The OL v WR debate in the draft

[youngjerryjones]

Who are the 3 quality starters? You have Lamb, a guy who is doubtful to start the season healthy and a FA signing who had 26 catches last year in 15 games. I'm very pro OL round 1, but I dont get the WR isnt a need argument.

Exactly... look at last couple of drafts. Are you passing up Justin Jefferson to get Creed Humphreys?????

I don't think so.

 

[CT Dal Fan]

We have no NT starter. How do you see NT as not a need?

Both Gallimore and Bohanna can play NT and have. The Cowboys have the same DT depth chart as 2021 after Watkins re-signed. Nobody left. Did they go through the entire year last year without one?

 

[youngjerryjones]

This board is overrating the draft prospects as if they are Quenton Nelson in that 24 range. Guys they are players similar graded to McGovern and Connor Williams that is what needs to be understood.

 

[Batman1980]

At pick 24? Doubtful. And since it's not a need, we're putting off contention for yet another year.

I still can't believe people are still trying to justify spending the #17 overall pick on Lamb.

 

[America's Cowboy]

Actually Cooper had 68 receptions in 2021, not targets. He had 104 targets last season; tied with Dalton Schultz for second on the team behind Lamb's 120.

Correct. My bad. This better makes my point. Amari actually was targeted over 100 times per season while Dak was his QB, which proves false the accusations that Dak refused to target Amari.

 

[thunderpimp91]

I still can't believe people are still trying to justify spending the #17 overall pick on Lamb.

Be glad they did take Lamb...the alternative seems to have been K'Lavon Chaisson.

 

[conner01]

RB is a higher need than we all realize. If we can address the lines first, I wann get a stud RB in the middle rds. We need fresh legs and instincts. Kenneth Walker is a guy I really like.

Considering the contract situations at RB I have to believe they will
Not sure this is a great RB class but haven’t looked real hard

 

[gimmesix]

They could've attempted to address one of those areas in free agency.

They did. They re-signed Gallup and added Washington. We just don't think it was enough.

 

[CowboyRoy]

I do believe the Cowboys have an OL challenge with the hole at LG, a backup up at RT, a ? at Center and Smith's inability to stay healthy.

I also believe there are some good OL early in this draft but the fall off is pretty steep after 15; however, the next grouping is about the same through the first two days, if you buy into the draft analysis people.

They picked Williams in the 2nd and tried to change an OT to OG and it never really worked. McGovern was a 3rd and couldn't take the job from Williams. So, the odds of repeating that are too good. Bottom line is it takes time.

The WR position is deep with 6-7 projected in the 1st and there are some that could step in as a starter in the 3 man group, at least until Gallup is ready.

Under normal circumstances we'd say start building that OL with a 1st because they've done well with 1sts but those were better 1sts than what will be at 24. Trade up for a blue chipper day one starter? OK.

But this team has management that will never consider the word rebuild and they want to compete every year and are coming off a 12 win division winning season so what to address first? Whatever helps the QB the most. That is Job 1.

If the mode is win now, then the choice is simple, WR. Get another weapon for the QB with the 1st and then get the OL later.

This doesn't address DL or LB in the 1st because I don't think that is the debate, it will be offense in the 1st. If some edge guy fell, they might react to that but I think they're better at WR's in the 1st than DE's.

It does not matter what player they take in the 1st if the do not fix the latency with the QB. The Giants had this same issue with their OL and they worked with Manning to get his release out quicker, quicker reads with the understanding this could result in more picks. Better than strip sacks or injuries to the QB.

And this is not about the QB but about how to best help him in this draft. Yes, he needs a better OL but a better WR corps is easier to come by and quicker when they want to win now.

Complete opposite. You want to compete now, you need to fix the line. Get as many WR's as you like it doesnt mean squat if you dont have time to throw and no room for the RB to run. Dak has proven over and over that he will spread the ball around and find whomever they put in there, all he needs is time to throw.

Better Oline will help both the run game and the pass and the QB.

 

[CowboyRoy]

The all-star OL is a dead end strategy. You can draft good guards and centers in the 3rd round and I mean top 10 type of player. The top teams are loading up with playmakers and this new breed of WRs are changing everything. If Jameson Williams is available you grab him and don’t even think twice about it. The 2nd and 3rd rounds can give us D and OL.

Nope............in fact its the exact opposite. This draft is so deep at WR that you can get a good one in the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th rounds. This team has plenty of pass catchers. Its needs a better Oline. Where we are drafting especially, its the sweet spot for interior Olineman. Take the Oline.

 

[gimmesix]

Be glad they did take Lamb...the alternative seems to have been K'Lavon Chaisson.

Yes. Often teams are saved from themselves. That's why I kind of laugh when fans talk about how good a team is at drafting. It really is a matter of who happens to be available. Last year, we would have drafted Jaycee Horn instead of Micah Parsons if he had been available. We might look at a pick and say that was a great pick, but that doesn't mean it is the pick we would have made. In most cases, it's probably not.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

They could've attempted to address one of those areas in free agency.

Bingo, freed up all this money and did nothing.

 

[Oz-of-Cowboy-Country]

Not true. Not true at all.

Look at Dez's career stats and the number of times Dak targeted him in 2016 & 2017. Very similar attempts to when Dez was younger and targeted by Romo.

Dez career stats:

https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/player/dez-bryant-2621

Dez's body simply started coming down with injuries, specifically his foot injury he suffered in 2015 which kept giving him problems through 2017, hence forcing the Cowboys to cut him after 2018.

The same goes for Amari Cooper. Dak heavily targeted Amari ever since the Cowboys traded for him halfway through the 2018 season. Dak passed heavily Amari's way in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Each season easily over 100 targets.

In 2021, Amari's targets decreased to 68, but Amari struggled most of the season to get open since he was playing with plantar fascitiis all season long, plus he missed 2 games of his own will for refusing to get vaxed, hence had to sit out 2 games when he came up cov positive.

https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/player/amari-cooper-24394/career-stats

It's simply downright untruthful to say Dak refused to target either/both Dez and Amari...and that's why they are no longer here. Just plain false.

Perspective.

 

[bonafidebanter]

If the OL is rated higher than the WR in the 1st, do it.

I just do not recall a lot of great ranked OL falling in the 1st rounds. And while the Cowboys have done well with 3 OL in the 1st round, there have also been 1st round OL failures across the league.

The best center of his class "fell" to us after we traded down (San Francisco pimped us and only gave us a third round pick) to get him. Eight OL were drafted before him. Travis Frederick says hello.

 

[Creeper]

The upcoming draft has several good OGs and OTs that will be available in the first round if the other teams draft for need in round 1.
Guards Ikem Ekwonu, Kenyon Green, Zion Johnson, and tackles Evan Neal, Ikem Ekwonu, and Charles Cross for starters. I bet one of is available at 24.

The most likely to drop to 24 is Green and I am not enthusiastic about picking him in the first. I think the tackles will be long gone and I think Cross will be gone too. I am hoping Zion Johnson falls to 24 but there are a lot of teams in front of Dallas looking for OL help. We have to hope we get lucky.

 

[john van brocklin]

I do believe the Cowboys have an OL challenge with the hole at LG, a backup up at RT, a ? at Center and Smith's inability to stay healthy.

I also believe there are some good OL early in this draft but the fall off is pretty steep after 15; however, the next grouping is about the same through the first two days, if you buy into the draft analysis people.

They picked Williams in the 2nd and tried to change an OT to OG and it never really worked. McGovern was a 3rd and couldn't take the job from Williams. So, the odds of repeating that are too good. Bottom line is it takes time.

The WR position is deep with 6-7 projected in the 1st and there are some that could step in as a starter in the 3 man group, at least until Gallup is ready.

Under normal circumstances we'd say start building that OL with a 1st because they've done well with 1sts but those were better 1sts than what will be at 24. Trade up for a blue chipper day one starter? OK.

But this team has management that will never consider the word rebuild and they want to compete every year and are coming off a 12 win division winning season so what to address first? Whatever helps the QB the most. That is Job 1.

If the mode is win now, then the choice is simple, WR. Get another weapon for the QB with the 1st and then get the OL later.

This doesn't address DL or LB in the 1st because I don't think that is the debate, it will be offense in the 1st. If some edge guy fell, they might react to that but I think they're better at WR's in the 1st than DE's.

It does not matter what player they take in the 1st if the do not fix the latency with the QB. The Giants had this same issue with their OL and they worked with Manning to get his release out quicker, quicker reads with the understanding this could result in more picks. Better than strip sacks or injuries to the QB.

And this is not about the QB but about how to best help him in this draft. Yes, he needs a better OL but a better WR corps is easier to come by and quicker when they want to win now.

Both!

 

[Cebrin]

I do believe the Cowboys have an OL challenge with the hole at LG, a backup up at RT, a ? at Center and Smith's inability to stay healthy.

I also believe there are some good OL early in this draft but the fall off is pretty steep after 15; however, the next grouping is about the same through the first two days, if you buy into the draft analysis people.

They picked Williams in the 2nd and tried to change an OT to OG and it never really worked. McGovern was a 3rd and couldn't take the job from Williams. So, the odds of repeating that are too good. Bottom line is it takes time.

The WR position is deep with 6-7 projected in the 1st and there are some that could step in as a starter in the 3 man group, at least until Gallup is ready.

Under normal circumstances we'd say start building that OL with a 1st because they've done well with 1sts but those were better 1sts than what will be at 24. Trade up for a blue chipper day one starter? OK.

But this team has management that will never consider the word rebuild and they want to compete every year and are coming off a 12 win division winning season so what to address first? Whatever helps the QB the most. That is Job 1.

If the mode is win now, then the choice is simple, WR. Get another weapon for the QB with the 1st and then get the OL later.

This doesn't address DL or LB in the 1st because I don't think that is the debate, it will be offense in the 1st. If some edge guy fell, they might react to that but I think they're better at WR's in the 1st than DE's.

It does not matter what player they take in the 1st if the do not fix the latency with the QB. The Giants had this same issue with their OL and they worked with Manning to get his release out quicker, quicker reads with the understanding this could result in more picks. Better than strip sacks or injuries to the QB.

And this is not about the QB but about how to best help him in this draft. Yes, he needs a better OL but a better WR corps is easier to come by and quicker when they want to win now.

I do believe the Cowboys have an OL challenge with the hole at LG, a backup up at RT, a ? at Center and Smith's inability to stay healthy.

I also believe there are some good OL early in this draft but the fall off is pretty steep after 15; however, the next grouping is about the same through the first two days, if you buy into the draft analysis people.

They picked Williams in the 2nd and tried to change an OT to OG and it never really worked. McGovern was a 3rd and couldn't take the job from Williams. So, the odds of repeating that are too good. Bottom line is it takes time.

The WR position is deep with 6-7 projected in the 1st and there are some that could step in as a starter in the 3 man group, at least until Gallup is ready.

Under normal circumstances we'd say start building that OL with a 1st because they've done well with 1sts but those were better 1sts than what will be at 24. Trade up for a blue chipper day one starter? OK.

But this team has management that will never consider the word rebuild and they want to compete every year and are coming off a 12 win division winning season so what to address first? Whatever helps the QB the most. That is Job 1.

If the mode is win now, then the choice is simple, WR. Get another weapon for the QB with the 1st and then get the OL later.

This doesn't address DL or LB in the 1st because I don't think that is the debate, it will be offense in the 1st. If some edge guy fell, they might react to that but I think they're better at WR's in the 1st than DE's.

It does not matter what player they take in the 1st if the do not fix the latency with the QB. The Giants had this same issue with their OL and they worked with Manning to get his release out quicker, quicker reads with the understanding this could result in more picks. Better than strip sacks or injuries to the QB.

And this is not about the QB but about how to best help him in this draft. Yes, he needs a better OL but a better WR corps is easier to come by and quicker when they want to win now.

Connor was a reach by the Cowboys. Injury slowed his initial production in college down. He always had short arms, reach, lack of strength, and hadn't played much across the line as some of the cats that could fall to us in this draft.

Personally I don't think Connor is the only problem here. Biadasz was just as bad. The way I see it, if an all-pro who is healthy at RG has his worst year, and the guy on the other side of center is bad too then you can put two and two together, and see one bad apple spoils the bunch. Connor was good and bad, but I think he was a symptom of T Fred heading in to retirement. Center is almost just as important.

 

[Flamma]

I still can't believe people are still trying to justify spending the #17 overall pick on Lamb.

Me personally, I don't like WR, RB, or DB with a first pick unless we think it's some generational talent like Ronnie Lott. If a WR is picked in the early to mid first round, he needs to be Randy Moss or Megatron. But I'm not too bummed out over the Lamb pick, without using hindsight, who was there to pick instead? Besides that. and to make matters worse, we know the Eagles would have drafted him.

 

[America's Cowboy]

Connor was a reach by the Cowboys. Injury slowed his initial production in college down. He always had short arms, reach, lack of strength, and hadn't played much across the line as some of the cats that could fall to us in this draft.

Personally I don't think Connor is the only problem here. Biadasz was just as bad. The way I see it, if an all-pro who is healthy at RG has his worst year, and the guy on the other side of center is bad too then you can put two and two together, and see one bad apple spoils the bunch. Connor was good and bad, but I think he was a symptom of T Fred heading in to retirement. Center is almost just as important.

Matt Farniok is better at Center than Biadasz is. If Joe Philbin gives Farniok a chance, Farniok is going to take that starting position and surprise many fans.

 

[CowboyoWales]

The WR position is deep with 6-7 projected in the 1st and there are some that could step in as a starter in the 3 man group, at least until Gallup is ready.

And this is not about the QB but about how to best help him in this draft. Yes, he needs a better OL but a better WR corps is easier to come by and quicker when they want to win now.

There may well be 6-7 projected in the 1st Rd, but as Zierlein described (the 2022 draft) on Tuesday, " I come away a little lukewarm after the talent and depth we've seen from the 2020 and '21 drafts". Have we now turned to picking by position, a position we already have a WR1 and 2 in place?

There's also an argument that it doesn't really matter who you have at WR if you cant (or wont) get the ball to them. We are told that we had a top 3 offense last season (before teams worked out we couldn't block or run) an offense that didn't utilise its WR1 and instead we threw predominantly in WR3/4 and TE.

Keep remembering the Jimmie Ward quote “We went in there and did what we needed to do: Stop the run and force them to be one-dimensional. See if Prescott could win the game for them,”

The primary weakness isnt the WR corp (which can be strengthened in later rounds), it starts closer to the ball. Now with nearly every mock projecting: Green/Johnson/Linderbaum as being amongst the: BPA, value at 24 and solidifies a present weakness, it does seem a no brainer.