Cowboys don't strictly draft BPA

[AbeBeta]

Don't think folks are reading that right.

You get into the later rounds and it's more "these are the guys we like in the fourth" rather than a case of having one guy a few spots above another as being clearly a better pick.

Teams likely also weigh whether other guys at the same position might be available later, if most teams with needs at a position already addressed it, and a whole host of other factors.

Honestly, I'd think a team foolish if they just stick to the board in a true BPA manner.

 

[xwalker]

From what I understand Will McClay puts the board together but when they are on the clock, everyone's gets a say. It's not hard to understand that players right next to each other on the board are so close that the room will be divided on which one to take. I don't see why they don't just rank the top 350 or so players in the exact order they would take them and not have to do anything on draft day but look to the name at the top of the list. All the arguements about who to take should already have been decided by draft day.

The bottom line is that fans/media think the draft board should be an exact list of who they will pick but that's not the Cowboys intended method of using the draft board. I think McClay wants the board to be more about pure talent rankings because he knows that things like need and intangibles will be debated at draft time.

The Cowboys board probably has a different overall meaning than the draft boards of some other teams that include things like need in the board. As long as they have a consistent process, then the draft board does not have to exactly match how they actually draft.

They had Jaylon Smith 5th on their board but they obviously where not going to draft him that high even if he had been the top ranked player available when they picked in the 1st round.

 

[Chuck 54]

Best player available is usually critical in the first 2 rounds....as players start to run together, no studs but good players who all have something you aren't thrilled about, that's when you ***** your picks a little to fit need as long as the value isn't far apart.

 

[Sydla]

Not sure how this is really news. Teams tend to start drifting need in later rounds, even teams that really stress BPA.

 

[Sydla]

Scariest thing on that board?

Connor Cook as a 2nd round value.

Holy hell.

They also didn't like the WRs in this draft it seems.

 

[ShiningStar]

does anyone go back and later revise who was BPA at the time compared to how they do in the league? that would be interesting.

 

[DFWJC]

Scariest thing on that board?

Connor Cook as a 2nd round value.

Holy hell.

They also didn't like the WRs in this draft it seems.

They badly underrated Michael Thomas, that much is for sure.
The guy's for real.

 

[xwalker]

does anyone go back and later revise who was BPA at the time compared to how they do in the league? that would be interesting.

Not much is ever done in regards to following up on drafts a few years later. It happens occasionally, but there is not much info put out about it.

 

[AzorAhai]

Most would. There is no black and white, all or nothing formula. You follow your board when you can and take a player at a PON when you can. Sometimes you can't take a player at a PON. In that case you take the BPA within reason. If the BPA is a RB when Dallas picks I can promise you they will trade out or take the BPA at a PON and if that's not possible you just take the next guy up that fits the team best.

I really wish more people understood this. Each pick/decision is a combination of factors that cannot be broken down into something as simple as "take the BPA".

 

[xwalker]

I really wish more people understood this. Each pick/decision is a combination of factors that cannot be broken down into something as simple as "take the BPA".

The Cowboys had LeSean McCoy graded as a 1st round pick in 2009, but passed on him in the 2nd because they were "set" at RB.

 

[jobberone]

The Cowboys had LeSean McCoy graded as a 1st round pick in 2009, but passed on him in the 2nd because they were "set" at RB.

Dallas had already traded it's R1 and R3 in the Williams trade with Det. We traded with Cle with our R2 pick so we didn't even pick until the third round. So we didn't have a R1 or R2 pick in the 2009 draft. It had nothing to do with passing over McCoy because we were set at RB although we did have Barber and Jones on board. Granted the trade for Williams and that draft were STUPID but it's disingenuous to say we passed on McCoy because we were set at RB. We passed on the first two rounds period.

 

[CCBoy]

Not much is ever done in regards to following up on drafts a few years later. It happens occasionally, but there is not much info put out about it.

We touched upon the record of Dallas drafting, over the past seven seasons, this past off season.

The top two picks for the Cowboys, have been strong producers, far above a chance level of success.

 

[xwalker]

Dallas had already traded it's R1 and R3 in the Williams trade with Det. We traded with Cle with our R2 pick so we didn't even pick until the third round. So we didn't have a R1 or R2 pick in the 2009 draft. It had nothing to do with passing over McCoy because we were set at RB although we did have Barber and Jones on board. Granted the trade for Williams and that draft were STUPID but it's disingenuous to say we passed on McCoy because we were set at RB. We passed on the first two rounds period.

That is incorrect.

They traded down from their 2nd round pick after Seattle took the player Dallas wanted (Max Unger). That trade was with the Bills, not Cleveland.

LeSean McCoy was available if they didn't trade down.

Seattle traded up in front of Dallas to get Unger because Jerry blabbed to Holmgren that he was going to take Unger.