7: No. 247 (from Chiefs)

It’s great having 10 picks but only 3 of them are in the top 100. That gap between pick 76 and 149 is huge. Having 7 picks in the back end of the draft decreases the chances of immediate impact. Five of those current picks will be in rounds 6 and 7 where most of those players will be STers or deep backups at best.

So…what if we could get aggressive and do a couple of trade downs to give us 5 picks in the top 100 instead of just 3?

• Trade down at 12 to pick up an extra 2nd or 3rd round pick.
• Consider trading a current player on the roster in a draft pick trade.
• Use some of the compensatory picks at the bottom to sweeten a deal.

Bottom line for me: Having only 3 top 100 picks and having 7 picks from rounds 5-7 is not enough help. We should convert some of the compensatory picks and round 6 and 7 picks into less overall picks but more in the top 100.

Without some move ups, our draft picks will mostly be bottom of the talent pool.

According to the trade chart value , Dallas would basically have to give up two fifths and a sixth just to get to the 100th pick.

 

[xwalker]

The Cowboys enter the upcoming draft with 10 of the draft’s 257 picks. With holes at almost every position group on this roster, and with this organization’s refusal to take free agency as a serious way to upgrade the roster, we need a plausible approach that can upgrade this team quickly in the upcoming 2025 draft. Here are the Cowboys current picks by round:

• Round 1: No. 12
• Round 2: No. 44
• Round 3: No. 76
• Round 5: No. 149
• Round 5: No. 174 (compensatory pick)
• Round 6: No. 204 (from Lions)
• Round 6: No. 211 (compensatory pick)
• Round 7: No. 217 (from Titans)
• Round 7: No. 239 (from Packers)
• Round 7: No. 247 (from Chiefs)

It’s great having 10 picks but only 3 of them are in the top 100. That gap between pick 76 and 149 is huge. Having 7 picks in the back end of the draft decreases the chances of immediate impact. Five of those current picks will be in rounds 6 and 7 where most of those players will be STers or deep backups at best.

So…what if we could get aggressive and do a couple of trade downs to give us 5 picks in the top 100 instead of just 3?

• Trade down at 12 to pick up an extra 2nd or 3rd round pick.
• Consider trading a current player on the roster in a draft pick trade.
• Use some of the compensatory picks at the bottom to sweeten a deal.

Bottom line for me: Having only 3 top 100 picks and having 7 picks from rounds 5-7 is not enough help. We should convert some of the compensatory picks and round 6 and 7 picks into less overall picks but more in the top 100.

Without some move ups, our draft picks will mostly be bottom of the talent pool.

By far the top goal when picking in the top half of round one should be to get a super-star type player. A multi-time All Pro.

Imagine if the Rams in the 2014 draft had traded down to #18 and picked up multiple picks in the process.
- They would still have lost that trade!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_NFL_draft

In the NFL, you must have a certain number of super-star type players.

DLaw in his prime was a very good player but NOT a super-star.
- You could have a roster full of DLaw level talent and probaby not win the Super Bowl.

In order to trade down from #12, then there must be multiple players available that the Cowboys have ranked on the same tier.
- If the other team would drastically over-pay, then maybe moving down further would be OK.
- HOWEVER, you know that your pal Jerry is never going to be the beneficiary of a lopsided trade.

Having said all of that, it is possible in this specific draft that the Cowboys have a larger number of players with same-tier type grades.
- I saw a "concensus" board with Derrick Harmon at #24 overall.
- IMO, he could easilly end up draft about 10 spots earier than that.

 

[nalam]

The Cowboys enter the upcoming draft with 10 of the draft’s 257 picks. With holes at almost every position group on this roster, and with this organization’s refusal to take free agency as a serious way to upgrade the roster, we need a plausible approach that can upgrade this team quickly in the upcoming 2025 draft. Here are the Cowboys current picks by round:

• Round 1: No. 12
• Round 2: No. 44
• Round 3: No. 76
• Round 5: No. 149
• Round 5: No. 174 (compensatory pick)
• Round 6: No. 204 (from Lions)
• Round 6: No. 211 (compensatory pick)
• Round 7: No. 217 (from Titans)
• Round 7: No. 239 (from Packers)
• Round 7: No. 247 (from Chiefs)

It’s great having 10 picks but only 3 of them are in the top 100. That gap between pick 76 and 149 is huge. Having 7 picks in the back end of the draft decreases the chances of immediate impact. Five of those current picks will be in rounds 6 and 7 where most of those players will be STers or deep backups at best.

So…what if we could get aggressive and do a couple of trade downs to give us 5 picks in the top 100 instead of just 3?

• Trade down at 12 to pick up an extra 2nd or 3rd round pick.
• Consider trading a current player on the roster in a draft pick trade.
• Use some of the compensatory picks at the bottom to sweeten a deal.

Bottom line for me: Having only 3 top 100 picks and having 7 picks from rounds 5-7 is not enough help. We should convert some of the compensatory picks and round 6 and 7 picks into less overall picks but more in the top 100.

Without some move ups, our draft picks will mostly be bottom of the talent pool.

5 picks with 2-3 starters and 2-3 backup material for starters is better than having 10 picks and last 6 of them camp bodies. Agree.

But I guess the dilemma for Jerry is let the best player play over the contract - he never goes for that and we end up losing that player altogether later. He lives to play cozy owner than the GM and Coach, Dr jerry etc instead of coaches let pick who to play , who to sit in the bench (Zeke Fiasco )

 

[Risen Star]

There are 32 teams in the league. Almost every one of them will be allotted 3 picks in the top 100 before factoring in trades and compensation picks.

Trading down is always the fan gag reflex but it is not always the right approach. Trading out of talent can lead you to the dirty dozen classes of 1995 and 2009. Just a bunch of stiffs.

There's only one way to properly approach and conduct a draft. The Cowboys shouldn't stray from that to try to make up for what they don't do in free agency. You'll only end up following up a bad free agency period with a bad draft. The answer is to change their approach in free agency not the draft.

 

[Coogiguy03]

Yeah our player trade options might be slim.

But other than Parsons, Lamb and Tyler Smith, who is untouchable? In my mind anyone else is a trade option if it makes us better in the long run.

how about one of the safeties????

 

[Coogiguy03]

Does anyone feel that we value comp picks a bit too much???? We base our team building to some degree on doing the right things so it doesn't affect the comp formula!

 

[StarOfGlory]

The Cowboys enter the upcoming draft with 10 of the draft’s 257 picks. With holes at almost every position group on this roster, and with this organization’s refusal to take free agency as a serious way to upgrade the roster, we need a plausible approach that can upgrade this team quickly in the upcoming 2025 draft. Here are the Cowboys current picks by round:

• Round 1: No. 12
• Round 2: No. 44
• Round 3: No. 76
• Round 5: No. 149
• Round 5: No. 174 (compensatory pick)
• Round 6: No. 204 (from Lions)
• Round 6: No. 211 (compensatory pick)
• Round 7: No. 217 (from Titans)
• Round 7: No. 239 (from Packers)
• Round 7: No. 247 (from Chiefs)

It’s great having 10 picks but only 3 of them are in the top 100. That gap between pick 76 and 149 is huge. Having 7 picks in the back end of the draft decreases the chances of immediate impact. Five of those current picks will be in rounds 6 and 7 where most of those players will be STers or deep backups at best.

So…what if we could get aggressive and do a couple of trade downs to give us 5 picks in the top 100 instead of just 3?

• Trade down at 12 to pick up an extra 2nd or 3rd round pick.
• Consider trading a current player on the roster in a draft pick trade.
• Use some of the compensatory picks at the bottom to sweeten a deal.

Bottom line for me: Having only 3 top 100 picks and having 7 picks from rounds 5-7 is not enough help. We should convert some of the compensatory picks and round 6 and 7 picks into less overall picks but more in the top 100.

Without some move ups, our draft picks will mostly be bottom of the talent pool.

I'd like to see some move ups. But to play Devil's Advocate, just in recent years, Isiah Pacheco, Brock Purdy, and Jordan Mailata were picked in the 7th round. So while it is highly, highly unlikely that we can get a starter in the seventh, it's not impossible. But the odds are better in the 3rd-5th, for sure.

 

[ElGatoGrande]

The Cowboys enter the upcoming draft with 10 of the draft’s 257 picks. With holes at almost every position group on this roster, and with this organization’s refusal to take free agency as a serious way to upgrade the roster, we need a plausible approach that can upgrade this team quickly in the upcoming 2025 draft. Here are the Cowboys current picks by round:

• Round 1: No. 12
• Round 2: No. 44
• Round 3: No. 76
• Round 5: No. 149
• Round 5: No. 174 (compensatory pick)
• Round 6: No. 204 (from Lions)
• Round 6: No. 211 (compensatory pick)
• Round 7: No. 217 (from Titans)
• Round 7: No. 239 (from Packers)
• Round 7: No. 247 (from Chiefs)

It’s great having 10 picks but only 3 of them are in the top 100. That gap between pick 76 and 149 is huge. Having 7 picks in the back end of the draft decreases the chances of immediate impact. Five of those current picks will be in rounds 6 and 7 where most of those players will be STers or deep backups at best.

So…what if we could get aggressive and do a couple of trade downs to give us 5 picks in the top 100 instead of just 3?

• Trade down at 12 to pick up an extra 2nd or 3rd round pick.
• Consider trading a current player on the roster in a draft pick trade.
• Use some of the compensatory picks at the bottom to sweeten a deal.

Bottom line for me: Having only 3 top 100 picks and having 7 picks from rounds 5-7 is not enough help. We should convert some of the compensatory picks and round 6 and 7 picks into less overall picks but more in the top 100.

Without some move ups, our draft picks will mostly be bottom of the talent pool.

I covet the top DTs in the draft so it wouldn't bother me at all if they traded up a few spots to get one. If they had played their cards right last season they wouldn't be sitting in no man's land at #12.

 

[CowboysLakerBamaFan]

Yeah our player trade options might be slim.

But other than Parsons, Lamb and Tyler Smith, who is untouchable? In my mind anyone else is a trade option if it makes us better in the long run.

The problem is...nobody else is particularly attractive to another team.

Bad teams just can't trade their Bad players for good draft picks. It has to make sense for the OTHER team...too.

 

[Bobhaze]

There are 32 teams in the league. Almost every one of them will be allotted 3 picks in the top 100 before factoring in trades and compensation picks.

Trading down is always the fan gag reflex but it is not always the right approach. Trading out of talent can lead you to the dirty dozen classes of 1995 and 2009. Just a bunch of stiffs.

There's only one way to properly approach and conduct a draft. The Cowboys shouldn't stray from that to try to make up for what they don't do in free agency. You'll only end up following up a bad free agency period with a bad draft. The answer is to change their approach in free agency not the draft.

But “Birth Certificate Boy” says teams like Philly, LARams and KC are doing it all wrong with free agency. He says they will regret it later. (Laughing while they polish their Lombardis)

 

[CCBoy]

But “Birth Certificate Boy” says teams like Philly, LARams and KC are doing it all wrong with free agency. He says they will regret it later. (Laughing while they polish their Lombardis)

I'm not buying the storyline that the best fighting here is done best at the bunk house and not supporting the team.

 

[plasticman]

Using the value chart, trading all three of the Cowboys 7th round picks would net a value of a low 6th round pick

if you were to combine all 7 picks in the 5th, 6th and 7th round then you would get an equivalent value of the 7th pick in the 4th round.

Still the concept is valid. The way they approach the draft must change.

The Cowboys constantly sacrifice value for position preference. They constantly reach to "fill a need". You can't fill a need by drafting a single player. If you do then you are always one play away from having exactly the same need. You fill the position by acquiring players that love to compete and make their teammates better and stronger.

If they want a particular player hen they need to do a better job of positioning the players value through the draft. Otherwise, BPA is always the best policy.

This year, the Cowboys can easily trade down more than once and still get a RB or WR they targeted.

I would like to see their 1st, 2nd and 3rd converted into an additional 2nd or 3rd plus a 4th.

Another idea with long term benefits would be to trade down for a packet that include the trade partner's #1 pick the following year. From that point on make that a habit each season.

Essentially, the team would always have two #1 picks while always trading one of them for, say, a 2nd and 3rd this year in addition to a #1 the next year.

This was the method that led to the Cowboys drafting DeMarcus Ware. They used the 1st round pick obtained from the Browns when the Browns wanted to move up the previous draft to get Brady Quinn.

 

[ShiningStar]

id trade out , not back. Take the top pick, and look to package deals for next year. This otehr stuff was done 20, 30 years ago, we cant do that anymore. bringing in the same talent year in and year out in hopes of finding a gem is not a luxury we have.

 

[ShiningStar]

I agree with the previous poster, i think our fans would be excited with a ton of jags on this team.

Look man, 10 jags, cant wait to see whos cut and who irks me off in teh season, ITS GOING TO BE AWESOME

 

[eromeopolk]

The Cowboys enter the upcoming draft with 10 of the draft’s 257 picks. With holes at almost every position group on this roster, and with this organization’s refusal to take free agency as a serious way to upgrade the roster, we need a plausible approach that can upgrade this team quickly in the upcoming 2025 draft. Here are the Cowboys current picks by round:

• Round 1: No. 12
• Round 2: No. 44
• Round 3: No. 76
• Round 5: No. 149
• Round 5: No. 174 (compensatory pick)
• Round 6: No. 204 (from Lions)
• Round 6: No. 211 (compensatory pick)
• Round 7: No. 217 (from Titans)
• Round 7: No. 239 (from Packers)
• Round 7: No. 247 (from Chiefs)

It’s great having 10 picks but only 3 of them are in the top 100. That gap between pick 76 and 149 is huge. Having 7 picks in the back end of the draft decreases the chances of immediate impact. Five of those current picks will be in rounds 6 and 7 where most of those players will be STers or deep backups at best.

So…what if we could get aggressive and do a couple of trade downs to give us 5 picks in the top 100 instead of just 3?

• Trade down at 12 to pick up an extra 2nd or 3rd round pick.
• Consider trading a current player on the roster in a draft pick trade.
• Use some of the compensatory picks at the bottom to sweeten a deal.

Bottom line for me: Having only 3 top 100 picks and having 7 picks from rounds 5-7 is not enough help. We should convert some of the compensatory picks and round 6 and 7 picks into less overall picks but more in the top 100.

Without some move ups, our draft picks will mostly be bottom of the talent pool.

What you say makes common sense. However, if sense was common, everyone would have it.

Good luck. Jerry Dumbo GM Jones is over the draft. With the Arlington Jonesboys, sense ain't common.

 

[big dog cowboy]

I've been saying all off season to trade back.

Standing pat would be a ginormous mistake.

We don't need 5 picks between 204 and 247 either. Move up!

 

[FanofJerry]

The problem is...nobody else is particularly attractive to another team.

Bad teams just can't trade their Bad players for good draft picks. It has to make sense for the OTHER team...too.

I think Aubrey and Ferguson are attractive to other clubs.

 

[plymkr]

I covet the top DTs in the draft so it wouldn't bother me at all if they traded up a few spots to get one. If they had played their cards right last season they wouldn't be sitting in no man's land at #12.

I agree. I feel one of the biggest failures of last season, and there were a lot, was playing Rush when Dak went down. If we would have played Lance we would have lost a lot more games or Lance would got his act together and put stuff on tape. He could have signed for a lot more with a new team and maybe got us a comp pick. More than likely Lance loses out. We wasted a 4th and didn’t play him and then played well enough to lose a high draft pick. Last year sucked.

 

[plymkr]

The Cowboys enter the upcoming draft with 10 of the draft’s 257 picks. With holes at almost every position group on this roster, and with this organization’s refusal to take free agency as a serious way to upgrade the roster, we need a plausible approach that can upgrade this team quickly in the upcoming 2025 draft. Here are the Cowboys current picks by round:

• Round 1: No. 12
• Round 2: No. 44
• Round 3: No. 76
• Round 5: No. 149
• Round 5: No. 174 (compensatory pick)
• Round 6: No. 204 (from Lions)
• Round 6: No. 211 (compensatory pick)
• Round 7: No. 217 (from Titans)
• Round 7: No. 239 (from Packers)
• Round 7: No. 247 (from Chiefs)

It’s great having 10 picks but only 3 of them are in the top 100. That gap between pick 76 and 149 is huge. Having 7 picks in the back end of the draft decreases the chances of immediate impact. Five of those current picks will be in rounds 6 and 7 where most of those players will be STers or deep backups at best.

So…what if we could get aggressive and do a couple of trade downs to give us 5 picks in the top 100 instead of just 3?

• Trade down at 12 to pick up an extra 2nd or 3rd round pick.
• Consider trading a current player on the roster in a draft pick trade.
• Use some of the compensatory picks at the bottom to sweeten a deal.

Bottom line for me: Having only 3 top 100 picks and having 7 picks from rounds 5-7 is not enough help. We should convert some of the compensatory picks and round 6 and 7 picks into less overall picks but more in the top 100.

Without some move ups, our draft picks will mostly be bottom of the talent pool.

I would also do a trade down for a 3rd or a 4th. I want to add picks if we can. We got so many holes to fill

 

[ElGatoGrande]

I agree. I feel one of the biggest failures of last season, and there were a lot, was playing Rush when Dak went down. If we would have played Lance we would have lost a lot more games or Lance would got his act together and put stuff on tape. He could have signed for a lot more with a new team and maybe got us a comp pick. More than likely Lance loses out. We wasted a 4th and didn’t play him and then played well enough to lose a high draft pick. Last year sucked.

Honestly it looked like someone was intentionally sabotaging the team all year long, one crippling decision after another, over and over again. It was brutal! Many will say this wasn't just last year, it goes back decades, and they have a point, but last year somehow upped the intensity.