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

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Cowboys VP of player personnel Will McClay when asked about needing last year’s draft class (Mazi Smith, Luke Schoonmaker, DeMarvion Overshown, Viliami Fehoko, etc.) to make a Year 2 jump:

“Those guys have to make a jump for us to succeed. They’ve been in the system for a year. Now, we’ve got a little different defensive scheme, but they’ve been around here. They’ve been a part of the process.

“When you have a good team and we’ve won 36 games in three years, we haven’t won the big one, but that’s highly productive to win that many games. To do that, you have to have a number of good players.
So when you draft players, those players don’t always immediately step in and fill that role. But when you’re drafting a player, you’re drafting them for the four to five years of their contract, and you’re trying to get a return on investment.

“We need those guys to take a jump now based on the cap and the way things are. And they just have to step up. At the end of the day, that’s exactly what it is. We’ll continue to try and fill holes and add players as we go through this process. But guys just have to step up. It’s their time now.

“We’ve lost a number of really quality vets that have been on our roster, that have been with us for a while. These young guys need to step up. There’s no other way about it.”
"

essentially we screwed up in the draft and I need these players to step up or we are screwed.

 

[VaqueroTD]

First admission from official Cowboys personnel that it was a bad draft. We’ve been labeling it that all year on the Zone, except for the few usual homers.

 

[StuckMojo]

Schoonmaker was a terrible 2nd rd pick by McClay. Obviously he didn’t stick to his board and if his board had Schoon that high then I question his eye for talent

 

[CowboyoWales]

First admission from official Cowboys personnel that it was a bad draft. We’ve been labeling it that all year on the Zone, except for the few usual homers.

That's what happens when you draft for need, in an All-In year.

 

[CowboyoWales]

Schoonmaker was a terrible 2nd rd pick by McClay. Obviously he didn’t stick to his board and if his board had Schoon that high then I question his eye for talent

A pick that was supposed to aid the short TCO strategy whilst aiding the blocking in the run game ..... so that it became scheme specific game which helped RB2 if he was needed to step in. (Offseting what happened in SF(x2), once Pollard went down RB2's individual skillset couldn't step up).
Failure on both counts.

 

[Typhus]

I hope that under Zimmer, Mazi can showcase what he can do on that DL. This is his 2nd year, hopefully he can prove his doubters wrong and kick some RB tail with Rogers this year. Let's go Mazi!

Loading up on 1Ts, this is a Dallas first.

 

[eromeopolk]

Cowboys VP of player personnel Will McClay when asked about needing last year’s draft class (Mazi Smith, Luke Schoonmaker, DeMarvion Overshown, Viliami Fehoko, etc.) to make a Year 2 jump:

“Those guys have to make a jump for us to succeed. They’ve been in the system for a year. Now, we’ve got a little different defensive scheme, but they’ve been around here. They’ve been a part of the process.

“When you have a good team and we’ve won 36 games in three years, we haven’t won the big one, but that’s highly productive to win that many games. To do that, you have to have a number of good players.
So when you draft players, those players don’t always immediately step in and fill that role. But when you’re drafting a player, you’re drafting them for the four to five years of their contract, and you’re trying to get a return on investment.

“We need those guys to take a jump now based on the cap and the way things are. And they just have to step up. At the end of the day, that’s exactly what it is. We’ll continue to try and fill holes and add players as we go through this process. But guys just have to step up. It’s their time now.

“We’ve lost a number of really quality vets that have been on our roster, that have been with us for a while. These young guys need to step up. There’s no other way about it.”
"

Good luck with that as most are coming off injury or need to regain weight or strength.

 

[Verdict]

worst draft since the special teams draft of 09.....Coulda had Ocyrus Torrence LG Smith LT Beebe C and used first round on Newton but no we really needed Shoemaker

This draft class still has plenty of time to make a real impact for the Cowboys. And I think it CAN. But I will say, I HATED the Schoonmaker pick at the time that it was made and I still hate it.

Also, it’s a different draft class but how do you draft The Rapper over Creed Humphrey?

 

[quickccc]

Mazi having shoulder surgery isn't gonna help matters this offseason , when he could've used the off season to be
working on his slow get off..

 

[quickccc]

Dunno what to make of Feheko,..maybe he's not what new DC Zimm envisions or covets - more of Quinn regime.


ditto with Eric Scott - whom club wowed about moving up to get him in draft .. only to be disappointed in camp to " red shirt" him
all year.

Quinn thought they could coach up Mazi vs his slow get off, ..dunno what the Zim staff can do that Quinn could not do technique/reaction wise.

 

[big dog cowboy]

A pick that was supposed to aid the short TCO strategy whilst aiding the blocking in the run game ..... so that it became scheme specific game which helped RB2 if he was needed to step in. (Offseting what happened in SF(x2), once Pollard went down RB2's individual skillset couldn't step up).
Failure on both counts.

 

[Zekeats]

This draft class still has plenty of time to make a real impact for the Cowboys. And I think it CAN. But I will say, I HATED the Schoonmaker pick at the time that it was made and I still hate it.

Also, it’s a different draft class but how do you draft The Rapper over Creed Humphrey?

Always said that pick too.

 

[Verdict]

Cowboys VP of player personnel Will McClay when asked about needing last year’s draft class (Mazi Smith, Luke Schoonmaker, DeMarvion Overshown, Viliami Fehoko, etc.) to make a Year 2 jump:

“Those guys have to make a jump for us to succeed. They’ve been in the system for a year. Now, we’ve got a little different defensive scheme, but they’ve been around here. They’ve been a part of the process.

“When you have a good team and we’ve won 36 games in three years, we haven’t won the big one, but that’s highly productive to win that many games. To do that, you have to have a number of good players.
So when you draft players, those players don’t always immediately step in and fill that role. But when you’re drafting a player, you’re drafting them for the four to five years of their contract, and you’re trying to get a return on investment.

“We need those guys to take a jump now based on the cap and the way things are. And they just have to step up. At the end of the day, that’s exactly what it is. We’ll continue to try and fill holes and add players as we go through this process. But guys just have to step up. It’s their time now.

“We’ve lost a number of really quality vets that have been on our roster, that have been with us for a while. These young guys need to step up. There’s no other way about it.”
"

I don’t think that it’s unreasonable to expect and believe that we will get some return on investment from last year’s draft class. Obviously it could turn out to be a flop, but the verdict is still out on that, to be fair.

 

[Risen Star]

Obviously it could turn out to be a flop, but the verdict is still out on that, to be fair.

I hate when people refer to themself in the 3rd person.

Dude. Humble yourself.