Growth from recent defensive draftees

[Typhus]

Outside of Diggs, Wilson, and Gallimore, I have no hope for anybody else on that list.

Anae or Robinson can prove to be contributors but that is far from certain. This defense is absolutely lacking talent. It has no more than 4 or 5 nfl starting defensive players, it's pathetic. Spend every resource in the draft and in free agency in adding 5 or 6 new defensive starters and we may be in business.

That would get us pointed in the right direction.
Lets not be foolish, this defensive disaster can not and will not be resolved quickly.

 

[Uncle_Hank]

Robinson is lengthy, athletic and physical so he should fit. The question is will he develop. 0 defense snaps last season isnt a good sign, but it was a bad year to be a rookie too

And a bad year to be a Cowboys defender

 

[cowboyec]

LVE
Diggs
Wilson
i think are pro bowl caliber.

Gallimore i think can be as well.
if not pro bowl level....solid starter.
i watched him at ou and he is just a solid football player...no reason to think he won't continue to improve.

Armstrong showed more this year than he ever has...but i still want to see more.
he's not DLaw or RG.

Hill def played much better than his rookie yr...if he continues to improve...it'll be fun to watch him and Gallimore on the inside.

i have high hopes for the utah kids...Anae and Bernard....i think...based on watching them in college...they can be solid players as starters or contributors down the line.

Robinson needs time....one area he excelled in at Tulsa was on special teams...blocking punts and kicks.
i'd love for him to contribute that here.
time will tell.
but he needs to get on the field.

 

[cowboyec]

i'll add this....probably not popular.
i think Jaylon is pro bowl caliber...we've seen it.i think he tries to do to much.
dial it back a little and get him another big fella on the inside and i think he returns to the kid we were all excited about.

Awuzie i think can be and is a solid starter.
i think if we want him back we should have no problem signing him...there probably won't be a line forming.

Lewis is a solid contributor.....does have a knack for making plays on the ball.
i hope we keep both Awuzie and Lewis.
with Diggs and say Farley.....or another rookie...thats a helluva good young 5-some at corner....Diggs,Farley and Brown as the starters...Awuzie,Lewis as contributors.
maybe Awuzie beats out Brown in the slot.
but thats a good lookin' 5 in my opinion.

Xavier Woods i was excited about but not anymore.
wouldn't surprise me if he is brought back.
should be cheap and we need bodies.
some think of the 3....
we bring back Woods and either Awuzie or Lewis.
you could bring all 3 back as depth pieces.
but i don't wanna see Woods starting.....unless he brings it.
wouldn't surprise me if he doesn't come back.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

People look to upcoming drafts to fix the defense. However, if you want to see how much a 2021 defense will improve, you have to look back at who they have drafted recently. The growth of recent draftees will go along way in determining if our 2021 defense improves, or stays at the same level.

With that being said, what kind of growth do you expect from some of defenders we have drafted in the last few years. Here is a list of guys still on the team

2018:
LVE
Dorrance Armstrong

2019:
Trysten Hill
Donovan Wilson

2020:
Trevon Diggs
Nevelle Gallimore
Reggie Robinson
Bradlee Anae

that's not a good looking list. LVE has regressed. Wilson showed a little, but not sure about him given he was part of a defense that was giving up 36+ and in the end about 30+.....is he part of the problem or is he part of the solution. the only one that looks good is Diggs. but based on last year's performance its not that great. he has potential. gallimore is a rotational guy perhaps, unless he shows more. Armstrong is a rotational guy at best. Hill is immature. very immature....Anae couldn't get on the field.

this is scary.

 

[Verdict]

The only guys on that list who were good as rookies were Diggs and LVE.
That lends me to the fairly common expectation you get Rounds 1 and 2 to find day 1 impact defenders.
Get one after that and you are either luckier than Luciano or you let him develop a bit his rookie season and just ate your lumps.

THill was awful, then passable then injured.
Gallimore was awful than passable but healthy.
Donovan Wilson was toast then a playmaker.
Diggs was boom or bust then injured, then mostly boom no bust.
LVE was a stud then injured, then solid then injured, then mediocre then injured.

Rookies often need time but especially it seems defensively.
Harder to get them roles and not overexpose them.

This is why I'd be really happy to walk away with 3 defenders in the top 60 after trade.

While I agree that it would be best to have premium picks on defense, the Cowboys have drafted many success stories on defense in the later rounds.

Hitchens was a 4th, Wilson the LB was a mid round pick. Scandrick was a 5th rounder. Ratliff was a 7th rounder. Brown was a 6th. I realize that’s not a bunch of Chase Daniels type of players but it shows it can be done.

Having said that I would really like to see us trade back multiple times and start picking at about pick 25 to the end of the first round and acquire more picks.

 

[Verdict]

i'll add this....probably not popular.
i think Jaylon is pro bowl caliber...we've seen it.i think he tries to do to much.
dial it back a little and get him another big fella on the inside and i think he returns to the kid we were all excited about.

Awuzie i think can be and is a solid starter.
i think if we want him back we should have no problem signing him...there probably won't be a line forming.

Lewis is a solid contributor.....does have a knack for making plays on the ball.
i hope we keep both Awuzie and Lewis.
with Diggs and say Farley.....or another rookie...thats a helluva good young 5-some at corner....Diggs,Farley and Brown as the starters...Awuzie,Lewis as contributors.
maybe Awuzie beats out Brown in the slot.
but thats a good lookin' 5 in my opinion.

Xavier Woods i was excited about but not anymore.
wouldn't surprise me if he is brought back.
should be cheap and we need bodies.
some think of the 3....
we bring back Woods and either Awuzie or Lewis.
you could bring all 3 back as depth pieces.
but i don't wanna see Woods starting.....unless he brings it.
wouldn't surprise me if he doesn't come back.

I really don’t want to see XWoods back even as a backup. I think you will catch some blowback from posters on Awuzie and Lewis. I would keep Awuzie. I think he still has untapped potential.

Lewis has some ability but he is a penalty waiting to happen. I would not be opposed to keeping Lewis as cheap depth. If you have Diggs, Awuzie, Lewis and Brown and add a top tier corner out of this draft class, I think you would have above average corners and depth.

 

[fivetwos]

i'll add this....probably not popular.
i think Jaylon is pro bowl caliber...we've seen it.i think he tries to do to much.
dial it back a little and get him another big fella on the inside and i think he returns to the kid we were all excited about.

Awuzie i think can be and is a solid starter.
i think if we want him back we should have no problem signing him...there probably won't be a line forming.

Lewis is a solid contributor.....does have a knack for making plays on the ball.
i hope we keep both Awuzie and Lewis.
with Diggs and say Farley.....or another rookie...thats a helluva good young 5-some at corner....Diggs,Farley and Brown as the starters...Awuzie,Lewis as contributors.
maybe Awuzie beats out Brown in the slot.
but thats a good lookin' 5 in my opinion.

Xavier Woods i was excited about but not anymore.
wouldn't surprise me if he is brought back.
should be cheap and we need bodies.
some think of the 3....
we bring back Woods and either Awuzie or Lewis.
you could bring all 3 back as depth pieces.
but i don't wanna see Woods starting.....unless he brings it.
wouldn't surprise me if he doesn't come back.

They are going to resign Woods at an AAV lower than most starting safeties and they will pat themselves on the back for finding such a bargain in the 6th round.

I see that one coming miles away.

 

[fivetwos]

I really don’t want to see XWoods back even as a backup. I think you will catch some blowback from posters on Awuzie and Lewis. I would keep Awuzie. I think he still has untapped potential.

Lewis has some ability but he is a penalty waiting to happen. I would not be opposed to keeping Lewis as cheap depth. If you have Diggs, Awuzie, Lewis and Brown and add a top tier corner out of this draft class, I think you would have above average corners and depth.

Not a fan of Awuzie or Lewis, but I wouldn't mind either back at the right number.

Knowing Jerry, the more he pays a guy he likes to brag that they are THAT good, and thats the reason.

This FO needs to pull their heads out quickly because selling your product and being all proud of your drafts don't correlate at ALL with the on the field results

 

[Cowboyny]

People look to upcoming drafts to fix the defense. However, if you want to see how much a 2021 defense will improve, you have to look back at who they have drafted recently. The growth of recent draftees will go along way in determining if our 2021 defense improves, or stays at the same level.

With that being said, what kind of growth do you expect from some of defenders we have drafted in the last few years. Here is a list of guys still on the team

2018:
LVE
Dorrance Armstrong

2019:
Trysten Hill
Donovan Wilson

2020:
Trevon Diggs
Nevelle Gallimore
Reggie Robinson
Bradlee Anae

-Coming into the league Lve was considered an ascending prospect, there is some room in which he can improve.
-Hill just has to be it all together, that injury hurt cause he would of gotten needed reps at the position. Make or break yr.
-Wilson broke out last season, he should be a quality starter moving forward
-Diggs was a different player after that 1st Philly game, he will look to take the next step
-Gallimore has to become more consistent and must do a better job against the run
-Who knows what we get out of Robinson/Anae, they have to first make the roster, nothing is a given when the defense performs so badly

 

[jterrell]

While I agree that it would be best to have premium picks on defense, the Cowboys have drafted many success stories on defense in the later rounds.

Hitchens was a 4th, Wilson the LB was a mid round pick. Scandrick was a 5th rounder. Ratliff was a 7th rounder. Brown was a 6th. I realize that’s not a bunch of Chase Daniels type of players but it shows it can be done.

Having said that I would really like to see us trade back multiple times and start picking at about pick 25 to the end of the first round and acquire more picks.

No doubt you can find players later but most of those guys had multiple seasons to develop.
It's really hard when you need guys day 1.
And Dallas cheap skate FA signings haven't been good enough to really buy a season of late.
Guys like Poe and Haha were flat wastes of time and money.
Just draft guys who can go day 1 where possible then later you go pure BPA and let what comes of those guys come.

 

[Mr_437]

2018
LVE - ???
Armstrong - pedestrian
2019
Hill - still no return on a 2nd rounder at a need position even with him being there.
Wilson - Over performed his 6th round status, but can he keep it up!
2020
Diggs - good pick, trending up, CB1 upside
Gallimore - flashes here n there, rotation
Robinson - overdrafted, move back to CB
Anae - will he be too slow for Quinn?

Not enough production so far, too many question marks. The most promising players are in the secondary and maybe LVE.

The scouting department has been a liability drafting defense.

 

[buybuydandavis]

People look to upcoming drafts to fix the defense. However, if you want to see how much a 2021 defense will improve, you have to look back at who they have drafted recently. The growth of recent draftees will go along way in determining if our 2021 defense improves, or stays at the same level.

With that being said, what kind of growth do you expect from some of defenders we have drafted in the last few years. Here is a list of guys still on the team

2018:
LVE
Dorrance Armstrong

2019:
Trysten Hill
Donovan Wilson

2020:
Trevon Diggs
Nevelle Gallimore
Reggie Robinson
Bradlee Anae

2016-2019 was disaster for defensive drafting. 2 firsts in Taco and LVE, and practically a 1st with LVE. All a big nothing burger for this year. Hill is probably a nothing burger too.

Diggs should be an ok pick. Gallimore looks pretty ok, but I hope we pick a better 3T to start.

Robinson couldn't make the field despite all our DB injuries *and* being game day active a bunch of games.

Anae got only 6 snaps before Gregory came back, and none after that. Annoying. If he's game day active, let him play some, especially in a bust of a season.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Diggs, Gallimore, Wilson,, thats 3.
Only need 8 more to make 11.

Law, Gregory. LVE. LVE is still on his rookie guaranteed contract.

I think Brown is our slot CB until further notice. He's the kind of free agent guy we'd sign anyway. Around 4mil in salary.

I think we've got 7.

4 more. 3T, CB, FS, LB.

 

[buybuydandavis]

given a chance, we gonna find that Anae and Robinson can play and play well. We may well have our starting safety in waiting with Robinson

Sure would help. Maybe they liked Robinson at FS, but he didn't play because XWoods wasn't that bad?

 

[75boyz]

that's not a good looking list. LVE has regressed. Wilson showed a little, but not sure about him given he was part of a defense that was giving up 36+ and in the end about 30+.....is he part of the problem or is he part of the solution. the only one that looks good is Diggs. but based on last year's performance its not that great. he has potential. gallimore is a rotational guy perhaps, unless he shows more. Armstrong is a rotational guy at best. Hill is immature. very immature....Anae couldn't get on the field.

this is scary.

That's my guy again. Our defensive opinions are carbon copies. Player for player even. Our QB opinions...not so much. Like exact opposites.

Go Arlington JonesBoys, er Dallas Daksters...

Championship! lol

 

[stilltheguru]

that's not a good looking list. LVE has regressed. Wilson showed a little, but not sure about him given he was part of a defense that was giving up 36+ and in the end about 30+.....is he part of the problem or is he part of the solution. the only one that looks good is Diggs. but based on last year's performance its not that great. he has potential. gallimore is a rotational guy perhaps, unless he shows more. Armstrong is a rotational guy at best. Hill is immature. very immature....Anae couldn't get on the field.

this is scary.

So wilson was part of a defense that gave up points but Diggs wasnt? Yall coming up with wild ways to discredit Wilson. Lol

 

[JoeKing]

Rookies becoming valuable veteran contributors? Is that a real thing?

 

[Risen Star]

Boy is that hot garbage over a 3 year period.

 

[Risen Star]

I still have hope that UDFA's Luke Gifford and Azur Kamara will step up.

Bless your heart.