As expected, the Dallas Cowboys had a very interesting draft because of the players they selected and the potential talent those selections possess. And like previous drafts, there was no gray area of emotions between Cowboys Nation because they were either extremely happy or highly disappointed with the draft picks.
Once the fan base saw highly rated players like Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean go to their archrival, Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys front office was under pressure to keep up. But regardless of which side of the fence you sit on with these players, most of the players the Cowboys drafted, if not al, have the talent to make this team successful.
To address losing La’el Collins and Cedrick Wilson in the offseason, the Cowboys drafted Tyler Smith and Jalen Tolbert in the first and third rounds respectively. Then proceeded to draft defensive end Sam Williams in the second and linebacker Damone Clark in the second round.
The Dallas Cowboys fulfilled several needs in the draft so expect them to have a bounce back season in 2022 and prove the critics wrong.
I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t see Dallas drafting Smith in the first round. Like many, I saw Smith as a player Dallas could’ve selected in the second round, but reports are that other teams wanted to trade up to select the versatile Smith, forced the Cowboys hand. They wanted their man.
Oddly enough, Dallas had Smith rated higher than offensive linemen Kenyon Green and Zion Johnson. Jerry unwisely gave a sneak peek of Dallas’ draft board to the media to prove they rated Smith higher than Green and Johnson. You cannot make this stuff up! My Gawd!
But after watching more film and listening to the experts, I’m convinced Dallas got a player just as good at his position as his contemporaries. The most glaring flaw on Smith is that he had 16 penalties last season at Tulsa, 12 of those were for holding. However, those issues are fixable and are attributed more to technique than being an overmatched player.
Besides being a nasty mauler in the running game, Smith is good in pass protection and rarely gets beat – good news for Dak Prescott. Further, Smith has the ability and opportunity to fight off his top challenger at left guard, Connor McGovern.
Better yet, Smith could use his talent to be a swing tackle behind Terence Steele and Tyron Smith. And Smith just turned 21 on April 3rd, so Smith’s youthfulness and versality puts him in a good position to improve Dallas’ offensive line as a day one starter next season. With an improved offensive line, Dallas matches up well in the trenches with its NFC East counterparts.
Yes, Smith’s presence is needed if Dallas makes it to the playoffs and has a rematch with the San Francisco 49ers.
There were a few defensive edge rushers that were drafted ahead of second round pick Sam Williams, but in terms of talent and production, Williams’ traits stack right up there with them and then some. The tape doesn’t lie about Williams’ high productive season at Ole Miss. Williams is an awesome pass rusher who tallied 12.5 sacks in the tough SEC.
To put this into perspective, Pro Football Focus has already given Williams a pass rush grade of 90.2. Yes. Keep in mind that if not for some off the field issues (including a sexual battery charge that was dropped and had him temporarily suspended), Williams easily goes in the first round.
What makes Williams so special is that he’s truly capable of being a day one starter and replacing former edge rusher Randy Gregory. Just like ultra-talented Micah Parsons being a rookie sensation, Williams has the same defensive makeup with quickness and the ability to get to the quarterback.
Williams joins veterans DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler, Jr. I’m predicting that either Armstrong or Fowler, Jr will be replaced by Williams at some point next season.
Sidenote: Last week I wrote an article about these three players anchoring the defense. But with Dallas drafting Williams, Damone Clark, and John Ridgeway, I truly see Dallas’ defense being much better and way ahead of its offense to start the season. Dallas’ defense will have the depth to go along with the coaching/scheming of defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.
Tolbert is a hidden gem because he has that rare combination of speed and size that will give Dallas’ offense that much needed vertical threat. Tolbert caught 82 passes for 1,474 yards and eight touchdowns while receiving the 2021 Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year award.
Tolbert’s play actually mirrors that of former Dallas receiver Cedrick Wilson in that he can make that clutch play to keep drives alive and take advantage of man coverage. Expect Tolbert to battle James Washington for that WR3 position because it’s going to happen sooner rather than later.
In conclusion
Tight end Jake Ferguson, offensive tackle Matt Waletzko, cornerback DaRon Bland, linebacker Damone Clark, defensive tackle John Ridgeway, and linebacker Devin Harper round out the rest of Dallas’ draft picks. I can see a scenario where all of these draft picks make the 53-man roster because of their skill set and for depth purposes.
It should also be noted that Clark had a back injury and the only reason he fell to the fifth round was because of a back injury, but the former LSU Tiger is an absolute steal with his explosiveness and overall athletic ability. Plus, there’s the possibility Clark can see the field late in the season.
With so more positives than negatives, the Dallas Cowboys have no choice but to better in 2022!