Machota: Mayock shares his thoughts on several possible Cowboys draft targets

[LatinMind]

the short answer is no to all.
you are pretty far off on a non-existent tangent.

Nothing in this shows he's any better then Church. He's a hitter who sits and hits. If you see anything other then that ur looking for something thats not there

 

[Alexander]

Only issue is 75% of your list is LB.

Ealy had near zero production at Missou. He was no where near as impactful as Sam.
Jeffcoat is just not real good TBH. He's a solid player but really not elite in any area.

The DL group is not overly impressive, especially at 4-3 DE.

Most of these LB players can project as undersized ends in our scheme. Not every DE is going to be 6-6 and 280 pounds.

I disagree that it is a bad year. Not great of course, but when was the last great pass rusher year for 4-3 ends? Look back at 2008. People were just convinced that it was a great DE class with Long, Gholston and Harvey. All except Long was a bust.

You said it yourself, it is overvalued. So why worry if it is a strong class or not? To me it seems like all the rest of them honestly.

Most players in college end up getting projected to linebacker in a 3-4 anyway.

 

[Alexander]

Nothing in this shows he's any better then Church.

That is a highlight reel, so of course it is going to feature the hitting.

Try watching a full game focusing on the other things he did at Louisville. Then come back and say he is no better than Church.

 

[Gaede]

It may be his specialty, but he is not any more accurate with his rankings with them than any other position.

True.

But that still doesn't discount the ability that Mayock sees in Clinton-Dix to play FS

 

[casmith07]

Thanks for these draft articles Alex.

Mayock really likes Ealy and sees Donald/Hageman as later rd1 picks (maybe after slight trade down)? Pryor seems to be like an interesting pick but it seems this team would benefit more from Clinton-Dix as a centerfielder type of S. The value in tackles goes deep and would really like the team to snag one (3-4 rd) if possible to supplant Free (FA next year). This draft is stacked with talent.

Absolutely no. Clinton-Dix cannot cover.

 

[casmith07]

My take is that both Dix and Pryor can play single high but I prefer Pryor.

If you put a gun to my head, I'll take Pyror to play more of a FS role. The guy who can play it better than them both is Jimmie Ward, though. Watch the tape. He plays slot men like Earl Thomas and Kenny Vaccaro did in college and has the speed and range to play Cover 3.

 

[LatinMind]

That is a highlight reel, so of course it is going to feature the hitting.

Try watching a full game focusing on the other things he did at Louisville. Then come back and say he is no better than Church.

If he had highlights in the passing game they would be there. He had few.

 

[Nightman]

If you put a gun to my head, I'll take Pyror to play more of a FS role. The guy who can play it better than them both is Jimmie Ward, though. Watch the tape. He plays slot men like Earl Thomas and Kenny Vaccaro did in college and has the speed and range to play Cover 3.

We already have a lot of young Safeties. I would rather sign a FA that knows the system over a draft pick that has to learn on the job.

Go heavy DT, DE, OLB in the draft

 

[DandyDon1722]

Interestingly, Broaddus is very down on Ealy.

Broaddus was also down on Dix but really likes Pryor and Joyner.

 

[casmith07]

We already have a lot of young Safeties. I would rather sign a FA that knows the system over a draft pick that has to learn on the job.

Go heavy DT, DE, OLB in the draft

Good luck selling the "no safety in the draft" to this place.

 

[Nightman]

Good luck selling the "no safety in the draft" to this place.

We have def missed on a few good ones the last 4-5 years, but I don't think Pryor and Dix are at that top level to use the 16th pick. Hopefully one of the top QBs falls or a team wants one of the top WRs and we can get a haul for the 16th pick.

 

[garyv]

Before I wasted a super high draft pick on DE I take DT and save DE until round 4-5 and take Urban, DE VT. His upside
might be greater than some of the higher rated DE.

 

[Verdict]

That is not exactly true. There is a lot of buzz that Mack and Barr could go top 10. Ealy is considered middle first. Then you have others like Dee Ford, Crichton, Jeffcoat and Lawrence from the late first/second on. It is not any worse than any other year. I think the DT talent fits what we need, which is 3-technique. Now if I were a 3-4 team in desperate need for a nose tackle, I would be a little concerned.

Actually Nic is probably best suited as a 3/4 NT. Other than Clowney this group of DL do not really impress. That is not to say that some won't become starters, but to me they seem to be flip a coin as to whether they will amount to anything or not. I don't think any of us want a coin flip type of player at #16.

 

[Verdict]

Only issue is 75% of your list is LB.

Ealy had near zero production at Missou. He was no where near as impactful as Sam.
Jeffcoat is just not real good TBH. He's a solid player but really not elite in any area.

The DL group is not overly impressive, especially at 4-3 DE.

Of the guys he listed I don't think any are sure fire starters on a 4-3 defense. Some might be able to successfully play 3-4 olb and be ok, but I'm not really sold on any of these guys as 4-3 linemen (at least in the first round).

 

[skinsscalper]

I seriously don't understand all the love for Dix. He's a slow safety with horrible fundamentals in the tackling game. He's a leg diver who doesn't wrap up and every INT the kid gets seems to land right in his lap or is the result of someone else actually making the play and Dix mopping up with the INT on the tip.

I wouldn't draft this kid any higher than the 3rd round (no I'm not kidding) and I, honestly, like the potential of Wilcox all day over this kid. Neither Pryor or Dix are in the Thomas/Berry type of talent level and I wouldn't consider either with the 16th. I would be in a mad scramble to trade down if they were the BPA at 16. But with a gun to my head, I would take Pryor 100 times out of 100 between the two.

 

[Verdict]

That is not exactly true. There is a lot of buzz that Mack and Barr could go top 10. Ealy is considered middle first. Then you have others like Dee Ford, Crichton, Jeffcoat and Lawrence from the late first/second on. It is not any worse than any other year. I think the DT talent fits what we need, which is 3-technique. Now if I were a 3-4 team in desperate need for a nose tackle, I would be a little concerned.

Another way of looking at this would be to ask yourself are any of the players in this draft be the player that Ware if taken at the same spot. The odds are they are not. Are they more like Spears where he was taken in the draft. A guy like Spears turned out to be nothing special. Players like that with his production can routinely be found in the second or third rounds. But you don't look to take a guy with Spears' production in the first round.

Are these guys being talked about as high draft picks because they are worth the pick, or just the best players at their positions that aren't worthy of a high draft position? Time will tell. But none of these guys so far really wow me enough for me to use the 16th pick on.

I would much rather take a chance on Donald late in the first than some of these other guys at #16. I just don't think any outside of Clowney will be worth that high of a pick, and I don't think Clowney will fall that far. Get a sure fire starter at #16 or in our spot in the trade down. Acquire talent. Don't reach based on a perceived need.

 

[DFWJC]

Depending how the draft is going, I would not mind dropping down slightly from 16 and using the ammo to move up from 42.

That is not exactly true. There is a lot of buzz that Mack and Barr could go top 10. Ealy is considered middle first. Then you have others like Dee Ford, Crichton, Jeffcoat and Lawrence from the late first/second on. It is not any worse than any other year. I think the DT talent fits what we need, which is 3-technique. Now if I were a 3-4 team in desperate need for a nose tackle, I would be a little concerned.

I've seen Jeffcoat as late as the 4th.

 

[Verdict]

Depending how the draft is going, I would not mind dropping down slightly from 16 and using the ammo to move up from 42.


I've seen Jeffcoat as late as the 4th.

I don't think many on this board would be pimping Jeffcoat if he had a different last name or attended a different university. He is not a horrible player, but he doesn't seem be anything special either.

 

[SilverStarCowboy]

Romo Friendly much? OT is strong at 16 and you can't trust Doug Free. Dallas needs a Guard as well, this Draft could hold that position as well.

But this is Jerral Wayne, TE and WR are quick twitch Playmakers in this Draft @16.