B
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys let Howard fall and pounced. Final grade: B.
by HR ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 6 steals
· 2 reaches
The best pick of the weekend was also the simplest. The Cowboys watched Will Howard slide 71 picks past his grade and did not hesitate.
The Higgins reach is the anchor dragging on the value grade. Wide receiver was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job. They trusted the board more than the depth chart.
A tidy weekend of work that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 12 they get a pocket-collapsing interior rusher, outstanding value to boot. A real need, handled.
Omarion Hampton slid further than he should have, and No. 44 is lovely value for the running back. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Jalen Royals at pick No. 76 is the proof. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A real head-scratcher, Jay Higgins in the 150th pick is miles ahead of his ranking. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They did well to land Ajani Cornelius in the Round 5 slot, just ahead of his grade. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Joshua Gray in the 172nd overall pick, miles early. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Will Howard at pick 174 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Oronde Gadsden II slipping to Round 6, Pick 12 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Jaylen Reed at pick 211 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Jaylin Smith in the 249th overall pick is fair value, right on his grade. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.