D
Dallas Cowboys
A passer of the future in McCarthy, and a D, for the Cowboys.
by Grumpy ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 33 picks
· 9 steals
· 14 reaches
The Aaron Lewis selection is the head-turner. The Cowboys reached 83 spots for him, and it will define how this weekend is remembered. The process wobbled, and the D is where it lands.
The trade table is where this weekend went wrong. They banked enough surplus on Washington to cover a lot of smaller sins. The whole projection now runs through J.J. McCarthy; hit there and everything else looks smarter.
It is a steep hill from here, and the grade knows it.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 10 they get a problem off the edge. More want than need.
In slot 16 they get a passer to set the clock by, a steep price for the projection. A real need, handled.
JC Latham at No. 23 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
In Round 1, Pick 24 they get a disruptor off the edge, outstanding value to boot. Need was not the driver here.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Keon Coleman in pick 36. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Edgerrin Cooper at the 40th pick is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Jackson Powers-Johnson at pick 56 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the offensive lineman. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
T'Vondre Sweat at the Round 2 slot is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
A reach for Cooper Beebe in the 66th overall pick; a little patience would have been rewarded. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Adonai Mitchell at No. 67 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Jonathon Brooks at slot 71. The roster fit checks out.
They let Javon Bullard come to them and pounced at pick No. 75. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Tyler Davis at the 76th pick is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
The board had cheaper options than Zak Zinter at Round 3, Pick 22, and it noticed. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Dominick Puni in pick No. 87 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Ben Sinnott at the 90th overall pick is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
DJ James at the Round 3 slot is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
No edge and no loss on Khyree Jackson in pick 100; it is a wash and a sensible one. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Jordan Travis this early at Round 4, Pick 2. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Value said wait; Cedric Gray in the 104th pick says they were not listening. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
They reached into another round for Beaux Limmer, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
No drama and no debate, MarShawn Lloyd went about where he belonged in No. 124. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A tidy bit of business in pick No. 133, where Jarrian Jones graded well above the range. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Nothing to complain about; Malik Mustapha went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
Circle this one: Ainias Smith at No. 174 is a fall that decides a draft. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Somehow Malik Washington was still sitting there in Round 6, Pick 6, and they pounced on premier wide receiver value. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Michael Barrett in the Round 6 slot is exactly on the number, no argument either way. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They barely believed it either: Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint still on the board at slot 188. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Christian Jones in the 194th overall pick is fair value, right on his grade. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They paid sticker price for Jase McClellan in pick 210, and that is fine. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Matthew Jones. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They reached a country mile for Dwight McGlothern at No. 213, and the board is aghast. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Aaron Lewis in pick No. 215, miles early. Stacking talent where they were already deep.