News: BTB: 2023 Cowboys rookie draft class given failing grade in NFL assessment

[kskboys]

Do you think Rice would be WR3 in Dallas?

Only if we're dumb. He's a #2 at the least.

 

[FVSTONE]

DUH!!!!!!!!!!! Cowboy brain trust pretty much spent valuable draft picks on wannabes, because they got nobodies in the 2023 draft............

 

[Mr_437]

Only if we're dumb. He's a #2 at the least.

Heard Cooks and Gallup were better on CZ, and there was support for the statement haha.

 

[PAPPYDOG]

Will McClay for GM baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[charron]

I think with Mazi we wanted him to be more than a 1-tech because he was a first-rounder, but hopefully, Zimmer won't devalue having a rock-solid 1-tech and will just try to turn him into that. It's hard for rookie DL to have a great impact, but Mazi definitely has some things to fix as far as anticipation of the snap before he can become solid at any position.

I'm glad that Jake Ferguson stepped up like many of us thought he could at No. 1 tight end, but that doesn't mean that Schoonmaker can't give us a top-notch No. 2. This year, he really wasn't any better than our other No. 2 options. I'm hoping he'll come on and be 1B to Ferguson's 1A.

Overshown's failure is just based on injury. He looked the most promising immediately of the rookies in camp and was all over the place making plays before his injury. Of course, a lot will depend on how much he is slowed coming off that injury.

We didn't get anything out of Fehoko, but we were trying to primarily make him an interior rusher. I wonder if Zimmer will focus him in on DE and put him in a rotation with Lawrence there.

I loved what we saw from Richards whenever we put him out there at left tackle. I don't know if he can be the future there, but his snaps were very promising. Outside of what we saw from Overshown, I think he showed the most potential.

I think expecting much from players drafted in the sixth round on is always foolish. These players aren't really any different than UDFAs. Scott and Brooks both showed some ability in camp. Scott's kind of faded in the preseason, though, and I don't know if Brooks will become more than a fourth receiver. Vaughn looked nifty in open space and swallowed up in close quarters. If he's going to have any success, it looks like it might have to come as a gadget back.

I like to include UDFAs among the draft class and Bass looks like he was a very good find, maybe even a starter-quality one ... so it's possibly that the OL will benefit the most from this class moving forward. Luepke also seems like he's a decent fullback option who could develop into an even better one. I also like what we were seeing from the converted WR John Stephens at TE before he got hurt.

I know that Aubrey wasn't a UDFA, but it is nice to have found a young kicker who may fill that position for years to come.

With Mazi I thought they'd have him focus on taking on 2 blockers and stopping the run while he learns better technique for anything else. And then next camp really focus on developing some rush abilities. But right now he's still working to get off the ball faster. I agree with most of what your saying especially knowing pass catchers can take a year or so to learn not just the system but how the QB needs them to operate in it. Bass and Richards were good late finds that look to be good backups maybe more in the future. This is why years 2 and 3 are so important and times like right now will show you who is seriously trying to step up or not.

 

[fivetwos]

DUH!!!!!!!!!!! Cowboy brain trust pretty much spent valuable draft picks on wannabes, because they got nobodies in the 2023 draft............

They picked late in a bad overall class.

The problem was counting on that for immediate help. Kings of misevaluation. They are excellent at that.

Looking back the big overall mistakes will be passing on LaPorta in the 1st, Torrence in the 2nd, and not getting a useable RB at all.

 

[Captain43Crash]

It’s pretty obvious so far this draft was marginal at best.

Mazi is a bust so far. He made almost no plays his first year. Maybe he will become an above average pro, but it is not looking promising.

The TE in the 2nd was STUPID from day1!!!!!!!! We had Ferguson already and had WAY bigger needs at other positions.

Still today: Why did we draft a TE in the 2nd? Someone explain. I could tell Ferguson was “a player” after his rookie year. How come our coaching staff couldn’t?

 

[kskboys]

It’s pretty obvious so far this draft was marginal at best.

Mazi is a bust so far. He made almost no plays his first year. Maybe he will become an above average pro, but it is not looking promising.

The TE in the 2nd was STUPID from day1!!!!!!!! We had Ferguson already and had WAY bigger needs at other positions.

Still today: Why did we draft a TE in the 2nd? Someone explain. I could tell Ferguson was “a player” after his rookie year. How come our coaching staff couldn’t?

It was blatantly obvious.

We desperately needed LB's and OL. And passed.

And though I do like Overshown as a prospect, not sure he's starter quality.

And explain to me why we didn't look at Ivan Pace JR. Rated a 3rd/4th round pick, he went undrafted. No idea why. Loaded w/ instincts. Why didn't we draft him? I can guess, he's 5-11 and we don't like shorter players. Which is beyond stupid. Yes, I'm fully aware he was not drafted.

 

[gimmesix]

2022​

• Tyler Smith | Round 1, Pick 24
  OT, Tulsa
• Sam Williams | Round 2, Pick 56
  EDGE, Ole Miss
• Jalen Tolbert | Round 3, Pick 88
  WR, South Alabama
• Jake Ferguson | Round 4, Pick 129
  TE, Wisconsin
• Matt Waletzko | Round 5, Pick 155
  OT, North Dakota
• DaRon Bland | Round 5, Pick 167
  CB, Fresno State
• Damone Clark | Round 5, Pick 176
  LB, LSU
• John Ridgeway | Round 5, Pick 178
  DT, Arkansas
• Devin Harper | Round 6, Pick 193
  LB, Oklahoma State

This really should be the best fans should expect from a draft class (actually even better than we should expect): starting guard (all-pro), starting tight end (pro bowl level), starting corner (all-pro), starting linebacker is a good haul. You'd like to see more out of Williams and Tolbert than we have, but anyone who expects us to hit on every pick is just not being realistic.

You are always going to end up with some players who are just contributors and some who end up not making the roster ... at least not for long. And that's in a good year.

 

[Jumbo075]

As always with rookies, it is too soon to know.

Rookies almost always have less of an impact on a team that was already good before they were drafted. It takes time for rookies to have an impact on the teams that are already very talented - which the Cowboys are despite their disappointing performances in the playoffs.

 

[john van brocklin]

Last draft looks pretty bad.
When you depend on the draft and skip free agency, that's gonna hurt.

 

[Ranching]

Wasn't a great year for the rookie class. Still need to give them a couple more years.

Is it me or does it seem like it's bash the draft class week?

The draft class isn't the only thing being bashed around here.

 

[Tussinman]

Last draft looks pretty bad.
When you depend on the draft and skip free agency, that's gonna hurt.

Agreed. The "give them at least 3 years" doesn't work when you refuse to go after free agents. Overpaying your own players only (no free agents and rookies taking too long to develop) isn't going to give you a good enough team for a deep playoff run.

They where and still are thin on offensive tackle, DT, and linebackers so it's not like these potential rookies are battling Chris Jones and Fred Warner for reps let's be real here

 

[rambo2]

Wasn't a great year for the rookie class. Still need to give them a couple more years.

Is it me or does it seem like it's bash the draft class week?

We have Overshown coming back. Two redshirts that we haven't seen yet in Fehoko and Scott. Asim Richards showed some potential. Bass and Luepke showed that they can play. We should see some improvement from Mazi Smith and Schoonmaker. We also have that tight end that got hurt in training camp as well.

All might not be lost when it is all said and done.

 

[CTcowboy203]

early results aren’t good at all but final grades are in yet we will see. Overshown getting hurt was a big loss but Mazi was really bad and schoonmaker just didn’t move the needle and felt unnecessary with ferg coming on

 

[ShiningStar]

and if we had won, would it have been higher?

 

[Hawkeye19]

I don’t understand the infatuation with Overshown. The guy was hurt regularly in college— and immediately got injured in the pros (feel bad for him)

He is tiny! He is like 225lbs. How is he supposed to be “a replacement for LVE” as the article suggests?!

He is another tweener that may have a role— but he is hardly a thumper at LBer— and we have a lot of safety/LBer hybrids already on the roster.

We need some legit 240-250lb athletes that have good IQ and know how to read, react, shed, and tackle with violence

 

[CWR]

I know you have to wait a couple seasons, but i don't recall a class contributing less and ending up good overall. I hope Mazi develops and Schoon as well. My intuition is that Overshown becomes our only legitimate player out of this class.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

usually when you end up with no players of note in a draft. good starters that contribute minimally, you are set back several years. worse yet, we also gave up a bunch of draft picks this year to get cooks, gilmore, so draft capital is limited. this reminds me of the 2009 special teams draft, which led to disaster. it wouldn't surprise me we end up the same, with Tyron, Biadasz on the way out. Steele still iffy after his surgery and Martin ain't a young horse. on top of that Lawrence is getting long in the tooth, we need LBs, safties and RB.....we are going to lose a lot of decen to good players that must be replaced. FA no matter how you look at it is expensive. Draft is usually how you replenish and we lost 2023. and limited 2024.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

They picked late in a bad overall class.

The problem was counting on that for immediate help. Kings of misevaluation. They are excellent at that.

Looking back the big overall mistakes will be passing on LaPorta in the 1st, Torrence in the 2nd, and not getting a useable RB at all.

we reached for Mazi because of need and that never has worked out. we are particularly bad on defensive picks, which feels like feast or famine. parson/diggs vs. 10 totally failed picks. second round was another reach where we could have picked a guard. that tells me they didn't know anything about Ferguson and how good he is or they were fantasizing about a blocking TE like we did years ago with David Lafleur (never learned a lesson not to pick a blocking TE high). didn't feel like we had a plan in the draft.