B-
Dallas Cowboys
Grand theft in Round 5, Pick 36: the Cowboys steal Neal and grade out a B-.
by bcrenrut ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 5 steals
· 4 reaches
When a board-topper like Devin Neal slides to the 173rd pick, you do not overthink it, and the Cowboys did not. No fireworks, but a solid B-.
If Williams pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about. They punted on quarterback, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
They left with wide receiver solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off.
In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a load in the middle at fair value.
Value said wait; Ashton Gillotte in pick 44 says they were not listening. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Hollin Pierce this early at slot 76. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They will replay Jake Majors at pick No. 148 for years; that is how good the value is. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Steal is underselling it; Barrett Carter at Round 5, Pick 31 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Sebastian Castro at the 170th overall pick is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Somehow Devin Neal was still sitting there in No. 173, and they pounced on premier running back value. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They paid a round early for Kyle Williams in the 186th pick, more than the board wanted. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A real head-scratcher, Nohl Williams in slot 209 is miles ahead of his ranking. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
You do not let a tight end like Elijah Arroyo reach pick No. 248 and blink. They did not. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.