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You know the routine. Less than 24 hours after the draft concludes, prognosticators begin handing out their grades for a team's performance over draft weekend. We even do it here on BTB. Sure, it doesn't really mean anything in the long run, but like mock drafts, it's a fun exercise that drives some conversation.
But to accurately grade a draft, you might even want to see the players on the field for a few years.
Well, PFF has done that as they check in with their grades of how they believe each of the 32 teams has done over a three-year stint; from 2008 through 2010. Using their standard grading system, +2.0 to -2.0, they've assigned a grade to each of the draft picks made during that stretch by a club.
Using their system, there are two categories (+2.0 and +1.5) reserved for home run, look-to-be hall-of-fame type of selections. Dallas doesn't have any of these during these years. They also have two categories (-1.5 and -2.0) reserved for the fire-your-GM type of wasted picks. Fortunately, Dallas doesn't have any of these either.
Follow the jump to see how they felt about some of our more famous (and infamous) selections.
Draft Grader: Dallas Cowboys 2008 - 2010
Worst Pick During Stretch: (T) Robert Brewster
(75th overall pick in 2009): Missed his rookie season on injured reserve, and a large part of year No. 2 on the practice squad. Not what you expect out of a third round pick.
Not to mention released before the 2011 season, when the offensive line was in disarray.
Best Picks During Stretch: (WR) Dez Bryant
(24th overall pick in 2010): Though he fell short of a 1,000 yard season (largely due to the amount of snaps he played), Bryant emerged as one of the league’s top receivers in 2011, ending the year with our 12th-highest receiving grade of all wideouts. Excellent hands and an ability to make defenders miss after the catch, he’s primed to break out.
(ILB) Sean Lee
(55th overall pick in 2010): Flashed talent as a rookie and then set about using that as platform for greater things in his 2011 campaign. Our fifth-highest graded 3-4 ILB in run defense, Lee also made a number of plays in coverage (four picks and three break ups) while generating 16 combined hits and hurries of quarterbacks. Room to get better but already a productive player.
(DE) Sean Lissemore
(234th overall pick in 2010): Earned the coaches praise at the end of the season for turning 283 snaps into some absolutely stellar run defense whether lined up at end or on the nose. Despite the low snap count posted the third-best score of all 3-4 DE’s against the run.
Here's a look at the remaining picks from the three years in question. PFF lists the "Meh" players as 'It could have been worse' and has some interesting descriptions for some. My favorite? Stephen McGee...
Something of a flyer, the more McGee gets on the field the less you become convinced he could one day take over for Tony Romo.
Truer words have never been spoken. Also, yes, most of the worse picks come from 2009. Poor horse, but here's another thwack.
| Solid Contributors | "Meh" Players | Bad Picks |
|---|---|---|
| (CB) Mike Jenkins | (RB) Felix Jones | (LB) Jason Williams |
| (TE) Martellus Bennett | (RB) Tashard Choice | (LB) Brandon Williams |
| (CB) Orlando Scandrick | (LB) Erik Walden | (CB) DeAngelo Smith |
| (LB Victor Butler | (QB) Stephen McGee | (CB) Akwasi Owusu-Ansah |
| (TE) John Phillips | (S) Michael Hamlin | |
| (DT) Josh Brent | (K) David Buehler | |
| (S) Stephen Hodge | ||
| (CB) Mike Mickens | ||
| (WR) Manny Johnson | ||
| (T) Sam Young | ||
| (CB) Jamar Wall |
So BTB, do you agree with these assessments? Did PFF catch all of the hits and misses or were some players miscast? I think as fans of the team we tend to believe in the edict that once they put the uniform on their draft slot no longer matters and may have been a bit unforgiving with some later-round picks that didn't pan out.
What sayeth you?