Cowboys draft analysis: What Day 3 picks Matt Waletzko and Devin Harper bring

 This is the final installment of our three-week plan to “get to know” each of the Cowboys’ six players taken on Day 3 of this year’s draft. You know the drill by now, 200 snaps to tell us what kind of player the Cowboys have selected as well as what we have found out about their backstories and potential roles with the team.

Two weeks back, we did the dive on Jake Ferguson and John Ridgeway.

Last week, we got after the two defensive pieces the Cowboys added with the middle two picks in Round 5, DaRon Bland and Damone Clark.

https://theathletic.com/3335011/2022/05/26/dallas-cowboys-draft-analysis-day-3/

Cowboys draft analysis: Day 3 picks Damone Clark and DaRon Bland

 As we did last week (and will do again next week), it is time to push out our look at two more of the Cowboys’ later-round draft picks after we have given them the thorough film treatment. You know the drill by now, 200 snaps to tell us what kind of player the Cowboys have selected as well as what we have found out about their backstories and potential roles with the team.

Last week, we did the dive on Jake Ferguson and John Ridgeway.

This week, it is two members of the defensive depth chart, including a corner who may get in the mix pretty quickly and a linebacker who we may not even see in his rookie season due to rather significant health considerations.

https://theathletic.com/3319281/2022/05/19/dallas-cowboys-draft-damone-clark-daron-bland/

Cowboys newcomers: TE Jake Ferguson, DT John Ridgeway add reasonable pieces on both sides

 Here in the next few weeks, I want to make sure I get to the checklist of post-draft activities that I might have delayed this year for certain “playoffs in other sports” reasons locally. Yes, it is possible the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns versus the Mavericks (not to mention those Calgary Flames against the Stars) have helped delay my looks at all of the draft picks I had not studied properly.

So, for each of the next three weeks, I will grab two of the Cowboys’ front office Day 3 picks and see what we can see. This always is a fun activity to meet these guys and try to put ourselves in the war-room seats to try to understand the Cowboys’ ultimate vision.

https://theathletic.com/3303861/2022/05/12/dallas-cowboys-nfl-football-rookies-jake-ferguson-john-ridgeway/

Reviewing how the Cowboys performed in the 2022 NFL Draft: The Morning After

 It is a fun time to hand out grades and thoughts about how each team did in the draft. Of course, this is a massive waste of everyone’s time because trying to figure out how a player is going to help a franchise over the next four to five years would require time travel and probably the gift of prophecy.

I have looked into both, but neither is covered with my membership status at the present time. We don’t know what the new city, the new full bank account, the franchise he joins with the coaching staff that he is thrust into will do to his attempt to take a massive step up in competition. This could be really easy or it could be too much.

https://theathletic.com/3288242/2022/05/02/cowboys-draft-analysis/

Cowboys Morning After: Dallas thinks Tyler Smith will be its left tackle for a long time

 The Cowboys clearly believe in their process and that led them to Tulsa’s Tyler Smith with the 24th pick in the first round. To them, he represents a player with the most upside of anyone in this draft. He’s someone the Cowboys think they can develop to be an opening-day starter at left guard in 2022 and then the man they trust to take over for Tyron Smith whenever the time comes. Will McClay properly says that he is “big, athletic and physical in a big, athletic and physical league.”

There is no question about any of that. Trust me, all of these points are well conceded.

https://theathletic.com/3281333/2022/04/29/cowboys-tyler-smith-first-round-analysis/

2022 NFL Draft game plan: Here is what the Cowboys need to do to get this right at No. 24

 There is no question that in 2022, the Cowboys’ massive rebuild will have to happen this weekend. They have shown us they have almost no real plans to address roster concerns with veterans. Now, I don’t mean to be a hypocrite at all. Usually, building with veterans is the ultimate fool’s errand in the NFL, with teams quickly regretting the moves they make and seldom regretting the moves they don’t make.

But, Dallas has really done next to nothing this year.

https://theathletic.com/3273334/2022/04/27/cowboys-nfl-draft-game-plan/

Cowboys Draft Digest: The final 2022 ‘Sturm 60’ NFL Draft board

 The vital week is upon us.

This is as important as any date on the 2022 Cowboys schedule. For anyone unclear on the vital connection and correlation between winning in your college prospect player selection and playing winning football, the evidence is all around you. Find a successful team and it invariably starts with this process. Conversely, find a team that gets everyone fired, and you can trace it back to a draft process that went off the rails a few too many times.

https://theathletic.com/3270795/2022/04/26/cowboys-draft-digest-sturm-big-board/

Cowboys Draft Digest: 5 prospects we missed on the first pass, but all linked to Dallas

 We have reached the end … almost.

This 13th edition of the 2022 NFL Draft Digest will give us a bonus five players. The Sturm 60 this year is a big lie because it will actually be the Sturm 65. And frankly, if my editors didn’t hold me back from full insanity, it might have even been larger.

But, it won’t be. We will stop at 65.

https://theathletic.com/3267319/2022/04/25/cowboys-nfl-draft-final-prospects/

Cowboys Draft Digest: 2022 crop of quarterbacks seems weak, but only the future will decide

 Today, we study the quarterbacks. This is the ninth year I have done this and the fifth for The Athletic.

In 2018, we examined Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and Baker Mayfield.

In 2019, it was Kyler Murray, Dwayne Haskins, Drew Lock, Daniel Jones and Will Grier.

In 2020, we studied Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Tua Tagovailoa, Jordan Love and Jalen Hurts.

And in 2021, the group was Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Trey Lance, Mac Jones and Zach Wilson

https://theathletic.com/3258082/2022/04/19/dallas-cowboys-nfl-draft-quarterbacks/

Cowboys Draft Digest: Depth and quality at wide receiver is obvious for this draft

 If you read my work for any amount of time, you have heard me go through the “nickel is base” truth to continue to emphasize that the NFL is going in one general direction. While we concede that certain things are cyclical, we are not willing to concede that the big and slow guys are ever going to come back into style league-wide.

https://theathletic.com/3248216/2022/04/14/cowboys-draft-wide-receivers/

Cowboys Draft Digest: Wide receivers are always plentiful and 2022 is no exception

 This week and next week we find and examine 10 more of our top prospects at the always fertile position of wide receiver. It seems every year the college football factories turn out the newest models and the quality continues to improve and impress by the season. It is causing a lot of questions in NFL front offices.

https://theathletic.com/3235500/2022/04/07/dallas-cowboys-nfl-draft-receivers/

Cowboys Draft Digest: The top class of safeties are a wonderful group of potential difference-makers

 Let’s have a few philosophical discussions today about this impressive group of safeties. First, let me direct you to a very safety-adjacent story from Monday about the success story of Jayron Kearse. He has been quite a find, but it is worth noting that given how he plays, might not actually be one of two safeties in the defense. Don’t get it twisted, he will be used a lot. But, perhaps in addition to Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson (or one of the names below) in a three-safety setup. Or, maybe you want to call it a two safety, one hybrid LB setup. Who knows, anymore?

https://theathletic.com/3220439/2022/03/31/cowboys-draft-digest-the-top-class-of-safeties-are-a-wonderful-group-of-potential-difference-makers/

Cowboys Draft Digest: As the NFL continues to evolve, so does the linebacker position

 Hopefully, everyone has had a few minutes to reflect on the impact and career of the longtime coach and currently retired Jerry Glanville. Aside from coaching (and hating) a young Brett Favre, he was known for several things that made a real impact on those of us who watched that included leaving tickets for Elvis Presley at many games and dressing in all black. He was a wild ride as both head coach of the Atlanta Falcons and Houston Oilers, but also gained notoriety for explaining on NFL Films to a referee who had frustrated him that NFL stood for “Not For Long” if the ref continued with calls like that.

https://theathletic.com/3206679/2022/03/24/cowboys-draft-digest-as-the-nfl-continues-to-evolve-so-does-the-linebacker-position/

Cowboys Draft Digest: Elite cornerbacks flood the first round at very premium position

 This is our seventh of 12 weeks of the draft digests. We started with three weeks of prospects on the defensive front. Then we went for three weeks of offensive line and tight ends. For the next three weeks, we will work on defensive backs and linebackers and then finish our project with what we assume will be the main thrust of the Cowboys’ first two days — offensive playmakers to help replace guys like Amari Cooper and Cedrick Wilson. Of course, we also have to do this year’s QB class, because it is the premium position of all premium positions and we do it not because the Cowboys are in the market for a QB, but rather we have to do it because quarterbacks are important no matter where they end up playing.

https://theathletic.com/3185155/2022/03/17/cowboys-draft-digest-elite-cornerbacks-flood-the-first-round-at-very-premium-position/

Cowboys Draft Digest: This year’s tight end class has no Kyle Pitts, but has many starters

 It has probably been a few years since we have done a full draft digest on the tight end position, but this year we believe a few things that have properly changed our tune enough to even get the tight ends in before spring break. We start with this being a very interesting tight end class that has enough quality depth that as many as seven or eight could go in the first few days. I wouldn’t call that likely, but at least very possible. There is no Kyle Pitts, for sure. But, this league is always looking for dual threat tight ends who are neither a liability in blocking or in receiving. And for whatever reason, this year has plenty of that.

https://theathletic.com/3174453/2022/03/10/cowboys-draft-digest-this-years-tight-end-class-has-no-kyle-pitts-but-has-many-starters/

Cowboys Draft Digest: From Evan Neal to Trevor Penning, top offensive tackles in 2022 collectively are strong

 This week our goal was to look further at the offensive line crop, with a focus on the offensive tackles available high in this draft. We can only get five prospects per week, but I think we can safely say that is not enough to look at all of those who might jump right in and be starters for a long time. In my estimation, this is one of the best positions in the entire draft when it comes to “top shelf” prospects.

https://theathletic.com/3159057/2022/03/03/cowboys-draft-digest-from-evan-neal-to-trevor-penning-top-offensive-tackles-in-2022-collectively-are-strong/

Cowboys Draft Digest: Interior offensive line makes plenty of sense early

 Earlier this week we discussed the disappointing 2021 season for the Cowboys offensive line. Despite the celebrated analysis of some, from the Denver game in Week 9 through the wild-card round vs. the San Francisco 49ers, there were seldom times when the Cowboys offensive line was able to “boss” a game.

As we reviewed Tuesday, this led to many issues in a chain reaction of effects — most notably the defense deploying fewer players to play the run — and yet Dallas did not quickly expose that. Dallas had to deal with fewer defenders up front and still had its hands full. The 49ers were able to win the line of scrimmage with their defensive front and that is where the season and the Cowboys’ dreams ended.

https://theathletic.com/3147168/2022/02/24/cowboys-draft-digest-interior-offensive-line-makes-plenty-of-sense-early/

Dallas Cowboys Draft Digest: Defensive tackle group is not very deep, but SEC provides talent

 This week we want to look at one of the thinner groups in the 2022 NFL Draft from our first pass — defensive tackle. There is no doubt that you can find a real numbers advantage on your defense — being able to stop the run with fewer defenders so you can put more into covering the secondary with zone defenders — if you have stout defensive tackles. The ability to stop the run and push the pocket and penetrate into the backfield is what we seek. To do that, we need more than speed bumps. We need athletes. Dancing bears are what we seek, the rare athletes on the upper side of 300 pounds but still the agility and fluidity to win battles of quickness in short spaces. They must be athletic marvels and the scarcity of special at this spot is normally profound.

https://theathletic.com/3132680/2022/02/17/dallas-cowboys-draft-digest-defensive-tackle-group-is-not-very-deep-but-sec-provides-talent/

Dallas Cowboys Draft Digest: Edge rushers continue to impress with star quality

 We slide into our second edition of 12 weekly digests by continuing with this deep group of high-end edge rushers. Due to the randomness of our ordering, we will actually find the top few of the 10 to be in this grouping. Make sure you catch our first volume from last week.

https://theathletic.com/3122420/2022/02/10/dallas-cowboys-draft-digest-edge-rushers-continue-to-impress-with-star-quality/

Dallas Cowboys Draft Digest: Edge rushers front a deep, quality class at vital position

 We begin the journey today at one of the most important positions on any contending roster — the edges. The NFL has forced edge rushers to evolve over the years. Once upon a time, your edges were 280-plus pounds and stout. Now, we want twitchy speed, but enough strength that you are not a target in the run game. We want guys with absurd abilities to run in space, change direction, but also able to stand tall at the point of attack as well as trouble offensive tackles with length, strength and pass-rush moves that utilize body control. More than anything, this is a position that requires an endless reserve of energy and passion. While some folks may roll their eyes at the concept of the “motor”, you will find that every great edge rusher has the ability to throw everything at you over and over for three hours of a game. Because that one fourth-quarter sack can make the entire game look like a success.

https://theathletic.com/3109293/2022/02/03/dallas-cowboys-draft-digest-edge-rushers-front-a-deep-quality-class-at-vital-position/