C+
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys let James fall into their laps, and walked away with a C+.
by Cmoj ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 5 steals
· 1 reaches
This is the pick they will still be bragging about in July: Jordan James, the No. 56 name on the board, stolen at No. 148. It lands right in the middle: a C+, no more, no less.
The trade table is where this weekend went wrong. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped wide receiver, which is a strange place to end up.
They are betting Etienne proves the room right and everyone else wrong.
It grades out a shrug today, with plenty of room to move either way.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 12th overall pick they get a load in the middle. A clean fit for the roster.
Jalon Walker at No. 74 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Jordan James in pick 148 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Steal is underselling it; Smael Mondon Jr. at pick No. 168 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
You do not let a tight end like Oronde Gadsden II reach the Round 5 slot and blink. They did not. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Oronde Gadsden II at the 171st pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Trevor Etienne at slot 186 is a conviction pick that outran the value. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
No edge and no loss on DJ Campbell in Round 6, Pick 34; it is a wash and a sensible one. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.