D
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys bled value on every deal, hence the D.
by nitebar ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 14 picks
· 4 steals
· 9 reaches
When the story of this class is written, it opens with J.J. Weaver at No. 244, a reach of 73 spots that the board flatly disagrees with. It grades a D, and the process earned it.
The Isaac pick is the one they will point to when this weekend is judged. The dealing is the wound this class cannot quite close.
They punted on tight end, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. It is a bet on later, and a defensible one for a team playing the long game.
Bottom line, they will need several of these picks to beat their grades just to break even.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 11 they get a plug-and-play piece up front. Exactly the need they had to hit.
In slot 23 they get an anchor for the offensive line, though the board says they badly overpaid. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Xavier Worthy in the 24th overall pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Value with a capital V on Jonathon Brooks in pick No. 56, a genuine coup. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Value said wait; Michael Pratt in No. 87 says they were not listening. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They paid up for James Williams at the Round 4 slot when waiting would have done the job. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Adisa Isaac at pick No. 114 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
A tidy bit of business in the Round 5 slot, where Nehemiah Pritchett graded well above the range. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They reached a country mile for Jordan Jefferson at slot 157, and the board is aghast. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Kendall Milton this early at Round 5, Pick 38. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Taking Beau Brade in No. 177 is close to grand larceny; a safety that good had no business lasting this long. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Ryan Watts in pick 216, miles early. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A premium they did not need to pay, Bub Means a notch or two before his time. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, J.J. Weaver well ahead of where he belonged. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.