D+
Dallas Cowboys
A franchise passer in Ward headlines a D+ weekend for the Cowboys.
by Boke ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 18 picks
· 10 steals
· 4 reaches
There was a run on nobody at that position, and the Cowboys started one anyway for KJ Jefferson, 118 picks ahead of schedule.
They banked enough surplus on Kiser to cover a lot of smaller sins. Cam Ward gives the offense a face and a plan, and the grade leans heavily on whether he hits.
They handed away value on the phones that the picks cannot earn back. For all the activity, cornerback went untouched, which is hard to explain.
The Watts pick reads as want over need, and the roster will feel it at cornerback and tight end.
Bottom line, they will need several of these picks to beat their grades just to break even, and cornerback is still a hole.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 6th overall pick they get a passer to set the clock by at fair value.
In pick 12 they get a true top target. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Aireontae Ersery at slot 37 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A top-tier safety at a bargain, Nick Emmanwori in pick No. 44, plain and simple. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Donovan Jackson well ahead of where he belonged. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
No edge and no loss on Donovan Ezeiruaku in the Round 3 slot; it is a wash and a sensible one. A minor itch, scratched.
A want over a need in the 73rd pick: Xavier Watts adds a safety while cornerback and tight end keeps waiting.
Alfred Collins slid further than he should have, and pick 76 is lovely value for the interior defensive lineman. It fills a real need, too.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Tez Johnson in the Round 4 slot. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Demetrius Knight Jr. at Round 4, Pick 8 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Savion Williams in No. 112. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Taking Danny Stutsman in the 148th overall pick is close to grand larceny; a linebacker that good had no business lasting this long. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
You do not let a running back like Cam Skattebo reach pick No. 168 and blink. They did not. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They talked themselves into KJ Jefferson at slot 170, and the board did not agree. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Raheim Sanders in pick 173 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A tidy bit of business in Round 6, Pick 11, where Antwane Wells Jr. graded well above the range. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A big swing on Jamaree Caldwell at the 209th pick, well ahead of any board in the building. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Somehow Jack Kiser was still sitting there in the Round 7 slot, and they pounced on premier linebacker value. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.