D+
Dallas Cowboys
Larceny in the 190th overall pick lands the Cowboys a D+, Jones and all.
by glennse1 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 18 picks
· 8 steals
· 6 reaches
You can lose a draft before you make a pick. The Cowboys did it at the trade table, overpaying to chase players the board did not price nearly as high. Put together, it is a D+.
With tight end unsolved, spending premium capital on edge rusher is the choice that costs them. Jackson has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced. That is a cornerback worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly.
The tight end hole is the one line item this class does not answer.
Bottom line, they will need several of these picks to beat their grades just to break even.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 16 they get an island corner. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
In pick 24 they get a cornerstone up front at fair value. The biggest hole, addressed.
They let Jackson Powers-Johnson come to them and pounced at the 38th pick. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Byron Murphy II at the Round 2 slot is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A need, and now a little less of one.
Ricky Pearsall in No. 68 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They jumped the gun on Jonah Elliss, taking him earlier than his grade liked. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Trey Benson at the 95th overall pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Zak Zinter is a better player than Round 4, Pick 12 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Cole Bishop at pick No. 119 is money in the bank, a safety taken below his worth. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Tommy Eichenberg. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A want over a need in slot 129: Brennan Jackson adds an edge rusher while tight end keeps waiting.
They paid up for Braiden McGregor at No. 157 when waiting would have done the job. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Jaylan Ford in pick 173, miles early. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A wide receiver of that caliber at the 186th pick is the definition of value, full stop. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
They will replay Jarrian Jones at No. 190 for years; that is how good the value is. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Frank Gore Jr. at slot 213 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and JD Bertrand at Round 6, Pick 45 is the proof. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
No edge and no loss on Austin Reed in the 227th overall pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.