Drafting WR in the first round is a bad idea.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I think there are many reasons.

The Cowboys do not need a WR.

For all of the whinging about depth we have Dez Bryant, Terrence Williams, Dwayne Harris and Cole Beasley who are all accomplished WR in the NFL. We also have not one or two pass catching TE who can flex out and run patterns on the perimeter; we have three. Let Witten, Hanna and Escobar compete for jump balls with guys 40 pounds less than them or heaven forbid give Harris a shot.

WR in the first round doesn't bust out particularly bad but it also does not result in all that many pro bowls either. It ends up pretty average with a fat middle. An 8-8 team doesn't need middling.

The WR at the top of this draft are not NFL ready. There are two WR worth selecting are not ready for the NFL. I get their physical talents. Watkins can be a dynamic force like Percy Harvin with how he was used as an h-back type at Clemson and I get that Evans is a champ at getting jumpballs down the hash and at comebacks.

Neither of the two showed that they can run a full NFL route tree with technique. Chopped steps and hesitation moves are not in their route running, consistent route depth is not there, good hard cuts off the right foot is not a priority in their games.

Beckham is the guy with the most polish. You notice him using a lot more of the above but he is not the dominant playmaker that the first two are and is an inferior prospect relative to our draft spot.

This draft is overall very deep in WR. Upwards of 20 WR are in the top 100 picks and a guy like the guy from Austin might fall all the way to the fourth.

Small school specimens like http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=94124&draftyear=2014&genpos=WR who in many years might get consideration in round 4 are now slotted 6 or later by most accounts. There are that many guys coming out that can help a team right away.

Many positions in this draft will be picked clean in the first two days. Safety, DE, interior OL, and LB are not very deep. Positions like OT and DT are top heavy. A lot of them go early historically and once you get past the first 8 or so it is dicey in this draft like those DT from LSU. bleh!

If Watkins or Evans is the pick I am not saying that I will whinge. OTOH, I will think it is more business as usual out of Valley Ranch. Trying to hit a home run with a gamble on a projection while a sure thing goes by the way side.

 

[Idgit]

I generally don't like taking in the first round a guy who's only going to touch the ball on 5-6 plays, total, in a game. But I make an exception for a guy who's capable of changing the way a defense has to game plan for you offensively. I think Evans could do that for us, at least. If he's there, and we're out of options at positions of greater need, I'd be not thrilled, but I could understand the rationale behind the pick and I'd get behind it.

You're right that there's so much WR talent in this draft, though, that we can take a guy in the third and not have that much drop off from the guys taken above him. Or take a guy at the end of the draft and get a guy with middle-round talent for an ordinary year. That seems to make more sense if we've got better places to spend our early picks this year.

 

[ColeBeasley11]

I generally don't like taking in the first round a guy who's only going to touch the ball on 5-6 plays, total, in a game. But I make an exception for a guy who's capable of changing the way a defense has to game plan for you offensively. I think Evans could do that for us, at least. If he's there, and we're out of options at positions of greater need, I'd be not thrilled, but I could understand the rationale behind the pick and I'd get behind it.

You're right that there's so much WR talent in this draft, though, that we can take a guy in the third and not have that much drop off from the guys taken above him. Or take a guy at the end of the draft and get a guy with middle-round talent for an ordinary year. That seems to make more sense if we've got better places to spend our early picks this year.

Well said, if Evans falls too us Jerry will probly take him. It seems very unlikely he will fall that far tho....It's not like we couldn't draft 2 or more WR's in late rounds Dez's physicality gets him injured at times, and Beasley probly can't go through 16 games without getting hurt.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

I wouldn't be opposed to Evans. This team is in no position to pass up quality players.

The NFL isn't about how many Pro Bowlers you can get at each position. Its about how many playmakers you have. And if you see a playmaker there but you already have a playmaker at that position on your team? I don't think you can pass him up. Regardless of the position he plays. Tight end might be the exception of course but any other position.......should be looked at because it can be upgraded.

 

[Mrdude108]

Personally, I hope we don't take a WR in the first round but if it's Mike Evans, I'd be okay with it because I love the player and he would be such a great weapon for us. Look how Marshall and Jeffery just dominated last season, Evans has a similar catch zone (there's a scouting term for this) to Alshon as far as making catches and going after balls. I don't think he will be there though.

I personally want either defense, preferably defensive line. If not, then one of those top three OTs and Lewan is the most likely to have a shot at falling.

 

[TheSport78]

Drafting good football players in the first round is never a bad idea.

 

[Fredd]

this team needs someone in the first round to be on the field and have some type of impact...so, WR is a maybe, to a "no" in that department. I wish we knew what their long-term plans were; it'd be nice to be the obligatory "fly on the wall" to see if their plan at WR is to keep Dez or not, IMO, they should; but if he isn't in the plan for the future, then they had better keep that in mind and Evans would be a nice pick...TWill's growth shouldn't be stunted and an Evans pick stunts his growth....
...IMO, we shouldn't go (in no particular order) WR, TE, QB, RB, CB, S with our first pick (leaving OL, DL and LB of course)...I like the idea of BPA, but only with RT, OG, DL (any) or LB as options in round 1....we aren't pidgeon-holing ourselves as there should be someone there to pick

 

[Hoofbite]

I wouldn't care for it.

 

[DogFace]

No

 

[Jstopper]

We have Dez who is a Titan, T-will who had the most yards of any WR his sr year in college, as well as having a nice rookie year, cole beasley who is a shifty quick little Wes Welker type with good hands and works good out of the slot, Harris who makes plays everytime he touches the ball. Unless we are running shotgun all day most basic pass plays from the i-formation only use the top 2 WR. So at that point you're either taking plays away from either T-will or Beasley and i dont agree with that. We are good at WR we need to go defense heavy.

 

[Manster74]

Watkins would be the only one that is even consider on the 1st. Fairly certain we won't have to worry about that though.

 

[casmith07]

We have Dez who is a Titan, T-will who had the most yards of any WR his sr year in college, as well as having a nice rookie year, cole beasley who is a shifty quick little Wes Welker type with good hands and works good out of the slot, Harris who makes plays everytime he touches the ball. Unless we are running shotgun all day most basic pass plays from the i-formation only use the top 2 WR. So at that point you're either taking plays away from either T-will or Beasley and i dont agree with that. We are good at WR we need to go defense heavy.

Imagine Williams sprinting down the outside drawing bracket coverage and Dez Bryant or Mike Evans in the slot against a nickel CB or linebacker?

That's what Alshon Jeffrey and Brandon Marshall feasted on all last year.

If Evans is there at #16, you make the pick. The defense is not one first rounder away from being a championship defense. If you have to trade away a future pick to get back into this year's first or 2nd to get a surefire starter on the DL, so be it...but I you never pass over offensive weapons (LeSean McCoy) just because you think you're okay.

 

[tm1119]

What have Cole Beasley and Dwayne Harris accomplished as nfl WR's? I'm not saying they are bad players or that I don't like them, but calling them accomplished is pretty far fetched. And Terrence Williams needs to learn how to make a catch with his hands before I fully trust him even tho he had a pretty good rookie year. So basically we are a Dez back injury away from being in trouble at the position.

With all that said, I definitely wouldn't draft a wr in the 1st either, but anything after that is fair game. This WR class is way too talented to write off taking 1 early. If Davante Adams or Allen Robinson somehow fall to us in the 2nd you better believe I'm snatching them up. If the value is there for WR between the 2nd-4th there's no reason not to.

 

[casmith07]

What have Cole Beasley and Dwayne Harris accomplished as nfl WR's? I'm not saying they are bad players or that I don't like them, but calling them accomplished is pretty far fetched. And Terrence Williams needs to learn how to make a catch with his hands before I fully trust him even tho he had a pretty good rookie year. So basically we are a Dez back injury away from being in trouble at the position.

With all that said, I definitely wouldn't draft a wr in the 1st either, but anything after that is fair game. This WR class is way too talented to write off taking 1 early. If Davante Adams or Allen Robinson somehow fall to us in the 2nd you better believe I'm snatching them up. If the value is there for WR between the 2nd-4th there's no reason not to.

I agree with your first paragraph but not your second. If its Mike Evans or Sammy Watkins magically at #16, you gotta make that pick.

 

[ElGatoGrande]

Focusing solely on the skill positions has served us so well the past couple of decades, don't know why they'd want to stop now,,,,

 

[kevinhickey]

I generally don't like taking in the first round a guy who's only going to touch the ball on 5-6 plays, total, in a game. But I make an exception for a guy who's capable of changing the way a defense has to game plan for you offensively. I think Evans could do that for us, at least. If he's there, and we're out of options at positions of greater need, I'd be not thrilled, but I could understand the rationale behind the pick and I'd get behind it.

You're right that there's so much WR talent in this draft, though, that we can take a guy in the third and not have that much drop off from the guys taken above him. Or take a guy at the end of the draft and get a guy with middle-round talent for an ordinary year. That seems to make more sense if we've got better places to spend our early picks this year.

I have to agree, it would make Defense play our receivers straight up. Watkins would stretch defences and Evan would be a big target for Romo.

 

[CF74]

Tempting.....

 

[Sandyf]

The important thing for the Cowboys is to stay true to the board. If Evans is at #16, and I doubt it, and is your highest rated player then you take him unless some team offers way more than the worth and then only if you have a couple of other players with slightly less grades. I mean, what if the Jets at #18, really want Evans and offer you there 3rd or more to move down two spots and say Zach Martin and both safeties are still on the board. I have to believe that their grades are similiar to Evans. Lots to happen yet but we have always got in trouble by not staying true to the board or by taking glitz over sustance.

 

[tm1119]

I agree with your first paragraph but not your second. If its Mike Evans or Sammy Watkins magically at #16, you gotta make that pick.

Yeah if that magic happens I agree, I'd take either. I just think there's about a 2% chance of that happening and my post was assuming it wouldn't. Watkins won't make it out of the top 6 and Evans the top 13

 

[casmith07]

Yeah if that magic happens I agree, I'd take either. I just think there's about a 2% chance of that happening and my post was assuming it wouldn't. Watkins won't make it out of the top 6 and Evans the top 13

I would be inclined to agree.