B
Dallas Cowboys
A masterclass at the trade table lands the Cowboys a B.
by 7list ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 2 steals
· 4 reaches
Whoever sat across the table from the Cowboys should ask for a receipt. They cleaned the room out, prying loose far more value than they gave up, and it was the quiet MVP of their weekend. More right than wrong, and a B to match.
The Allen pick is the one the value grade keeps tripping over. The Smith pick is fine in a vacuum, less so with quarterback, tight end and other spots still on the board.
They will regret leaving quarterback for another day if the season turns on it. They banked enough surplus on Newton to cover a lot of smaller sins.
A competent weekend that does not make headlines and does not need to.
Pick-by-Pick
Quinyon Mitchell in No. 36 lands just on the right side of the ledger. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Payton Wilson at the 56th overall pick jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
By-the-book stuff, Brenden Rice at Round 3, Pick 3 squarely in line with his ranking. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A want over a need in the 87th pick: Maason Smith adds a DT-EDGE while quarterback, tight end and other spots keeps waiting.
Josh Newton in pick 103 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Braelon Allen in the Round 4 slot is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Nice patience on LaDarius Henderson, who had no business lasting to pick No. 173. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Matthew Jones in slot 213, miles early. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A reach for Walter Rouse in pick No. 242; a little patience would have been rewarded. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.