Draft Options

[ThreeandOut]

We now know that there were several points in this draft where the results could have been very different based on the Cowboys plans. Below are three options for the Cowboys for the first four rounds based on options they were considering but that eventually didn't happen. Are there any of these options that you would have preferred over how the draft actually played out for the Cowboys?

Option 1
The Cowboys trade a 2nd and 3rd round pick to move up to Seattle's 1st to take Lynch. The first four rounds look like this:

Round 1 E Elliot RB
Round 2 P Lynch QB
Round 4 (#101) C Tapper DE
Round 4 (#135) C McGovern OG


Option 2
Ogbah falls to the Cowboys at 34 without a trade-up. The Cowboys trade their 3rd and 4th round (#101) picks to move back into the 2nd round for Smith.

Round 1 E Elliot RB
Round 2 E Ogbah DE
Round 2 J Smith LB
Round 4 (#101) D Prescott

Option 3
The Cowboys move up in round 4 to take Cook giving up picks 101 and 189 in round 6.

Round 1 E Elliot RB
Round 2 J Smith LB
Round 3 M Collins DT
Round 4 C Cook QB
Round 4 (#135) C McGovern OG


In most cases, I selected the players actually selected in their original slots for those slots not impacted by a trade. In the options where a QB was taken earlier, I slotted in the offensive lineman McGovern from Missouri at pick 135 as he was available at that point and he was on the Cowboys list of pre-draft visitors.

 

[Beast_from_East]

I kinda like the way the draft fell for us............I really don't like any of those trades, especially a 2nd and a 3rd for Lynch..........ouch.

 

[ilykdrama]

Here's the thing.....if you're drafting BPA.....we drafted the two best players in the entire draft. Offense and defense. I have no issues and love our draft. Not enough of a difference in Lynch and Prescott for me to even be upset. Prescott had the tougher conference????

 

[Beast_from_East]

Here's the thing.....if you're drafting BPA.....we drafted the two best players in the entire draft. Offense and defense. I have no issues and love our draft. Not enough of a difference in Lynch and Prescott for me to even be upset. Prescott had the tougher conference????

I will take Jaylon Smith, Malik Collins, and Dak Prescott over having Lynch and a bag of Doritos.

 

[Tristan]

We now know that there were several points in this draft where the results could have been very different based on the Cowboys plans. Below are three options for the Cowboys for the first four rounds based on options they were considering but that eventually didn't happen. Are there any of these options that you would have preferred over how the draft actually played out for the Cowboys?

Option 1
The Cowboys trade a 2nd and 3rd round pick to move up to Seattle's 1st to take Lynch. The first four rounds look like this:

Round 1 E Elliot RB
Round 2 P Lynch QB
Round 4 (#101) C Tapper DE
Round 4 (#135) C McGovern OG


Option 2
Ogbah falls to the Cowboys at 34 without a trade-up. The Cowboys trade their 3rd and 4th round (#101) picks to move back into the 2nd round for Smith.

Round 1 E Elliot RB
Round 2 E Ogbah DE
Round 2 J Smith LB
Round 4 (#101) D Prescott

Option 3
The Cowboys move up in round 4 to take Cook giving up picks 101 and 189 in round 6.

Round 1 E Elliot RB
Round 2 J Smith LB
Round 3 M Collins DT
Round 4 C Cook QB
Round 4 (#135) C McGovern OG


In most cases, I selected the players actually selected in their original slots for those slots not impacted by a trade. In the options where a QB was taken earlier, I slotted in the offensive lineman McGovern from Missouri at pick 135 as he was available at that point and he was on the Cowboys list of pre-draft visitors.

#1

 

[Awakened]

If Ogbah ends up with 10 sacks this year and turns out to be a perennial Pro-Bowler, then option #2 would look pretty sweet.

 

[Kaiser]

Good OP, I was thinking of these three options today . But wasn't the issue with the trade up for Lynch was that they were asking for next year's #1 in addition to the #2 and #3?

I wanted Lynch but if the price was next years #1, I'm glad they passed.

 

[ilykdrama]

I will take Jaylon Smith, Malik Collins, and Dak Prescott over having Lynch and a bag of Doritos.

My man.

Seriously, though. If Jaylon pans out, this will be the best draft by any team in the past few years. You got the two best offensive and defensive player. Zeke is a franchise RB. A complete 3 down back.

 

[ThreeandOut]

Good OP, I was thinking of these three options today . But wasn't the issue with the trade up for Lynch was that they were asking for next year's #1 in addition to the #2 and #3?

I wanted Lynch but if the price was next years #1, I'm glad they passed.

No, I think it Seattle only wanted the 2 and the 3, but we only offered the 2 and 4 plus an exchange of picks at the end of the draft.

 

[robjay04]

Well the team had Lynch graded at 12, given that information----it would've been ideal to land him considering his position. I really believe Prescott was someone they liked but they didn't have him ranked very high considering they were willing to take Cook with their first fourth and not Dak.

Oh well, besides what we did with our second---I'm happy with the draft.

 

[ThreeandOut]

Well the team had Lynch graded at 12, given that information----it would've been ideal to land him considering his position. I really believe Prescott was someone they liked but they didn't have him ranked very high considering they were willing to take Cook with their first fourth and not Dak.

Oh well, besides what we did with our second---I'm happy with the draft.

Most rankings probably had Cook higher than Prescott so that's not surprising. I suspect they had a 2nd to 3rd round grade on Cook and a 3rd to 4th round grade on Prescott.

 

[Galian Beast]

I really like Option 2, but you can't really look at the draft like this.

 

[DCowboyz]

If Jaylon Smith becomes the top 3 player he was before he was injured, no one would second guess the draft.

 

[ThreeandOut]

If Jaylon Smith becomes the top 3 player he was before he was injured, no one would second guess the draft.

Please don't think the point of this thead is to second guess the Smith pick. The three options are basically the reported plans Dallas had during days 1, 2, and 3 of this draft. You will notice Smith is included under option 2.

 

[DCowboyz]

Please don't think the point of this thead is to second guess the Smith pick. The three options are basically the reported plans Dallas had during days 1, 2, and 3 of this draft. You will notice Smith is included under option 2.

It's not second guessing the Smith pick. It's seconding guessing the whole draft. Who knows if Smith is actually available under option 2. But sure, I get what you're saying.

 

[robjay04]

Most rankings probably had Cook higher than Prescott so that's not surprising. I suspect they had a 2nd to 3rd round grade on Cook and a 3rd to 4th round grade on Prescott.

I agree but they still passed on Prescott with their first fourth as well. If someone snatched Prescott in those 30 or so picks in between, we may have not taken a QB at all.

Out of your options? I choose option 1. Jerry and Stephen are really second guessing themselves publicly which makes me believe they feel the same. Getting a QB ranked 12th on your board is more valuable than selecting a LB that is ranked 5th with a huge injury risk and a DT ranked 40 (I'm just guessing here but a lot of people likely ranked before Collins went in the second).

 

[Verdict]

If Ogbah ends up with 10 sacks this year and turns out to be a perennial Pro-Bowler, then option #2 would look pretty sweet.

he wasn't there when we picked, so that option really had no chance of being reality.

 

[Verdict]

I agree but they still passed on Prescott with their first fourth as well. If someone snatched Prescott in those 30 or so picks in between, we may have not taken a QB at all.

Out of your options? I choose option 1. Jerry and Stephen are really second guessing themselves publicly which makes me believe they feel the same. Getting a QB ranked 12th on your board is more valuable than selecting a LB that is ranked 5th with a huge injury risk and a DT ranked 40 (I'm just guessing here but a lot of people likely ranked before Collins went in the second).

They may have had an uneasy feeling about not taking Manziel, but that worked out pretty well.

 

[tyke1doe]

Option 2
Ogbah falls to the Cowboys at 34 without a trade-up. The Cowboys trade their 3rd and 4th round (#101) picks to move back into the 2nd round for Smith.

Round 1 E Elliot RB
Round 2 E Ogbah DE
Round 2 J Smith LB
Round 4 (#101) D Prescott

You meant pick #135 for D Prescott?

 

[ThreeandOut]

You meant pick #135 for D Prescott?

Yes, that should be 135 for Prescott.