A better draft strategy than standing pat in draft order

[noshame]

give up all the stuff at the bottom to move up anywhere in the first 3 rounds to get the guy we really want.
Next year with a top 5 we'll be set to grab a QB, so even if we trade a 2nd or 3rd for next year I'm fine.

 

[Scottishcowboy]

on the other hand. When the draft was 12 rounds. Your first 6 rounds or 7 was considered getting good players. And rounds 8 through 12 was your take a shot type player.

Now fans feel rounds 5 to 7 are take your shot type players.
And you can only get good players in 1 through 4.

Remember Larry Brown was a 12th round draft pick.
Drew Pearson was a UDFA after a 12 round draft.
Everson Walls was an UDFA, also after a 12 round draft.

The numbers are not as different though based on the picks per round. 7 rounds v 13 rounds looks way different but........

In 1975 with a 12 round draft, 335 players were selected. The 2022 draft had 262 players selected. Its not that massive a difference really.

The argument could be made a 8th rounder in 1975 is more like a 6th rounder now based on picks per round.

 

[plymkr]

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.

I agree completely. It just seemed like Jerry was pouting about the Green Bay game for a whole year. I’ve been a fan for 50 years and I feel from the moment we lost to Green Bay until the final whistle of week 18 was probably the most discouraging year as a fan. Just pure bad decisions that didn’t make sense.

Thankfully this offseason has had a different vibe so I’m hoping we carry this new vibe into the season. But last year was one of the most unfun seasons I’ve witnessed. And I was there in the 85-91 stretch and the 5-11 Campo seasons. Last season might have been the worst.

 

[plymkr]

give up all the stuff at the bottom to move up anywhere in the first 3 rounds to get the guy we really want.
Next year with a top 5 we'll be set to grab a QB, so even if we trade a 2nd or 3rd for next year I'm fine.

I like that plan

 

[soopastar4]

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.

As much as logic goes, I agree with you, but Dallas always seems to have 6th or 7th round draft picks who seem to have a faster impact than some of the players Dallas drafted before them.

 

[morasp]

I think our best recent draft was 2020
Lamb 14 games started
Diggs 11 games started
Gallimore 9 games started

For reference NFL.com Currently has 99 players with starter grades

Pick 12 is towards the top of tier 3 players (8-24) plus starter
That almost gives them their choice of players in that tier. If when pick 12 comes up there are multiple players they have graded equally they could trade down a few spots like they did with Parsons and Guyton and still get a player they want.

Pick 44 is about in the middle of tier 4 players (25-65) eventual good starter
Lately teams have been picking players at positions of need right ahead of us, there's no reason we couldn't do that. This could also be a spot where they might move up if a player they like gets close to 44 but it would have to be pretty close since our day 3 picks don't add up to many spots in round 2.

Pick 76 is in the top third of tier 5 players (66-99) eventual average starter
This could also be a place they might try to trade up. Say there is a run on RBs and a player they like is getting close. Pick 76 and 149 could get them to 71.

 

[big dog cowboy]

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.

Those were bad draft classes in general.

Also the strength of this class is day 2. The player they can get by trading down likely won't have that much of a draft grade than a pick at 12.

 

[nhcowboyfan]

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.

If there was ever a script on how not to run a football team, that was us last year.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

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.

I've never seen anything like last offseason. It's one thing to make bad decisions, but last year they didn't even try.

 

[MarionBarberThe4th]

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.

You can maybe trade Ferguson or Tolbert

 

[CyberB0b]

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.

You’ve been cooking lately.

 

[fivetwos]

You can maybe trade Ferguson or Tolbert

Jerry doesn’t typically trade players, likely because he thinks every year is our year (he was even a buyer at last years deadline when he knew the QB was gone…that after doing next to zero in the off-season).

The kings of misevaluation.

However if Warren is there at 12 I don’t see how that isn’t a major upgrade to the offense, then Ferguson may be worth like a 4th to the right team, which would replace the pick he threw away on Mingo.

Jerry was never any good at this, but he is getting much worse quickly, so I wouldn’t expect much in the way of wheeling and dealing to get better. They just collect players.

 

[doomsday9084]

When I look at the mock drafts, I don't see talents available at 12 that are significantly better than players 10 picks lower. Particularly at Dallas' areas of need. This would be a good year for a trade down.

Bob is also correct that Dallas lands almost nothing in the back end of the draft. A trade up there also makes sense.

 

[DUO_CORE]

To six out of those 10 draft picks, "bring your playbook, coach wants to see you."

 

[blueblood70]

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.

Agree with the premise but I don't think you're getting back in the second round but you can possibly pick up another 3rd rounder which I've been saying for the last week or so that yes trading down would be best and then, On that same note you don't want to trade too far down in the first but if you do pick up a 3rd that's great now you do go back into your late round picks in the 5th and try to get back up in the 4th..

I do believe they're going to probably do more maneuvering in this draft than we seen combined over the last three or four year,s and I've seen the Parsons trade just going down two spots got them a 3rd rounder it was a low 3rd rounder but it picked up Osa...

so, if you can go down to say 18 in the first round ,you should be able to get a third round pick or more, for that ,I don't know how all that works. I know there's a draft trade value chart and all that nonsense, but I do agree they if they want to really increase the timetable they need to do more in this draft and not be waiting till next year...​

We all know they put themselves in this spot because of last off season you know 2024 offseason was just not enough activity I know people don't like this year but oh my I got to tell you it's night and day all the activity we've had before the draft...​

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That needed to happen because of how bad 2024 is off season was, and they didn't really do great in last year's draft, they should have got a running back everybody knows it,​

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so, now they're chasing their tail in a way they're playing from behind and that is a good way to get back on track, be very specific when picking players, to really have a strategy this year no moving up in early rounds, but you need to move around and create and execute a plan.​

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This can't be just about filling holes.....​

 

[Creeper]

This is what irks me about the Cowboys strategy. They claim they build through the draft yet they basically traded picks to make them bottom heavy in this draft. Having 10 picks is great. But when 5 of them are in the last 2 rounds and another pick is a 5th round comp pick the idea of having 10 picks seems better than it is. I really wish they had that 4th round pick they gave away for Mingo. (seriously, why a 4th for him when they only got a 5th for Cooper?)

In any case, our last 6 picks add up to 45 points, which would get us a late 4th round pick in a trade. Would you want them to give up a 5th, 2 6ths, and 3 7ths for a late 4th giving them only 5 picks this draft?

 

[atlantacowboy]

This team needs more top end talent. We aren't winning a SB this year. Take a star at #12. Do what you want after that but don't give up on a potential All Pro (with luck) to pick up another guy to "fill a hole". We just aren't good enough to be thinking like that right now IMO. If anything I'm being more aggressive and trading up in any of the first 3 rounds if there is a guy on the board that we feel is worth it.This year is a draft to get us moving in the right direction

This team isn't winning a super bowl bc our QB isn't capable of it. We will have a hard time not drafting a potential star at 12. Its a spot even Jerry can't screw up.

 

[blueblood70]

This is what irks me about the Cowboys strategy. They claim they build through the draft yet they basically traded picks to make them bottom heavy in this draft. Having 10 picks is great. But when 5 of them are in the last 2 rounds and another pick is a 5th round comp pick the idea of having 10 picks seems better than it is. I really wish they had that 4th round pick they gave away for Mingo. (seriously, why a 4th for him when they only got a 5th for Cooper?)

In any case, our last 6 picks add up to 45 points, which would get us a late 4th round pick in a trade. Would you want them to give up a 5th, 2 6ths, and 3 7ths for a late 4th giving them only 5 picks this draft?

Well first of all, don't let it hurt you before it actually happens, just because things in the past went a certain way doesn't mean they'll do it again positive or negatively..

They have made trades recently as the Parsons they went from 10 to 12 and got OSA in the third round and they probably might be a little more purposeful in this draft and move around.​

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So, I can see us moving down in the first round staying pat for the next two or three rounds, and then trading a couple of those late round picks to move back up into the 4th along with gaining another third from the first round move down and still get all their targets..​

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I'm sure they might have a strategy, you don't know what their strategy is this year until we see it ,and don't say they've never done, it they just haven't done anything crazy in a long time, but that Parsons move was big only went down two spots and picked up a 3rd round of that turned into Osa...​

It was a weird year last year and to mean as an anomaly they drafted strangely they didn't hit on a lot of people although I think this year some of those guys from 2023 and 2024 are going to have bigger more productive years this year sometimes there is a lull it takes a little to catch up these players end up better than expected once they develop...

 

[Redsfan_83]

We know how this will play out, right? It makes perfect sense to trade out of 12 and get a pick around 20, and if Jerry is sober and alert at the draft he may be able to do this. The problem is, nobody trusts him to be able to pull this off...let alone if he does use the pick, to use it wisely. Rest assured there will be plenty of movement before us, and I expect us to be caught with our pants down

 

[75boyz]

Yep.
Whatever trades can achieve the quality over quantity situation their current pick count represents.
The free agent haul was a bunch of jags.
Need as many possible starters/major contributors from the draft on this roster as can be had.
Because statistically speaking, most of the late round picks will not end up being roster worthy to begin with.

jmo