News: Will Cowboys Draft Any Small-School Prospects in 2016?

[CCBoy]

Will Cowboys Draft Any Small-School Prospects in 2016?

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2016/1/26/10828430/article




The Cowboys have had a long and rich history with players from small schools. Defensive tackle Jethro Pugh out of Elizabeth (N.C.) City State was the first small-school standout for the Cowboys when he was drafted in 1964. Since then, the Cowboys have compiled an impressive list of small-school talent that includes Hall of Fame OT Rayfield Wright out of Fort Valley State, HoF OG Larry Allen out of Sonoma State, and numerous Pro Bowlers.

Even today, small-school prospects continue to make the roster in Dallas. Tony Romo (Eastern Illinois), Brandon Carr (Grand Valley State), Barry Church (Toledo), Lance Dunbar (North Texas), Mackenzy Bernadeau (Bentley College), and Jeff Heath (Saginaw Valley St.) all started at least one game in 2015.


Everybody loves an underdog, but for all the feel-good stories about guys that made it, there are also a lot of stories about guys who weren't able to make the jump from small schools to the NFL. For the purposes of today's post, we'll classify college players into three categories:

• Power Five: Players from the five conferences with guaranteed berths in the "access bowls" associated with the College Football Playoffs (ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC) + Notre Dame
• Other Division I (FBS): Players from any of the other five Football Bowl Subdivisions (AAC, C-USA, MAC, MWC and Sun Belt)
• Non-FBS: Players not from any of the 128 FBS programs. These are your classic small-school players.

As you would expect, players from the five big college conferences make up the bulk of the draft picks in the NFL. 74% of all draft picks from 2010-2015 played in one of those five conferences. Another 17% of the draft picks hail from the remaining Division I schools, while 10% of the players drafted did not attend a FBS school...

 

[Doc50]

Good athletes look great playing against lesser talent.

Give me a guy who shines playing against top competition -- would be much more likely to make the jump to NFL-type talent.

 

[NickyDawg]

With the exception of Romo I would not even dream of comparing Rayfield Wright and Larry Allen to the likes of Carr, Church, Dunbar, or Heath.

Once upon a time the Dallas Cowboys were the GOLD standard...with the Jones Circus in full swing, we are lucky if we are "standard" at best.

 

[CCBoy]

With the exception of Romo I would not even dream of comparing Rayfield Wright and Larry Allen to the likes of Carr, Church, Dunbar, or Heath.

Once upon a time the Dallas Cowboys were the GOLD standard...with the Jones Circus in full swing, we are lucky if we are "standard" at best.

Do comparisons without an obligatory attached, Jerry this or that...stick to the facts, without a continual sounding board attached.

 

[CCBoy]

For the record, I recall Sid Blanks, (1st Houston Oiler draft pick), Eugene Upshaw, Darrell Green, and John Randle were all from Texas A&I. I even was a linebacker with them...(chuckling to self).

Some valid talent does go to smaller schools.

 

[Mr Cowboy]

You can find players anywhere, especially in today's college football where a player from a power conference gets suspended or isn't getting enough playing transfers to a FCS school. Noah Spence and Driskel in this draft are examples. Furthermore, there was a conversation yesterday on NFL radio about these big school players, who in college were part of a powerhouse. RBs were running through massive holes. How will they respond to the NFL where the holes are much smaller, and they need to read the blocks and get through a very small crease?

 

[Mr Cowboy]

For the record, I recall Sid Blanks, (1st Houston Oiler draft pick), Eugene Upshaw, Darrell Green, and John Randle were all from Texas A&I. I even was a linebacker with them...(chuckling to self).

Some valid talent does go to smaller schools.

I believe Texas A&I has as many or more NFL Hall of Famers players as any other school in Texas.

 

[CCBoy]

I believe Texas A&I has as many or more NFL Hall of Famers players as any other school in Texas.

Their old head coach, Gil Steinke, played in the secondary for Philadelphia back when Lombardi and Landry were starting out with the Giant coaching staffs.

 

[Galian Beast]

These coaches aren't great at developing talent. So, no, don't do it.

 

[Hardline]

99% of my scouts will be evaluating talent from the SEC,BIG12,ACC and Pac10

 

[Junglist]

Let's get another Akwasi uwusu ansah!

 

[CCBoy]

99% of my scouts will be evaluating talent from the SEC,BIG12,ACC and Pac10

Who cares about a Larry Allen...right?

 

[Hardline]

Who cares about a Larry Allen...right?

Who cares about the great majority of NFL players coming from the major conferences. There is always a diamond in the rough out there in small schools and I would still devote resources to find them.

 

[CCBoy]

Who cares about the great majority of NFL players coming from the major conferences. There is always a diamond in the rough out there in small schools and I would still devote resources to find them.

Sorry, it's not an either/or situation. You simply go where the talent dictates, and investigate. Where there is smoke, there is fire...and that is simple enough.

 

[StarBoyz83]

I sure hope not.

 

[CCBoy]

I sure hope not.

Explain, then...without just claiming a non fallable reason, not complete unto itself.

 

[StarBoyz83]

Explain, then...without just claiming a non fallable reason, not complete unto itself.

Hard to find talent. Dallas is one of the worst when it come to developing players.

 

[HeavyBarrel]

Practically every position in the NFL has small school talent excelling....EXCEPT safety, and Dallas has two small school safeties starting in the defensive backfield....

 

[mrmojo]

Cliff Harris Quachuta? Baptist. Great find. Even Rothenberger was from a small school.