Cowboys VP of player personnel Will McClay on each of Dallas’ draft picks:
Round 1, OT Tyler Guyton: “When you build an offensive lineman, you look for athleticism, the feet. We have a history of having guys who do things at a high level at that position. There were some traits that definitely showed us that that was there. You talk about the athletic ability and left tackles are usually more athletic, and this guy is an athletic guy. Basketball background, he has some defense in his nature. … (We) feel good about him moving to the left side. The way he plays the game, there’s a little nasty to him.”
Round 2, DE Marshawn Kneeland: “The No. 1 thing about him is the high effort and motor that he plays with. Then to be physically talented enough to play at this level. … The more you watch him, the more you see NFL traits and then you see the traits that we are looking for on the defensive side, playing hard all the time and having the ability to rush the passer outside and inside. As hard as (DeMarcus Lawrence) played at Boise State, there are some similarities there.”
Round 3, G/C Cooper Beebe: “Cooper likes to dirt people, I read that (he said that after he was drafted Friday night), whatever that means. I’m glad he is doing it for us. With his ability and to play the guard position – he’s played all over there – and also snapped, so that ability and that demeanor, bringing that to the team was something we wanted to do.”
Round 3, LB Marist Liufau: “He’s a linebacker that can rush, that can play stacked, that can play on (special) teams. He has 34-inch arms. Adding that multiplicity into our defense and what (Mike Zimmer) wanted from that specific position. You see those things from the guy and he does it at Notre Dame. … He plays all over the field and can drop in coverage. The multiplicity and the number of things he can do at a high level was attractive.”
Round 5, CB Caelen Carson: “(He) has the ability to play inside and outside. Really raw in technique. A lot of the things he was doing (in college) was a lot on his natural ability. … You know that there is more upside there because of his answers (during pre-draft interviews) and the things he was looking at, plus his work ethic and how he competes. He will tackle as a corner, which is also a positive.”
Round 6, WR Ryan Flournoy: “He’s a big receiver that we really like. Big, fast, strong and physical. Really stood out and fit in at the Combine and at the Senior Bowl to show that he belonged with the NFL-type players. We think that there is a great upside there.”
Round 7, OL Nathan Thomas: “This is one of the stronger offensive linemen drafts that there’s been in a long time. A player of this caliber that moves people and does things at the NFL level with his size, his ability to bend and be able to play inside and outside makes him attractive and makes for a competitive room.”
Round 7, DT Justin Rogers: “We want to get big, we want to be physical. (He’s) a big, nasty from Auburn with some length that can play that big inside nose tackle position. So (he’s) fitting a need as well as being (among) the best players for us based on our board going down that way.”
