Dallas has made the dean's list. For the first time since Jimmy Johnson left the team in '93, Dallas has aced the immediate post season grades from all the major sports news services.
The most appreciated A comes from Dallas Morning News draft analyst Rick Gosselin, who is the hardest grader of front offices. Dallas received one of only three A's given league wide. This is even more impressive given that only eight teams received grades of B or better. Dallas has four players in Gosselin's Top 100, a compositive of evaluations from NFL sources. They are Demarcus Ware (11), Marcus Spears (15), Kevin Burnett (45) and Chris Canty (100).
The Cowboys are one of only three teams to ace the draft according to CNNSI scribe Paul Zimmerman. ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper gives Dallas one of his four A's. (subscription only)
Dallas earned the top overall rating from Fox Sports' John Czarnecki and CBS Sportsline's Pete Prisco.
Pro Football Weekly has not released its draft grades to non-subscribers, but if the magazine's draft book is any guide, Dallas probably came in first in class -- all four of the Cowboys top defensive picks are rated in the Top 50, with three earning first round marks. Spears is rated 13th, Ware 19th, Burnett 31st and Canty 41st.