News: BTB: The Cowboys 2014 Draft: Re-Grading The Draft Class After The Season

[Crown Royal]

Not sure how to put this nicely but essentially this is goofy.
There isn't a single playoff team that had more rookie starts than the Dallas Cowboys.

And Zach Martin was arguably the best OL on the best line in football.

• Martin is an ALL-PRO. That goes pretty far beyond being a starter.

Hitchens started at all 3 LB positions across the season. He passed Wilber and at times was our best LB as a rookie.
A 4th round rookie. Right now he may well be the MOST COVETED of the LBs on the team. He has position flex, has stayed healthy and is cheap for YEARS.
He isn't some possible future starter and quality back up. He is a LOCK to start next year.
DeMarcus Lawrence was probably our best pass rusher in the playoffs. He may not start next year but he is an NFL pass rusher who will only improve as he gets reps and further away from injury.

Only teams that suck hit on 5 guys a year as contributors. Good teams don't maintain that many spots to fill.
Dallas put 3 players on the top 35 players in the organization from one draft. Any team would gladly take that.
Any team who could do that and make the playoffs would be winning GM type awards like Jerry just did.

You seem stuck on my qualitative statements about three players. Nobody is going to debate the quality of Martin. He's fantastic and an amazing pick. I am very happy with Hitchens, more than I could dream of. But you're wrong on him being a sure-fire lock to start next year. It's very possible, but he only started this season due to injury - the only LB he overtook was Wilbur, who is really a SOLB in a 3-4 and is AWFUL in this defense. He never overtook McClain, Durant or Carter for any reason other than injury. He performed very admirably, and I hope he continues to progress, but he is in no way a lock. Lawrence also played very well in those two playoff games. Again, I hope he continues to progress, and he will need to because he cost another player to obtain.

Disagree 100% on your idea that you couldn't find 5 guys that contribute. We did that a single season before: Travis Frederick, Terrance Williams, JJ Wilcox, Joseph Randle, Gavin Escobar. That's 5 guys who have contributed quality minutes and meaningful plays to the Dallas Cowboys. That's a Blue Chipper, a good starter, a questionable starter and two depth players. Fantastic draft, A+ would draft again. This year it's looking like a blue chipper and two depths at worst, two really good players at best. If the latter, I'll revise my statement but it's too early to tell. But either way I'd still like another depth player out of it, and with our team, that's not too much to ask.

Unless you think the following players are irreplaceable

• Jones, Chris
  Harris, Dwayne
  Dunbar, Lance
  Moore, Sterling
  Spillman, C.J.
  Heath, Jeff
  Church, Barry
  Wilber, Kyle
  Lawrence, Cameron
  Watson, Dekoda
  Anderson, James
  Bernadeau, Mackenzy
  Parnell, Jermey
  Hanna, James
  Spencer, Anthony
  Hayden, Nick
  Selvie, George
  

To me, the development of Hitchens & Lawrence, plus what we get out of Street and Patmon are key. I think they're promising.

 

[dogunwo]

I wouldn't go higher than a B right now. Martin's all-world. Lawrence might be a player, I think he will. After that I don't know that there's a single quality player but there is still hope with a few of them.

Only because of Martin's historic year would I go as high as a B.

You still running from Hitchens I see....

 

[Toruk_Makto]

People's expectations are funny.

If you get 2 to 3 starters out of a draft you did very well.

If you get a Rookie All Pro... Lawd.

 

[8FOR!3]

We had 5 picks in the 7th round and if you look at the selections in the 7th round there was no one selected that we really missed out on that I can see. All 5 of those guys are fringe NFL players, which I find impressive that we had 5 picks in the 7th round and all 5 of them are good enough to play on a team. A couple of them might even be potential depth for us in the future (Smith, Gardner, Bishop.) We didn't have a 6th round pick, we got a WR in the 5th round who may or may not work out with us. But as far as I'm concerned, receivers who made in an impact that went past the 2nd round were few and far between. I glanced and the one really notable one I see is Martavis Bryant, but he went a round ahead of Street anyways. I think the 4th round is hit or miss and Anthony Hitchens should be considered a hit. No 3rd round pick, but we traded up for DeMarcus Lawrence early in the 2nd. Right now that trade up is looking good-not-great. But I don't think anyone's really mad at the move now. So I'd consider that somewhat a hit. Zack Martin's a home run, I wonder where he'd go if they redid the draft today. Top 5? Top 3??

I'm gonna give that draft a B+. And I admit that's probably a little harsh, but I want to see how this class builds on last year. Does Hitchens get better, does he regress? Does Lawrence ever become a premier pass rusher? I'd also like to see something out of Devin Street, because even though he's a 5th round pick the coaches sure talk a lot about him so I expect to see something out of him. Obviously not all of this has to happen for me to consider the draft an A, but if Hitchens regresses (hopefully won't happen but it's possible bc he filled in so admirably last year,) Lawrence never really amounts to much (looked promising but the jury is still out bc of his injury,) and Street never amounts to anything I'd say it's not an A.

 

[Redball Express]

Being highly rated in the draft means you were atrocious during the precious year.

Not a great thing to aspire to.

And if Mel is so good..

why has no team ever hired him as Player Personnel Director.?

Because he has no talent beyond Fantasy Football..

that's why.

 

[Alexander]

Disagree 100% on your idea that you couldn't find 5 guys that contribute. We did that a single season before: Travis Frederick, Terrance Williams, JJ Wilcox, Joseph Randle, Gavin Escobar.

You had me until Escobar.

 

[Crown Royal]

You had me until Escobar.

Lol. He was a reach and not in any way a need, but he gets a fair number of snaps, has caught some passes and plays ST. He's a contributer and provides depth. If Witten were to go down for a game or two (which is not likely), I would feel comfortable with Hanna and Escobar.

 

[Alexander]

Lol. He was a reach and not in any way a need, but he gets a fair number of snaps, has caught some passes and plays ST. He's a contributer and provides depth. If Witten were to go down for a game or two (which is not likely), I would feel comfortable with Hanna and Escobar.

I was expecting Escobar to emerge after the Giants game but he seemed to utterly disappear thereafter. For his sake, he needs to step up more next season or we will be unprepared for Witten's departure.

 

[Crown Royal]

I was expecting Escobar to emerge after the Giants game but he seemed to utterly disappear thereafter. For his sake, he needs to step up more next season or we will be unprepared for Witten's departure.

I think Beasley snatched that opportunity from his hands. I see two problems still in Escobar's game. First is that he is the worst blocker of the three TEs. He improved, but not nearly as much as Hanna did between 13 to 14.

The bigger issue is his route running. He really just seems to want to get down field and he rounds any inside breaking route he has. There is a time or place for that, but he does it every time it seems. He and Romo can't get on the same page that way.

 

[HanD]

No 3rd round pick, but we traded up for DeMarcus Lawrence early in the 2nd. Right now that trade up is looking good-not-great. But I don't think anyone's really mad at the move now. So I'd consider that somewhat a hit

I'm probably in the minority but hearing that if we had stayed put it would have been ealy and trai turner makes me wish we didn't trade up. Both had solid years and the thought of this line with 23 year olds Tyron Fred and Martin along with a 21 year old trai with Leary as a backup is scary. It also would have given some flex this offseason to moving Martin to rt and putting Leary at g since both guard spots would still be solid. Ealy was decent so unless Lawrence way outperforms him, it is still a loss in my book. I know hindsight is 20 20 but even during the draft I didn't like how it shook out. I'm not upset but would at this point still prefer having stayed put.