Coming into the draft, the Cowboys needed to make a splash. Armed with two first-round picks after the Micah Parsons trade, the Cowboys were set up with enough resources to get premium talent or move up in the draft if they chose to do so. Even though the Cowboys had top options early in the draft, the gaps between their first-round picks and between their final fourth-round pick and their seventh-round choice made it essential for the Cowboys to make the best of what they had to work with.
After looking back on it, its fair to say the Cowboys had arguably among the best drafts out of anyone. Analysts and experts have praised the Cowboys for their selections, but if we really wanted to assess the team under a more critical microscope, what was the best pick Dallas made, and what was the worst? Here’s the best and worst pick of what was a terrific draft.
Now that we have had more time to reflect, the Cowboys’ taking Malachi Lawrence looks more like a big brain move. Dallas was plagued by a poor pass rush last season and has done some work in that area after adding Rashan Gary. However, Dallas wasn’t content and added another pass rusher to the mix.
UCF’s Malachi Lawrence is an explosive athlete off the edge who tested very well at the combine. He ran a 4.52 40-yard dash time, and had a broad jump of 10 feet, 10 inches to go along with a 40 inch vertical leap. His length is an asset for rushing the passer, and with his speed, his relentless motor allows him to string out plays in pursuit. He’s not only a speed rusher, either. Dallas needed a player that can collapse the pocket from the edge on third down, and they got him.
However, you cannot deny that Dallas’ best pick was securing Caleb Downs with the 11th pick. Forgot the exceptional talent that is Caleb Downs for a moment and consider the tact and maneuvering the Cowboys did to land him. There was a belief that if the Cowboys wanted him, they would have to trade up. Technically, that was true, but it only cost them two fifth-round picks after moving up only one spot after a trade with the Miami Dolphins.
Back to Downs, the Cowboys got a player who many considered the best defensive player in the draft. Downs is fantastic in run support, and he can easily stick with receivers in man coverage while having play recognition ability when sitting in zone coverage to break up passes. His versatility gives the Dallas defense a lot of unpredictability. When you factor in their top three choices of Downs, Lawrence, and Jaishawn Barham, it cements why the Downs pick is so good for the team. The Cowboys hit a home run.
Overall, the Cowboys had a very good draft. Yet, if there had to be one pick that stands out as their worst, it would have to be Devin Moore in the fourth round. The Cowboys had a bevy of middle-round picks, and while it’s true that cornerback was a need, they settled on cornerback and passed over some higher quality ones. Keionte Scott and Malik Muhammad were drafted over the next nine picks after Dallas selected Moore. It would seem that the Cowboys prioritized Moore’s length at 6’3″ over that of Scott and Muhammad, who are smaller in stature but more explosive athletes. Moore also has durability concerns after numerous college injuries.
Moore has only managed to play double-digit games just once over four years while at the University of Florida. As you may expect for a corner his size, he doesn’t have the fluidity in his lateral movements as smaller cornerbacks would. Though he is tall and can make up ground thanks to his length and make jump balls more difficult for receivers, his ability to stick with smaller, shifty receivers is in doubt.For this pick to work out, it’s going to weigh heavily on Christian Parker’s ability to develop cornerback talent and tailor the defense to accentuate what Moore does best while limiting his flaws.
Who was your best pick and worst pick, and why? Hit the comments to let us know.