This whole thread was created because you're upset we passed on McCoy by not following BPA.
If you're going to get upset at that instance, then you should get upset when they do it every time. Not just when it's convenient and the player we passed on turns out to be a stud.
They had a 2nd round grade on Cook and a 3rd round grade on Collins. That's not debatable, the draft board was leaked that year.
And that's the first I heard of them having second thoughts on Connor Cook. You have a link? From what I read, they were ready to pull the trigger on him in the 4th round, but got sniped the pick before by the Raiders. They then ended up drafting Charles Tapper (I mispoke in my other post. They took Maliek Collins over a higher rated Connor Cook, they didn't draft Tapper over Cook) and Dak later in the round.
So they took Maliek Collins over a higher rated player, but I don't see any tears for Connor Cook.
My OP was a warning about over-focusing on need.
It was not to lament a bad draft decision by the team. That draft has already been lamented enough.
Some people this year exclaim that they would go postal if the Cowboys drafted a RB at #58.
My point is that it's most important to pick good players regardless of position and regardless of how they arrived at the decision.
You don't appear to understand how they use their draft board.
Jaylon Smith was the 5th player on their board in the 1st round column.
They were not going to draft Jaylon that early.
They didn't include the injury in the draft board.
They didn't include character concerns in the Connor Cook draft board ranking.
They make the final medical/character decisions at draft time.