The upside and possible downside of this year's draft

[Ironicalicon]

Doesn't it suck how we have to wait and see?


Anyway, even if it doesn't turn out great, I think nabbing Downs will keep it from getting a bad grade when we look at it years down the road.

"M-Law" doesn't quite have the same ring to it, does it?

Last thing, isn't it weird how this team keeps drafting guys with the same or similar names? Got another Lawrence and Overton to go with Overshown. It's just eerie.

 

[Spottswoode]

Yeah, he dropped because he’s a safety and most teams won’t ask him to do what he’ll be doing in Dallas for Parker. He’ll be playing all over the defense. He will be worth it in this defense for sure.

Agree…everyone is thinking #11 is a big drop for Downs but as you said, most teams wouldn’t use him to the degree he will be used in Dallas.

Moving to a more disguised defense, the need for positionless players should make him more valuable to Dallas vs many other teams. We drafted a safety in name only. It seemed to be a common theme in this draft.

 

[CowboyFanInLexKy]

Overall I think this appears to be a pretty good draft for the Cowboys. I say “appears” because despite what any draft guru or team official or even fired up fans say, none of us know what this draft will turn out to be for at least a year - maybe two.

But this time of year we all must “weigh in” with grades, pronouncements, etc. In the end, only time and scoreboards will ultimately tell.

Here are what I perceive to be some upsides of this draft and some possible downsides:
PROBABLE UPSIDE

• Caleb Downs - If we just acquired this guy and no one else, in my book it would still be a good draft. He appears to be the total package of physical and mental talent with rare All Pro potential. Probably the best safety we’ve had since Darren Woodson.
• Of our 7 draft picks, 5 were on defense. As first rounder picks, Downs and Lawrence appear to have the most immediate impact. “MLaw” will need some more development. We will see.
• These defensive picks were clearly influenced by what new DC Christian Parker wants for his defense - flexibility. The Cowboys brass have appeared to give Parker a large say-so in this draft.
• 4th round pick Drew Shelton from Penn State is an underrated pick. He has played multiple positions on the OL and is athletic enough to play outside as a T or inside as a G. Strengthens our depth and potential at OL.

POSSIBLE DOWNSIDE

• Several guys we selected - Malachi Lawrence and Jaishawn Barham for example - will need some time to develop. MLaw is a great athlete but he’s also a bit raw. Barham is also likely going to need some time to develop. Those two guys are talented but they have not exhibited consistency in their positions in college. Patience will be needed.
• Giving Parker, a 34 year old coach who has never been a DC this much influence has risks. We’ve seen our FO give prior DCs a huge say so in drafts past. Rod Marinelli, Dan Quinn, Mike Zimmer and even Matt Eberflus last year were very influential in drafts past, with mixed results at best. We have to hope this will be different.
• Always remember - NFL history says players drafted on Day 3 - rounds 4-7 - have a very low chance of long term impact. 5th through 7th rounders have less than 10% chance of even being here in 3 years.

Bottom Line: Getting Caleb Downs looks like we got a future All Pro. And we certainly drafted some other defenders with lots of potential.

Hopefully Christian Parker is the real deal. If he is, we took a good first step to get our defense out of the gutter. If he isn’t, the search for a defensive philosophy that works may be delayed.

As always, Great write up Bob. As we all know, the draft is always going to be a crapshoot. All we can hope for when drafting is the picks payoff.

 

[jazzcat22]

for me,its all about caleb downs.
if he develops into the pro bowl caliber,all-pro safety we haven't had since darren woodson or roy williams...this was a magnificent draft regardless of what the rest of the class develops into.
granted...we need lawrence and barham to get the QB in the dirt...consistently.
but if caleb downs plays here...the way he did in colombus...this draft was a massive home-run.
if we don't get the same dude we saw at ohio st.....its a massive swing and miss.
its all about caleb downs for me and what i think he'll be as a pro.
we have not had a safety back there like this dude since roy.

If Downs plays like he did at OSU. The DL will have the time to get to the QB.

 

[ElGatoGrande]

i’m still very skeptical about the RB, CB, and inside LB positions,

Same,,, they'll need to bolster the roster with some FAs. Those position groups usually have FAs readily available, hopefully the front office is willing to do it.

 

[TheCritic]

Always enjoy a good Bobhaze post! I’ll be interested to see how long it will take for Parker’s defense to get established. I’m sure we’ll hear a lot about his disguise coverages and cerebral style defenses. But I think Schotty will help Parker moderate if needed. A lot of the kids they’re bringing in are smart players or at least won’t be asked to do more than they’re capable of. I’m not too worried about it. None of the NFC teams scare me all that much this year TBH