B+
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys cashed the board's mistake on Judkins: B+.
by Jdr832 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 13 picks
· 9 steals
· 1 reaches
Somewhere a general manager is explaining how Quinshon Judkins got past him. The Cowboys do not have to explain a thing at the Round 5 slot. No fireworks, but a solid B+.
They punted on cornerback, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. The cost of the Thornton Jr. reach is exactly the players who went right after him.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but cornerback.
Pick-by-Pick
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Mykel Williams at the 33rd pick is the proof. A minor itch, scratched.
A wide receiver of that caliber at pick No. 44 is the definition of value, full stop. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Nick Emmanwori at the 67th overall pick is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. A minor need, but a need all the same.
They will replay Josh Simmons at the Round 3 slot for years; that is how good the value is. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A top-tier running back at a bargain, Quinshon Judkins in Round 5, Pick 11, plain and simple. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
The board fumbled Jaylin Lane all the way to slot 159, and they scooped it up. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
The board had cheaper options than Dont'e Thornton Jr. at No. 171, and it noticed. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Nothing to complain about; DJ Giddens went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
No drama and no debate, Joshua Gray went about where he belonged in pick No. 200. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Steal is underselling it; Cody Simon at No. 204 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They barely believed it either: Kyle Williams still on the board at the 211th overall pick. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Luke Lachey in the Round 7 slot should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Sam Brown Jr. at Round 7, Pick 31 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.