McClay: The 2023 draft class must make a year 2 jump

[gimmesix]

Not one person from that draft class contributed. Unacceptable.

Four starters from the previous year's class, including two All-Pros. Two other contributors.

Sometimes you hit, sometimes you miss. That's why trusting the draft to replenish your roster is a fool's errand. Got to use free agency too..

 

[Roadtrip635]

It's about "going all in" on Drafts to improve this team because we are so bad at all other aspects of roster building. The strategy continues to be hitting homeruns in multiple successive drafts.... yeah that sounds like a solid plan.

 

[Zekeats]

Yeah, if that backup TE who has next to zero impact on our season can up his game watch out NFL

 

[MountaineerCowboy]

Lol,

Failed? Typically DT and TE take a year or 2 to develop and the LB tore his ACL.
Again logic, not one of your strong points!

You already bought their jersey, didn’t ya?

 

[doomsday9084]

If all of these guys become year 2 superstars then Dallas may defy the odds and have a reasonably good team. If they don't . . . this team is going to be a disappointment. That's what's left unsaid.

As a side note, I still want to see Stephens get a reasonable chance. He looked like a fluid receiver at TE, unlike Schoonmaker. Schoon is probably going to get the McKeon role.

https://www.si.com/nfl/cowboys/news...urprise-tight-end-luke-schoonmaker-prediction

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

The Will McClay hate always amuses me.
It is an automatic indicator of people just being in complaint or hater mode.

Will McClay does not hit on every draft pick. Will McClay will have a bad draft here and there.
Even though Will does not make the picks, he just sets up the board and Jerry has the final say of the picks.

There is no gm, owner group, scout group or VP of personnel that gets every pick right and has a great draft every year. There is some weird notion among fans that Every pick and every draft has to be good to great when that is simply not a notion grounded in reality.

What is grounded in reality is the fact that the Cowboys over the last decade have been one of the best drafting teams in the NFL. You can try and argue that but you will lose the argument.

So even if a player or a year of a draft is considered bad, the draft rate for the Cowboys has been one of the top teams this last decade. And further goes to show that nobody gets the draft 100% nor does it mean you will never miss on a pick.

If you want to be called a realist and not a hater...be real and not a hater.

With Big and Little enos in charge and Little Enos being Polly Penny Pincher who refuses to spend money on quality players in FA. This front office has made it so that the draft is about the only vehicle for this team to bring in good players.

The last three years this team has had a 12-5 record.
You do not get to win that amount in the regular season if you are drafting bad every year.

Now here comes the people bringing up the Playoffs record and that record does suck. However I argue for a team that only relies on the draft and pretty much makes a mockery of Free Agency...that is still a very good record in the regular season and if they would only invest in the FA period maybe they would get over that final hump in the playoffs.

Will McClay is not infallible for this team. But to show so much hate and sarcasm his way is a product of unreasonable fans. You might not like that, but it is true.

 

[JW82]

Jump? An appearance is more accurate.

 

[Creeper]

Weird. Not "they will step up", or "they can step up", but "they must step up". This really says it all, doesn't it? Basically he is saying the front office didn't do squat this offseason so if we are going to win the guys who stunk last year have to be stars this year.

So in order for us to be even as good as they were last year, which was not good enough, about 6 or 6 guys have to play better than they have ever played. And not just a little better, but a lot better. AND! They are depending on 3 rookies to step right in a be better than the guys we had last year.

Tyler Guyton is not going to be better than Tyron Smith. Beebe could be as good as Biadasz though. I don't see Kneeland being better than Fowler or Armstrong. I don't see Mazi being better than Hankins. We have to hope Diggs is back 100% and Bland repeats his record setting performance from last year (he won't). And with all that, we have to hope Terence Steele returns to his 2023 form, and Zeke is the 2016 Zeke.

 

[Portnoy1]

Yea we know cause if they don't make a jump it's a colossal failure. This is what happens when you draft projects high in the draft.

Cough*bossmanfat*cough

 

[Whyjerry]

Duh

Captain Obvious right?

 

[SwagSurfer]

Hopefully Zim can unlock another level of development with them. DQ was checked out last year and didn't do any of the young guys any favors.

 

[Streifenkarl]

Or what?

 

[exciter]

You already bought their jersey, didn’t ya?

Oh, another in a long line of brilliant, well thought out comments!

 

[pitt33]

A Nose Tackle, a backup TE you’re asking to make a big impact?

That’s your fault for drafting them.


Overshown got a chance to be something but these other guys are jags.

They’re all stiffs.

Can’t hit on every class.

Happens to many teams.

 

[basel90]

Mazi is already in Bust territory. This comment will only increase the focus on him. First rounders should start and make some impact. This could be anohter Taco situtation unfortunately as i don't see how many team will trade for Mazi if he does not produce.

 

[big dog cowboy]

I could care less what u think

You must. You read and responded.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Mazi is already in Bust territory.

Based on???

 

[big dog cowboy]

If all of these guys become year 2 superstars then Dallas may defy the odds and have a reasonably good team. If they don't . . . this team is going to be a disappointment.

The 2023 Dallas Cowboys draft class isn't going to determine if this team is a disappointment or not.

 

[TwentyOne]

No. Its that our drafting departement must make a better job at chosing players.

Then players will and are able to make the jump in their 2nd year because we picked the right talent.

 

[TwentyOne]

Based on???

That is not the right question.

The question is: what did he show that supports the idea that he is not a bust?