B-
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys won the night they stopped Gould from sliding. Grade: B-.
by Al Tha Pal ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 15 picks
· 4 steals
· 6 reaches
Somewhere a general manager is explaining how Anthony Gould got past him. The Cowboys do not have to explain a thing at the 216th pick.
The dealing alone would carry a lesser class. Reaching for Guerendo left real value on the table behind him.
The quarterback hole is the one line item this class does not answer. Adding Justin Madubuike by trade rounds out the weekend beyond the rookies.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but quarterback.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 26 they get a long-term starter on the line at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
In the 32nd pick they get a bendy edge with upside. Need was not the driver here.
Junior Colson at pick 56 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the linebacker. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They paid up for Patrick Paul at pick No. 57 when waiting would have done the job. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They robbed the room for DJ James here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
No drama and no debate, DeWayne Carter went about where he belonged in No. 95. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They talked themselves into Isaac Guerendo at the 97th overall pick, and the board did not agree. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Johnny Wilson in slot 116 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Matt Goncalves in No. 118. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They paid a round early for Tip Reiman in slot 173, more than the board wanted. A need, and now a little less of one.
Nehemiah Pritchett at pick 174 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Anthony Gould in the 216th pick is a gift, value that borders on unfair. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Fabien Lovett in the Round 7 slot is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They reached into another round for Joshua Cephus, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
This one needs a full-page explanation: De'Corian Clark in the 252nd overall pick, miles early. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.