Cowboys Draft Grades
The wonderful event that is the 2022 NFL Draft is in the rearview mirror. So now it’s time to immediately judge all the NFL team’s effort and scold them for not reading Draft Dive and calling us for advice. Next up are the Dallas Cowboys, who came away with nine selections including four in the fifth round alone. Let’s jump into our Cowboys Draft Grade.
24th Overall Selection (Rd1-24) Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa
The best tackle left on the board at the Cowboys’ selection. Big tackle with length, size, and speed. He does need to watch his aggressiveness, as it gets him in trouble at times. Smith was penalized 12 times during the 2021 season. I know some of my fellow analysts gave this pick a C grade. Not sure why!
Grade: A
56th Overall Selection (Rd2-24) Sam Williams, OLB, Ole Miss
Williams is a sideline-to-sideline defender. He shows good burst and pop. But he comes with a past history of off the field issues. He’s got the talent, but isn’t consistent. Taking him at 56 was a bit of a stretch in my opinion.
Grade: C+
88th Overall Selection (Rd3-24) Jalen Tolbert, WR, South Alabama
Is it fate that Tolbert was selected at 88 (the number of Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin)? Only time will tell. In Jalen, the Cowboys are getting the FBS leader in catches and yards on passes thrown 20+ yards down the field. Not only in 2021, but in 2020 as well. Tolbert tracks the ball well on those deep throws and is a good open field runner. He will need to improve on his route running though.
Grade: A-
129th Overall Selection (Rd4-24) Jake Ferguson, TE, Wisconsin
Ferguson is a solid pass catcher, with sneaky ability to make the first defender miss. He’s also a good blocker, which shouldn’t be a surprise from someone that played at Wisconsin. There were a couple names I liked a little better, but it’s a solid pick.
Grade: B-
155th Overall Selection (Rd5-12) Matt Waletzko, DT, North Dakota
At 6’8”, Waletzko is an interesting prospect. Tall (clearly) with insane reach and a good punch to knock defenders off balance. He comes with good foot speed, but can be caught flat footed at times.
Grade: B
167th Overall Selection (Rd5-24) DaRon Bland, CB, Fresno St.
Another interesting prospect for the Cowboys. Bland is a tall defender with 4.4 speed. Has active hands and doesn’t let the wide receivers come down with the ball without a fight. Biggest issue is that he struggles to recover after being beat.
Grade: B
176th Overall Selection (Rd5-33) Damone Clark, ILB, LSU
Damone Clark was a player that I personally scouted. He’s highly productive and always seemed to be around the ball at the end of the play. I mentioned that he looked faster than the 4.7 40 time he was projected, and in fact he clocked a 4.5. His biggest problem was getting off of blocks.
Grade: A-
178th Overall Selection (Rd5-35) John Ridgeway, DE, Arkansas
A massive human being, I was not shocked to learn Ridgeway was a former wrestler. He’s stout against the run, but lacks the speed and mobility to be a real threat in the pass rush.
Grade: B
193rd Overall Selection (R6-14) Devin Harper, ILB, Oklahoma St.
Rangy defender that has great speed to be a sideline-to-sideline type defender. Much like Damone, he struggles to get off blocks at times.
Grade: B
Cowboys Draft Grade Overall: B+
The only spot of need that the Cowboys didn’t hit was defensive end. Other than that, they manage to pick up a number of solid prospects that should be able to stick around. Either on the active roster, or practice squad.
Dallas Cowboys Draft Grade – Analyst Brandon Claburn
