Somewhere a scout is still blinking. The Cowboys spent the Round 6 slot on Will Sheppard, a name the board had a full 95 spots lower. A sturdy weekend that grades out a B-.
That Stutsman pick is the receipt they will wave around later. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped cornerback, which is a strange place to end up. They went 6 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.13
· Pick 13
· Abdul Carter
· DE
· rank 10
In the 13th pick they get a premier pass rusher. More want than need.
R2.21
· Pick 53
· Logan Brown
· OT
· rank 67
They went early on Logan Brown in pick 53, and the value did not follow. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
R3.14
· Pick 78
· Kaleb Johnson
· RB
· rank 51
Circle this one: Kaleb Johnson at slot 78 is a fall that decides a draft. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
R3.27
· Pick 91
· Alfred Collins
· DL
· rank 98
By-the-book stuff, Alfred Collins at the 91st overall pick squarely in line with his ranking. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
R4.11
· Pick 112
· Andrew Mukuba
· S
· rank 81
Andrew Mukuba at pick No. 112 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
R4.26
· Pick 127
· TreVeyon Henderson
· RB
· rank 72
TreVeyon Henderson at No. 127 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
R5.31
· Pick 169
· Danny Stutsman
· LB
· rank 95
Danny Stutsman in the Round 5 slot is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
R5.32
· Pick 170
· Lathan Ransom
· S
· rank 107
They will replay Lathan Ransom at pick 170 for years; that is how good the value is. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
R5.33
· Pick 171
· Bryce Foster
· C
· rank 186
A reach on Bryce Foster in pick No. 171; the board had better options right there. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
R5.34
· Pick 172
· Miles Frazier
· OG
· rank 200
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Miles Frazier. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
R6.2
· Pick 177
· Gunnar Helm
· TE
· rank 191
They paid up for Gunnar Helm at the 177th overall pick when waiting would have done the job. The roster fit checks out.
R6.15
· Pick 190
· Jordan Burch
· DE
· rank 124
They robbed the room for Jordan Burch here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
R6.31
· Pick 206
· Will Sheppard
· WR
· rank 301
They left a pile of value on the table to take Will Sheppard this early at No. 206. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
R6.34
· Pick 209
· Raheim Sanders
· RB
· rank 142
Raheim Sanders at slot 209 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.