Boards are made to be trusted, and the Cowboys shredded theirs for Braelon Allen. He came off 47 spots early, and the room will hear about it. No fireworks, but a solid B.
If one pick saves this weekend, it is Clark. They punted on tight end, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. They squeezed a little extra out of every move they made.
Wide receiver is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
R2.4
· Pick 36
· Tyler Guyton
· OT
· rank 41
No drama and no debate, Tyler Guyton went about where he belonged in the Round 2 slot. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
R2.24
· Pick 56
· Edgerrin Cooper
· LB
· rank 59
By-the-book stuff, Edgerrin Cooper at pick No. 56 squarely in line with his ranking. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
R3.24
· Pick 87
· Roman Wilson
· WR
· rank 82
Roman Wilson in the 87th overall pick is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
R3.29
· Pick 92
· Sedrick Van Pran
· C
· rank 90
Sedrick Van Pran at No. 92 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
R3.37
· Pick 100
· Cedric Gray
· LB
· rank 131
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Cedric Gray well ahead of where he belonged. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
R4.4
· Pick 104
· Braelon Allen
· RB
· rank 151
A real head-scratcher, Braelon Allen in Round 4, Pick 4 is miles ahead of his ranking. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
R4.24
· Pick 124
· Kris Abrams-Draine
· CB
· rank 118
A tidy little value on Kris Abrams-Draine in the 124th pick, a step better than break-even. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
R5.38
· Pick 174
· Josh Proctor
· S
· rank 183
A conviction pick on Josh Proctor at the 174th overall pick that the board grades a round light. A minor itch, scratched.
R6.13
· Pick 188
· Nathan Thomas
· OT
· rank 171
A tidy bit of business in pick 188, where Nathan Thomas graded well above the range. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
R6.37
· Pick 212
· Taulia Tagovailoa
· QB
· rank 220
Taulia Tagovailoa in pick No. 212 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
R7.3
· Pick 223
· De'Corian Clark
· WR
· rank 195
Circle this one: De'Corian Clark at Round 7, Pick 3 is a fall that decides a draft. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
R7.25
· Pick 245
· Jordan Whittington
· WR
· rank 263
Value said wait; Jordan Whittington in slot 245 says they were not listening. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.