Cowboys 2023 Draft Class MIA

[Cowboyny]

A win is a win! I’ll take it! But, one thing that’s hurting this team in my opinion, it’s getting almost nothing from its 2023 Draft Class.

Round 1 Mazi=No real impact first 5 weeks. Will have to go back and watch again vs Chargers.
Round 2 Scoonmaker=See above for Mazi
Round 3 Overshown=Unfortunate injury/Out for the year
Round 4 Fehoko=MIA/How many games has be even been active?
Round 5 Richards =Sadly, he may end up the best pick of the bunch. Has potential, decent backup at the very least.
Round 6 Eric Scott Jr (Inactive against the Chargers)
Round 6 Deuce Vaughn=Hasn’t shown much in the regular season. Inactive against the Chargers.
Round 7 Jalen Brooks=Great in preseason, no real impact offensively as of yet.

Please feel free to correct my observations so far. I really hope I’m wrong.

When you are picking late, it's hard to find immediate impact players. Our 1st rd pick was basically a 2nd rd prospect, where Schoon was more of a 3rd rounder.

You cannot judge a draft class after a few games, even after the 1st season. DLaw would be considered a draft bust, but he broke out in yr 2.

 

[VaqueroTD]

A win is a win! I’ll take it! But, one thing that’s hurting this team in my opinion, it’s getting almost nothing from its 2023 Draft Class.

Round 1 Mazi=No real impact first 5 weeks. Will have to go back and watch again vs Chargers.
Round 2 Scoonmaker=See above for Mazi
Round 3 Overshown=Unfortunate injury/Out for the year
Round 4 Fehoko=MIA/How many games has be even been active?
Round 5 Richards =Sadly, he may end up the best pick of the bunch. Has potential, decent backup at the very least.
Round 6 Eric Scott Jr (Inactive against the Chargers)
Round 6 Deuce Vaughn=Hasn’t shown much in the regular season. Inactive against the Chargers.
Round 7 Jalen Brooks=Great in preseason, no real impact offensively as of yet.

Please feel free to correct my observations so far. I really hope I’m wrong.

Never draft for need.

 

[slick325]

Still very early, but it's true. They haven't really contributed as yet.

 

[Creeper]

When I watched the replay of the game I kept an eye out for Mazi because watching the game live it seemed like he didn't play. But he did play. He is not making a huge impact, but here are my thoughts.

When he is standing next to Jonathan Hankins Mazi looks smaller. Yet the Cowboys have Hankins listed at 6'2" 320 lbs and Mazi listed at 6'3" 337. Mazi looks like Hanks' little brother.

I can see Mazi is strong and athletic. He does not get pushed around that easily. He actually got some push a couple of times that I saw. Once he made a really good push shoving the OG into the backfield but Parsons made a move inside and knocked Mazi off his feet.

Mazi has one issue and it is his slow reaction to the snap. Too often the ball is snapped, all the other DL are up and charging and Mazi is just getting out of his stance. This allows the offensive lineman to get into his feet set and get leverage making it impossible for Mazi to how him back. This is something they need to work with him on. He needs a quicker get off at the snap. If he doesn't get this correct he will never make an impact. It's weird because he is an athletic guy so the problem must be mental.

Landry used to say it takes 3 years for defensive linemen to reach their potential. Mazi has a lot of time. Right now it is hard to say what kind of player he will be in two years. He looks better than Gallimore right now, but that isn't saying much.

 

[doomsday808]

I'm positive that Overshown would have been the star of this draft class. I know it was only pre season games, but it even looked like DClark #33 played better with Overshown playing next to him. Add Bell to the mix and that is a LB group to build around.

 

[doomsday808]

Scoonmaker was a head scratcher for me. I don't see it getting better. I think Mazi will improve with experience. But, you would expect your #1 to start. Are there any DT that were picked after Mazi that are starting? Just curious.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds058]

Probably best player in the draft got hurt.

 

[speedkilz88]

Hopefully they can drill that wait and react crap they had him play at Michigan. He has all the tools. Just need to get him to drop those bad habits and develop his technique.

Schoonmaker seems like a traditional TE playing in a league where the TEs are big athletic receivers now a days and not an extension of your Oline with catching ability. Like trying to play a back to the basket Center in an NBA era where Centers now dribble like guards and shoot 3s. Still think Schoonmaker has the athleticism to develop into a solid player but he needs to work on his route running asap. He doesnt have the speed or hands to get by on average at best route running.

Schoon is extremely athletic. He ran a 4.63 at the combine. Schottenheimer says that he's a legit 4.58 guy.

 

[RandyOh]

Schoon is extremely athletic. He ran a 4.63 at the combine. Schottenheimer says that he's a legit 4.58 guy.

Hope this true. Sometimes play speed and what we see at workouts don’t always lineup.

 

[KJJ]

Schoonmaker will be the surprise cut after training camp in 2024!

They would attempt to trade him before cutting him.

 

[beware_d-ware]

Mazi is meeting expectations, and I say that as the planet's biggest Mazi hater from this spring. He's on a normal 1st round NT development track.

Schoon is showing zero signs of life. You don't need to ball out as a rookie TE, but come on. Make one play, and show us you have NFL talent.

Overshown blowing his ACL is a colossal bummer, as he looked like a perfect Dan Quinn LB, and we could use another Dan Quinn LB right now.

Day 3 picks rarely do anything, but I had very little hope for Fehoko and Deuce as prospects.

 

[plasticman]

If you are a team whose season depends on the productivity of rookies then you are probably not a contender.

I'm not talking about having a rookie starter. I'm talking about situations where the outcome for a season depends on the play of a rookie or rookies. There are always exceptions of course, but I am speaking in a general sense. Some of exceptions would be the top 5 players.

Drafts are primarily investments in the future of the team. They might contribute to a degree in their rookie seasons but that's rarely significant with the exceptions of a top 5 defender or offensive skill position. It is a difficult transition just a an individual to go from college to the professional world. It can be overwhelming for some, particularly those that come from challenging economic environment. Instant wealth for a 22 year old can be a negative influence in their first year.

They have to adapt to an entirely different culture that includes instant popularity, an intense work ethic, and demand for their time. This is just their challenges outside of football. All their lives they have been the best or one of the best players on their high school and college teams. Now they are forced to truly compete for the first times in their lives. They have to remember plays, formations, opponent tendencies. They have to watch hours of film, go to meeting, receive coaching and training, accept constant criticism as they are pushed.

This is all new stuff for an NFL rookie.

However, we fans treat rookies like a shiny new toy. We want to play them now. We see only the raw talent and potential benefit to the team. We need to be more patient. It can take up to three years for some rookies to make an impactful contribution. Then again, some rookies begin to show improvement around the 2nd half of their rookie season. I would say a good rule of thumb is pause the expectations until that player's 2nd year.

Really, if you want to look for the most impactful improvements to any NFL team, it is the contributions of 2nd year players. This is the season where we want to see the 2022 draft class, guys like Damone Clark, Daron Bland, Tyler Smith, Sam Williams and Jake Ferguson. How is that going?

 

[Pass2Run]

It shouldn’t be expected of a team drafting in the 20s with a weak class to have established starters by week five of year one.

On the flip side, since Jerry and kid feel as though they don’t need free agency to improve because they draft so well…..

Pretty obvious what a flawed philosophy that is but can we really expect more from those two??

They refuse to do what’s needed to get them over the hump because they think most of their draft picks are going to make an immediate impact.

I feel like I've read this post before, or seen it somewhere...

Like Deja Vu, or something..

 

[Rayman70]

A win is a win! I’ll take it! But, one thing that’s hurting this team in my opinion, it’s getting almost nothing from its 2023 Draft Class.

Round 1 Mazi=No real impact first 5 weeks. Will have to go back and watch again vs Chargers.
Round 2 Scoonmaker=See above for Mazi
Round 3 Overshown=Unfortunate injury/Out for the year
Round 4 Fehoko=MIA/How many games has be even been active?
Round 5 Richards =Sadly, he may end up the best pick of the bunch. Has potential, decent backup at the very least.
Round 6 Eric Scott Jr (Inactive against the Chargers)
Round 6 Deuce Vaughn=Hasn’t shown much in the regular season. Inactive against the Chargers.
Round 7 Jalen Brooks=Great in preseason, no real impact offensively as of yet.

Please feel free to correct my observations so far. I really hope I’m wrong.

facts...SO FAR. Lets see in 2 years.

 

[Rayman70]

getting production from a rookie is all gravy. The year is young. BTW, all the guys and gals yelling for us 2 draft Kincaid, where are they? He hasnt done anything either, just like Schoon. Glad we didnt use a pick in rd 1 on a TE that barely plays. Instead, we drafted a guy that at least plays and impacts the game. BTW, DK has been injured alot already. At least Schoon is available.

 

[fivetwos]

I feel like I've read this post before, or seen it somewhere...

Like Deja Vu, or something..

Sounds a lot like Vuja De, which is when you think you may be experiencing Deja Vu, but aren’t sure.

 

[kumizi]

Schoon is extremely athletic. He ran a 4.63 at the combine. Schottenheimer says that he's a legit 4.58 guy.

He had the worst yards after catch of any guy in the draft. That’s the primary reason I hated the pick. Can he not run carrying a football in his hands?