I take draft grades with a grain of salt, they usually are more for talking points than anything else. We’ll know more about the Cowboys 2015 draft class after the 2017 season.
Here’s what ESPN’s Mel Kiper thinks of the Cowboys draft:
Dallas Cowboys: C+
Top needs: CB, RB, DT, S
It’s now two straight years we’ve seen the Cowboys drive the suspense factor and end up not picking a player at the position everyone is talking about. Last year, it was passing on a QB and Johnny Manziel. This year, it was passing on a running back after the departure of Demarco Murray. They again targeted a player in Round 1 who they think can help make them better in a need area right away. Last year, it was Zack Martin on the O-line; this year, it was Byron Jones in the secondary. The versatile, athletic freak from Connecticut could play all over for them. He helps. Randy Gregory is the big story. Gregory is a gifted pass-rusher with top-5 ability, but Dallas is rolling the dice at No. 60 and believing Rod Marinelli can help a kid who has off-field issues that threaten to derail his career. If it works out, that’s an impact player. Chaz Green was a pretty massive reach on my board, but I did like Damien Wilson in Round 4. If health issues again hurt them in the linebacking corps, Wilson is great insurance. As to the big question mark, which was not selecting a running back, my sense is the Cowboys know there are many backs who will run effectively behind their offensive line, and you can add one on the cheap pretty easily. The depth chart there just really isn’t that bad. Jones is the safe bet, and Gregory the potential home run. From there, we’ll see.
Kiper is correct on the Wilson pick, you can almost bet Wilson will see playing time this year.
What do you think of a C+ from Kiper?
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