Does this draft immediately make us closer to the eagles/commanders?

[Pentagruel]

Depends on how you look at it I guess. The eagles probably got a bit worse this season and the cowboys probably revert to the mean on injury front so that alone should bring them closer. I think the cowboys had a good draft but still have significant holes at some key spots. I think they could potentially shore up RB with a trade but I’m not holding my breath. So did they get closer? Sure. But are they on the same level? I doubt it.

If we view this as a longer term rebuild though I can live with their choices this off-season. I do think we picked some very good players, even if they weren’t the most pressing needs. We can use next year to shore up the remaining weaknesses like WR and DT. One thing I do hope they do is pick up a high caliber RB in free agency or a low cost trade on a guy that needs a new contract. One position that you are stealing value at in free agency is RB because they are so absurdly cheap right now. The rookie contracts do not give a big advantage at RB unlike QB, WR and DE. Cowboys should jump on this before RB contracts inevitably skyrocket again.

 

[TheCritic]

I didn't go into this off-season having expectations for closing the gap. Instead I felt it was time for a rebuild. The new coaching staff is starting to grow on me and I do like the approach they took. I get the vibe that Schotty has more say in the direction of the team then previously thought. And TBH, I'm ok with not knowing how any of this is going to pan out. I don't hear a lot of hype about the Cowboys this offseason and that's a good thing IMO.

 

[tm1119]

Nothing wrong with the players drafted, but the severe lack of offensive weapons is going to continue to be a problem.

Aging, injury prone QB with a lack of mobility + questionable OT pass pro + no legit WR 2 + no legit RB 1 = an offensive that is going struggle unless things go perfectly

And while our D should be better, it’s not great. Certainly not carry a team to a Super Bowl great.

This offseason has done nothing to convince we aren’t a 10-7 wild card team that loses in the 1st round. IF Dak stays healthy

 

[CATCH17]

I'm not so sure the Redsk....Commanders will repeat their success. I've seen DQ's teams play this song before, so being better than them didnt seem that big a deal, to me. Now Philadelphia, no, we did not close the gap. But I think we all knew this (Cowboys) mess couldn't get fixed in one year.

It's a fickle game. If Hurts gets injured, how ugly would it get for them as well?

I love our 1st two picks, apprehensive about the third and scratching my head with the rest. Guess we will see, lol.

Yep.

If Dallas is serious about closing a gap they need to go get a wideout.

 

[Pass2Run]

Yeah, with a little more work in free agency and UDFA.

 

[KingCorcoran]

Eagles lost a lot in free agency plus being Super Bowl champs the following year let down ! Washington won 5 games they could have or should had lost Insee them going backwards some this year so we will see if we stay healthy I think we can compete with them !

Dallas’ starting quarterback is coming off a significant injury. Other key players are as well. The head coach is not new to coaching, but a head coach for the first time. He’s had 10 employers in the last 25 years. The Eagles and Commanders are not encumbered with similar issues. The whole division has a more, much more, difficult schedule than last season.

These are not ideal circumstances for a new regime. The Cowboys had a great draft, but so did the rest of the division. Dallas will do well to avoid last place this season.

 

[MapleLeaf]

No.

Its clear that the draft is not the only solution to a great team. They have had lots of talent in the past.

There is a troubling concern in terms of resilience and anti-fragility that I feels exists in this team. Hence the reason why they cannot get over the hump in terms of competing with the best teams in the league at the end of the season.

 

[TwoDeep3]

Early take on our draft is most of the guys we got are really good football players. The guys from rounds 1-3 will all either start or have big impact almost immediately. The Day 3 guys are ok on paper… BUT I can’t say that this draft has immediately put this team in a better position to compete with the eagles and commanders. I Just can’t.

Don’t get me wrong, I like the guys we drafted in rounds 1-3.

• 1st rounder Tyler Booker is a plug and play beast at G, I wish they could’ve traded down a couple spots to pick up a 4th rounder, but still a solid pick. A high character guy who was a captain at Alabama.
• 2nd round DE Donovan Ezeiruaku is a very talented pass rusher. EZ is also a high character guy who was also a team captain at Boston College.
• 3rd round CB Shavon Revel is a first round talent recovering from a knee injury. Where have we heard that before? Hopefully he’s fully recovered by Sept.

No problem really with those guys as far as their talent. They should contribute immediately. But if we are all being honest without the blue tinted fan glasses, the Cowboys STILL have glaring weaknesses at WR, RB and DT, three positions they badly needed an influx of top shelf talent.

So on Day 3 we acquired:

• 5th round RB Jaydon Blue and he’s fast but he’s also small and not more than 8-10 touches a game guy who has had fumble issues. Are we better at RB? Hmmm….
• 5th round traded up to get Florida LB Shemar James. A talented kid if not a little small. Seems a lot like last year’s 3rd round pick Marist Liafau.
• 6th round picked up T Ajani Cornelius from Oregon. Backup swing T was not on my bingo card as a pressing need.
• 7th round got UCLA DT Jay Toia, a big aggressive DT. But does this late sleeper suddenly make Mazi Smith a bad memory?

Like all drafts we need to wait on grading the 2025 Cowboys draft for at least a year; probably more like two years. Starting immediately, fans and the media will issue grades now but we really won’t know until pads are on and the real bullets fly in the regular season.

But if I am answering the question, “Did this draft get us closer to the eagles and commanders?” I would have to say no at this point.

What makes this question a bit of a stretch is the fact the draft, especially on this board, is more about name brands. Even if Dallas had the first overall pick in each round and took the best available player at each selection, the overwhelming responses would be negative.

We should have traded down
We should have taken player B instead of A
Why didn't we trade up to get Player X

But what may be the most telling element is if the Cowboys actually won the Superbowl, the majority of fans here would still be griping about players.

Beyond that, not one person actually knows where this team will be come Sept.

Sometimes this place makes me feel like I'm playing cards with my brother's kids.

 

[DandyDon1722]

The Cowboys can play with Washington but the Eagles are just on another level. If healthy the Cowboys can make the playoffs. The Cowboys have the best pass rush in the the NFC East and the second best offensive line.

Disagree. The QB position separates the two teams… by a lot.

 

[kskboys]

Not even.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

Early take on our draft is most of the guys we got are really good football players. The guys from rounds 1-3 will all either start or have big impact almost immediately. The Day 3 guys are ok on paper… BUT I can’t say that this draft has immediately put this team in a better position to compete with the eagles and commanders. I Just can’t.

Don’t get me wrong, I like the guys we drafted in rounds 1-3.

• 1st rounder Tyler Booker is a plug and play beast at G, I wish they could’ve traded down a couple spots to pick up a 4th rounder, but still a solid pick. A high character guy who was a captain at Alabama.
• 2nd round DE Donovan Ezeiruaku is a very talented pass rusher. EZ is also a high character guy who was also a team captain at Boston College.
• 3rd round CB Shavon Revel is a first round talent recovering from a knee injury. Where have we heard that before? Hopefully he’s fully recovered by Sept.

No problem really with those guys as far as their talent. They should contribute immediately. But if we are all being honest without the blue tinted fan glasses, the Cowboys STILL have glaring weaknesses at WR, RB and DT, three positions they badly needed an influx of top shelf talent.

So on Day 3 we acquired:

• 5th round RB Jaydon Blue and he’s fast but he’s also small and not more than 8-10 touches a game guy who has had fumble issues. Are we better at RB? Hmmm….
• 5th round traded up to get Florida LB Shemar James. A talented kid if not a little small. Seems a lot like last year’s 3rd round pick Marist Liafau.
• 6th round picked up T Ajani Cornelius from Oregon. Backup swing T was not on my bingo card as a pressing need.
• 7th round got UCLA DT Jay Toia, a big aggressive DT. But does this late sleeper suddenly make Mazi Smith a bad memory?

Like all drafts we need to wait on grading the 2025 Cowboys draft for at least a year; probably more like two years. Starting immediately, fans and the media will issue grades now but we really won’t know until pads are on and the real bullets fly in the regular season.

But if I am answering the question, “Did this draft get us closer to the eagles and commanders?” I would have to say no at this point.

When we play them on the field...will be the only way to tell.

 

[kskboys]

Nothing wrong with the players drafted, but the severe lack of offensive weapons is going to continue to be a problem.

Aging, injury prone QB with a lack of mobility + questionable OT pass pro + no legit WR 2 + no legit RB 1 = an offensive that is going struggle unless things go perfectly

And while our D should be better, it’s not great. Certainly not carry a team to a Super Bowl great.

This offseason has done nothing to convince we aren’t a 10-7 wild card team that loses in the 1st round. IF Dak stays healthy

Why would our D be better?

 

[Doomsday]

The Eagles had a really good draft as well, so hard to say we closed any gap

 

[Whiskey Cowboy]

I think we took a big step in the right direction. OL, DL, CB, and RB were all addressed. LB seems to be in good shape as well. WR is a question mark, but I don't think the FO is done there.

Will this team compete? Maybe. The NFCE is tricky. You never know how it will play out and it is rare to see a team repeat as champions. I think we are a year or two away.

If Steele returns to form(he improved last year towards the end of the season), Guyton and Beebe improve as expected, Booker is as advertised, and WR2 is addressed, this offense could be really good. Lots of depth at OL and RB is a breath of fresh air.

The veteran RBs provide insurance, and the rookies look promising as a solid thunder and lightning duo. Blue adds an element of speed at RB that we haven't seen in Dallas in a long time.

TE is adequate. Ferguson needs to take the next step, but he was solid last year. Schoon looked alright last year, need to see improvement, and I think we will. Spann-Ford and John Stephens will be something to watch in TC. I thought Stephens looked good before his injury.

Dak is Dak, good every other year and he sucked last year. Fingers crossed for a strong rebound. I don't love Milton at QB2, but at least he has some skill worth developing.

WR looks rough, but I like Tolbert more than most. He has shown consistent improvement since he arrived and I expect him to take the next step. Cooks wasn't great as #2 and missed some time. I don't think he will be missed much, but I would still like to see a veteran brought in to take pressure off of Lamb. Not hopeful about Mingo, but you never know. Flournoy is an interesting prospect. Could make for a solid #4. Turpin isn't an every down player but can provide some juice and take the top off of defenses. Same with Blue, who was a strong receiver out of the backfield at Texas.

DT is still a big ?. Osa is good, but not an ace at stopping the run. The kid from UCLA is a mammoth at 1T. I think he steals some reps and maybe a light comes on for Mazi. Solomon Thomas was a decent add and should help keep Osa fresh. I know nothing about Tommy Ak...... but I'm hearing he was a measurable pick. May not contribute much this season.

DE is as good as it has been in a long time. Lawrence is gone but he didn't contribute much last year anyways. Kneeland is a year older and showed promise last season. I think he turns it up a notch this year. Sam Williams is healthy and has shown potential in limited action. I don't expect much, but he has the tools to surprise. Micah and EZ are going to be a dynamic duo on 3rd downs. You can't double both, and if you shift concentration to the edges, Osa will eat the IOL alive. Fowler was a nice add coming off of a 10.5 sack performance lost season. This is my favorite position group on the team.

LB is in decent shape. A rotation of Murray, Sanborn, Marist, Clark, and James should keep everyone fresh. Overshown should be back late in the season and could provide a spark, especially if the team is still in contention. Some question marks here, but no more than last season and on paper, it looks like a deeper group.

CB is a concern, but becomes less of an issue if Revel is a advertised. He's expected back in time for TC and should do fine as CB2 behind Bland as Diggs works on getting up to speed. I'm not sure what to think of Carson. He flashed ability as a rookie, but also managed to get torched at times. A full offseason should do him some good as potential early CB3. Who plays the slot? Mukuamu? I hoped we could keep Lewis but he received a big deal from Jax.

Safety is fine. No big changes. Hooker, Wilson, Thomas, and Bell are locked in and have all shown the ability to contribute and make plays.

K and P are solid. Special teams should be good.

On paper, the team has improved, but more importantly, has added more young talent to form a new nucleus of young, hungry players looking to prove something. Can Coach Schottenheimer and Co get the best out of them? No clue, but I like what I'm seeing. I've been critical of this team since GB, but after an active offseason and a strong draft, coupled with the formation of what appears to be a young, dynamic coaching staff, I find myself hopeful. Something I didn't expect after watching the disaster that was last season.

 

[garyo1954]

Nope, we may have kept pace with where we were last year, but nothing we did made up any ground.

 

[Zekeats]

I missed it, we drafted a QB?

 

[Croomraider]

Eagles drafted really well again Jihaad and Mukuba were amazing picks. The draft is where the eagles built a really good team and continue to do so. Dallas just finally did the same thing. Every pick looks legit. We need to draft like this every year and we will make our way back to the top of the nfc east.

 

[Brooksey]

What’s negative about it? And why are we closer in your opinion?

Your tone is negative Bob, but I understand your frustration. We improved the o-line, pass rush, CB, and the RB room

 

[Mobinvans]

Nope

And we suck at free agency

 

[CowboyoWales]

I didn't go into this off-season having expectations for closing the gap. Instead I felt it was time for a rebuild. The new coaching staff is starting to grow on me and I do like the approach they took. I get the vibe that Schotty has more say in the direction of the team then previously thought. And TBH, I'm ok with not knowing how any of this is going to pan out. I don't hear a lot of hype about the Cowboys this offseason and that's a good thing IMO.

Spot on, we improved....and did it properly, by picking players, our process, liked. Maybe we didnt make up the gap immediately, but this is a draft for 2026.

If we want to improve immediately we need to trade/sign in the next round of cuts.