How Should the Cowboys Handle 2nd Round Picks in the Future?

[Diehardblues]

We are always talking about how good we have been drafting this era but if we add up our risky players and bust in early rounds this era we can practically explain why we haven’t had more success.

 

[Nova]

Build your OL/DL foundation with safe starters, or trade the pick.

 

[thunderpimp91]

Connor Williams was hardly a solid contributor. IMO

He started 57 games and netted them a comp pick. I get you want a Diggs type of impact player every year but that’s just not realistic. CW was good value out of a 2nd round pick.

 

[Diehardblues]

Since the Cowboys have been very successful drafting in the first round, I would use my 2nd round semi successful pick for trade up bait in the first round.

I’m not sure bragging about success in 1st round drafting is that tough. It’s the one round everyone should get right most of the time .

Great teams are built on the 2nd and 3rd day draft picks . Especially in Cap era it takes too long to build a serious contender on just the 1st round . And a big part of why we haven’t had as much success this era.

 

[plymkr]

I've said this on this site a few times but our issues in the 2nd round are more exaggerated than anything. Since 2013 we have drafted Demarcus Lawrence, Randy Gregory, Jaylon Smith, Chido Awuzie, Connor Williams and Trevon Diggs....IMO, jury is still out on guys like Joseph and Sam Williams. Yes there were misses but I'm not giving up a 2nd round pick just because I hit on half of my 2nd rounders lol. That's silly.

DLaw- great pick, regardless of round
RG- didn't see any real action till 2 or 3 seasons in the NFL due to suspensions, had one good solid year for us, then took the money and disappeared in Denver.
Jaylon- red shirt first year, had a great season then average. Good guy but bad injury
Chido- good pick, solid pick
Conner- good pick, good use of a 2nd rounder
Trevon- great pick, no argument he is a great pick, first round talent snagged in the 2nd round.
Kelvin and Sam Williams- jury is still out but both have put themselves in a position that the nfl could suspend them.

So with that sample size with 2nd rounders it's not as bad as advertised as far as contributing on the field. I would argue 5-3, which isn't bad. The only frustrating part is the players that missed time for either suspension or injuries we knew prior to drafting them that it could happen. I don't know two many teams that would use a premium pick on a guy with serious injury issues or a pattern of bad behavior. We do for some reason and it gives us headaches.

 

[KingintheNorth]

Yep the 2nd round is clearly the JERRY round. Its the ONE round he still gets to do what he wants and take risks. The round he tries to be smarter than everyone else.

They tend to overcorrect in the 2nd round.

In 2021, after missing out on Jaycee Horn and Patrick Surtain, being bailed out by Philadelphia at 10, and before finally "settling" for Micah Parsons at 12, they were hellbent on drafting a Corner and took Joseph, despite his many red flags.

Hindsight, Asante Samuel, even with the size concerns, would have been a great pick there. Non-hindsight, I would have grabbed Alim McNeill , (DT NC State) there.

In 2022, they almost went Jalen Tolbert at 56, who ended up going 32 picks later. Instead they went Sam Williams, who is a telented Edge, but as today's news has shown, had/has some character concerns.


In 2023, it was out there that they very much wanted Dalton Kincaid. Buffalo leap frogged them and took Kincaid. They scrambled and went against script and drafted a 1Tech. Then they spun the narrative that they didn't really want Kincaid and fabricated a board that didn't have Kincaid listed as high. Kincaid's family and agent said that Dalton was told he would be the pick, but okay, Dallas didn't want him.

Guess what? Dallas stubbornly overdrafts a Tight End at 58, despite injury concerns.

Easy to be stubborn and make risky picks when you can't be fired.

 

[Diehardblues]

Trade them if they cant change how they view their 2nd round picks.

The 2nd round seems to be the round they reach for need and take a risk on a player because of it.

BPA would be the smartest thing to do. First round is where you should factor in need as its less likely to be as much of a risk.

The biggest reason risk players haven’t worked for us this era is we haven’t had the structural discipline. These guys know the buck doesn’t stop with our HC.

 

[CowboyRoy]

I don’t have an opinion? I’m telling you what this front office has said and it’s been proven true. I’d rather listen to Todd Archer or Bobby Belt than you. This team for what it’s worth has been rather honest about their draft. They admitted to wanting Paxton Lynch and Connor Cook. So do I think they have a reason to lie about Schoonmaker? Not at all. Why lie about wanting LaPorta? I’m “niave”’huh? Alright lol.

Your such a homer you dont get it. NO one is saying Jerry is a liar, they are just saying he is an idiot for having Schoonmaker as the BPA. LOL

If your opinion is formed by whatever the FO does as gospel then you are 100% completely useless for any real football input.

YOu basically have NO opinion, Jerry makes it for you. I really didn't think you were this bad of a homer. Ill never take your opinion seriously from now on.

If questioning JErry isnt your thing, then thats fine. But the rest of us seemed to have learned our lesson from 2nd round pick blunders and 30 years of failure from Jerry.

The ironic part is I wasnt freaked out by the pick when it happened. I get why they did it.

But there is no question is was a need reach.

 

[CowboyRoy]

They tend to overcorrect in the 2nd round.

In 2021, after missing out on Jaycee Horn and Patrick Surtain, being bailed out by Philadelphia at 10, and before finally "settling" for Micah Parsons at 12, they were hellbent on drafting a Corner and took Joseph, despite his many red flags.

Hindsight, Asante Samuel, even with the size concerns, would have been a great pick there. Non-hindsight, I would have grabbed Alim McNeill , (DT NC State) there.

In 2022, they almost went Jalen Tolbert at 56, who ended up going 32 picks later. Instead they went Sam Williams, who is a telented Edge, but as today's news has shown, had/has some character concerns.


In 2023, it was out there that they very much wanted Dalton Kincaid. Buffalo leap frogged them and took Kincaid. They scrambled and went against script and drafted a 1Tech. Then they spun the narrative that they didn't really want Kincaid and fabricated a board that didn't have Kincaid listed as high. Kincaid's family and agent said that Dalton was told he would be the pick, but okay, Dallas didn't want him.

Guess what? Dallas stubbornly overdrafts a Tight End at 58, despite injury concerns.

Easy to be stubborn and make risky picks when you can't be fired.

Its 100% a Jerry reach round (a). Its completely obvious. They consider it a need reach a round.

 

[kskboys]

This is not really a poll, I just wanted to read what others think.

2nd round picks have been somewhat problematic for the Jerry Jones era for the last 25 years. Gambles, fliers, and reaches on character and/or injury problem players.

The philosophy needs to change.

I'd just go B.P.A. from now on. Makes things much easier.

Heck, I'd be open to trades of 2nd round picks as a common practice.

The Wild-catter approach has bitten us in the butt too many times.

Not that simple, dude. BPA must be determined w/ extremely accurate analysis and evaluation. And since opinions always vary widely, there's actually no such thing as BPA. That's a fan thing.

Maybe trade it?

 

[kskboys]

I've stopped responding to Schoonmaker posts. I'm all for people wanting other guys but it's how they go about it. Straight creating lies. The Cowboys did not reach for him according to their board I don't know why people don't understand that lol.

Man, their board is really that bad?

 

[Walker]

Use the pick to move higher in the 1st or trade it for two 3rd rounders.

 

[kskboys]

He started 57 games and netted them a comp pick. I get you want a Diggs type of impact player every year but that’s just not realistic. CW was good value out of a 2nd round pick.

Connor Williams is now a top 10 C for MIA. Just need different people to evaluate players.

 

[jaythecowboy]

People are acting like schoonmaker was slated to be a udfa. He was a projected 3rd round guy that was taken with a late 2nd. He wouldn't have been there by the Cowboys 3rd round pick.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Not that simple, dude. BPA must be determined w/ extremely accurate analysis and evaluation. And since opinions always vary widely, there's actually no such thing as BPA. That's a fan thing.

Maybe trade it?

100% correct. We know that teams overvalue players based on needs. So TE clearly moved up their draft boards because they needed one. And they clearly wanted an all around TE that could block. So that would increase the value of a Schoonmaker and lower the value of pass catching only TE's.

 

[thunderpimp91]

People are acting like schoonmaker was slated to be a udfa. He was a projected 3rd round guy that was taken with a late 2nd. He wouldn't have been there by the Cowboys 3rd round pick.

Bingo. Odds are the cowboys could have had him in a slight trade down, however you need both to have a trade down partner and be willing to risk not getting your guy. Odds of schoon lasting to the cowboys next pick was pretty slim. So was it a reach? Probably so. Was it a major reach? Not really.

 

[75boyz]

Should be drafted knowing the following with the talent/skillset to match:

As potential strong contributors and large snap volume depth piece guys by midseason.

Progressing to absolute first guy off the bench and starter 1b at season's end.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Connor Williams is now a top 10 C for MIA. Just need different people to evaluate players.

Connor Williams was 100% NOT good value in the 2nd round. He basically sucked for 3 years and was still the weak link on the line in year #4.

Interesting that he played well in Miami as a Center, but its only 1 year. Connor couldnt even snap the ball when he was here.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

I'm thinking trading our second picks may be a good idea. Use them to trade up (Mark Holmes' idea) to the first round. Or, trade back to add more picks. Or, we can use them to get players that we need.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Bingo. Odds are the cowboys could have had him in a slight trade down, however you need both to have a trade down partner and be willing to risk not getting your guy. Odds of schoon lasting to the cowboys next pick was pretty slim. So was it a reach? Probably so. Was it a major reach? Not really.

Agreed it was somewhat of a reach, which is not a big deal. However, anyone saying he was BPA available at the time is cracking a joke.