On the old DallasCowboys . com forum, I made a thread that reached over 180 pages in the Spring of 2016 giving the Cowboys a grade of
F- for their 2016 NFL Draft performance.
I was chastised for the grade at the time by some, and applauded and commended by others. But by the end of the ensuing regular season, I was crucified for it and practically every single user on those forums made me out to be some sort of idiot by making that thread. My thread "Solid F- draft" became the brunt of jokes on the DC .com forum for a nice long while.
But, as the tried-and-true saying always goes...
You have to wait 5 full years in order to fully judge a draft class. You can't judge it one way or the other after one, two, or even three years.
https://www.espn.com/blog/dallas-co...boys-draft-picks-analysis-for-every-selection
Round 1, pick No. 4: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State - my grade was a solid F or 55% out of 100% because Ramsey, Jack and trade back were all top possibilities, DeForest Buckner and many other more impactful long-term players were on the board, and even in 2016 it was well known that you don't take a RB that high... plenty to be had in the mid rounds to replace Murray and McFadden
Round 2, pick No. 34: Jaylon Smith,
OLB, Notre Dame -
my grade was an F----- or 1% out of 100% because you don't waste such a high pick on a player who will for sure miss one season, maybe more, maybe never come back, and if he does he will likely have a short and low-impact career due to the severe injury suffered
Round 3, pick No. 67: Maliek Collins, DT, Nebraska -
my grade was a D+ or 68% out of 100% because though it was a position of need, there were better players on the board at the time and Collins hadn't shown that he was better than a JAG in college at Nebraska. The comments about him were not good... best case scenario he will be "clay" for Coach Rod Marinelli to "work with" at the time
Round 4, pick No. 101: Charles Tapper, DE, Oklahoma -
my grade was an F--- or 30% out of 100% because despite the production in college and athletic traits, he had a known spine condition that would shorten his career. Though he might have been one of the better immediate pass rushers available so late in the draft, he was another guy like Smith who was going to be certain to miss his rookie year. You have to draft for the now in today's NFL, especially with the higher draft choices
Round 4, pick No. 135: Dak Prescott, QB, Mississippi State -
my grade was a C- or a 70% out of 100% because though obviously the Cowboys needed more competition at quarterback due to the Romo injury risk, Prescott was looking like a low-rent Teddy Bridgewater or Tyrod Taylor and at best could be a bus driver who had a lot to learn before becoming a capable NFL quarterback. Not an accurate pocket passer or much pocket presence, but also not a dynamic athlete like Michael Vick or RGIII coming out of college. A developmental project QB after missing out on the top choices.
Round 6, pick No. 189: Anthony Brown, CB, Purdue -
my grade was a C- or a 72% out of 100% because while he did get burnt a lot in college, his speed for his position was rare to be had in the late rounds, and I figured he could become a solid player on special teams in due time. Never would I have guessed he would actually have to be relied on at some point to start at cornerback, though Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne as the starters weren't exactly an impressive combination either
Round 6, pick No. 212: Kavon Frazier, S, Central Michigan -
my grade was a D- or a 62% out of 100% because other, more gifted players were on the board even so late in the draft. I couldn't fathom he would even be able to make an impact on special teams. Obviously, he was drafted to learn from and potentially back up Barry Church, a similar low-athleticism UDFA from the past, but the sentiment at the time was we needed an actual athlete to play that position, not another slow plodding box safety who can't cover
Round 6, pick No. 216: Darius Jackson, RB, Eastern Michigan -
my grade was a B or an 84% out of because although drafting a back in the late rounds is smart, there were a few other backs with somewhat more upside than Jackson to be had in the 6th round. Still, drafting a back here is smart, but you had much better options in earlier rounds without squandering the #4 overall you had suffered so greatly all 2015 to acquire on a .....running back
Round 6, pick No. 217: Rico Gathers, TE, Baylor -
my grade was a solid F----- or a 5% out of 100%. He's a basketball player who didn't make it in the NCAA and never had played football except flag and touch football for fun. He was never a football player. He was a big plodding body with size and weak hands and zero blocking ability. Terrible project. Yes, lots of wasted picks this late in the draft, but at least please draft someone who has a halfway decent chance to make the NFL.
Spring 2016 Final grade: F- or 49.7%. (Weighted: 43.9%.)
As of today, December 12th, 2021, roughly two and a half years later. I, (millennial_messiah of DC . com ex-forum) stand by these draft grades. I wouldn't mind it if none of them remained on the team, or a small handful of them at cheap salaries.
Definitely not the Ramsey-Henry-and so on draft I had in mind that spring.
What say y'all?
