Cowboys Claim 'We Hit All the Bases & Got Better!' NFL Draft Pick-by-Pick Analysis
FRISCO - The 2023 NFL Draft is in the books and like every single other team in the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys believe they absolutely killed it - or, at least, believe that's the right thing to say.
Said COO Stephen Jones: "We're fired up ... All in all, I think we hit all the bases throughout the draft.''
That is a bit of an exaggeration, as Stephen conceded in another evaluation when he remarked, "We're very satisfied and fired up with our draft class. At the end of the day, I think we accomplished about everything we wanted to get done and there's no question we made our football team better."
To that last point: That seems undeniably valid if only the first-round selection of Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith (Round 1, No. 26) pans out. There are those here inside The Star who think he'll be NFL-elite in one department - as a run-stopper - the moment he sets foot on campus.
But otherwise? A "sexy as hell'' draft? Predictions are a little more difficult to make. To wit ...
Round 2, No. 58: Luke Schoonmaker, tight end, Michigan - To actually "make the football team better,'' Schoonmaker would have to be superior to Dalton Schultz, who left for Houston via free agency.
That seems unlikely.
Round 3, No. 90: DeMarvion Overshown, linebacker, Texas - Is he going to leapfrog over incumbent young backup Jabril Cox and get snaps with the defense? No way to predict that. Is he going to replace the departed Luke Gifford (to the Titans via free agency) as a core special-teamer? That makes sense.
But will he be "better'' than Gifford? That's a lofty prediction.
Round 4, No. 129: Viliami Fehoko, D-Line, San Jose State - How does he find a place inside a rotation of pass-rushers featuring Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler? Second-year guy Sam Williams already finds it tough to get his snaps. How will "Junior'' get his?
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We think this is a good pick but a longer-term play as Fehoko might eventually be a kid who plays on the edge and inside.
Round 5, No. 169: Asim Richards, O-Line, North Carolina - The Cowboys wanted to find somebody who might start at left guard. That seems a bit much to predict here, but if they found somebody who can compete at left guard, and who also has position flex as a tackle? Richards qualifies as a candidate.
But again, "better'' than Connor McGovern? "Better'' than Jason Peters? That's a dream.
Round 6: No. 178: Eric Scott, CB, Southern Miss - We think the Cowboys got a player here who, had he played at a more high-profile school would've gone higher in the draft. There is one thing about a DB that seems to always translate at the next level, and that's playmaking.
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Scott does that ... But let's pencil him in as a special-teamer for now, as opposed to him being "The Next DaRon Bland.''
Round 6, No. 212: Deuce Vaughn, RB, Kansas State - This is a wonderful story in every single possible way, and Cowboys Nation is going to adopt this kid. (Although he already has a dad who happens to work in Dallas' scouting department, as you may have heard.)
But to put a very sharp point on this: While at 5-5 and 179 pounds he is nothing like Ezekiel Elliott ... in terms of roster construction, for the Cowboys to be "better at running back'' alongside starter Tony Pollard, Vaughn would have to be "better than Zeke.'' And we shouldn't do a disservice to either guy by suggesting that.
Round 7, No. 244: Jalen Brooks, WR, South Carolina - The Cowboys are better at wide receiver because of what they did in their trade for Brandin Cooks, and not what they did here (or in "The Eighth Round'' UDFA signings of a bundle of other wideout prospects).
Is this a better roster than it was a few months ago? The swaps for Cooks and for cornerback Stefon Gilmore are the moves that make that a viable assessment. But otherwise? At this high-hopes time, let's consider it a challenge to use one draft to push a back-to-back 12-5 team to the next level.
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