Dallas Cowboys Draft: First Round Grades

So the Cowboys shocked almost everyone and traded up to get Morris Claiborne. Most Cowboys fans seem to like the deal, but let's check around and see what other people thought. Of course, draft grades this early are ridiculous, but hey, sometimes we like ridiculous, so we'll check some out anyway.

You can still vote in our poll to give the pick a grade:

The guys over at ESPN Dallas - Tim MacMahon, Calvin Watkins and Todd Archer all gave the Cowboys move an 'A'.

The Cowboys desperately needed more playmaking in the secondary, and Claiborne certainly provides that, having picked off six passes last season despite not being targeted often. Claiborne and free agent addition Brandon Carr should be one of the NFL's best cornerback combos for the foreseeable future.

More below...

Pete Prisco at CBS Sports:

The Cowboys made an aggressive move to get a shutdown corner, the best in this draft. I love the move. Claiborne and Carr on the corners is a nasty combo. Giving up the second-round pick is steep. B+

Joel Thorman at SB Nation gives it an 'A':

Cowboys: I'm usually not a fan of trading up for a position other than quarterback. The Cowboys moved up from 14 to 6 but only paid the price of a second rounder, which is cheaper than usual, to pick up the top player at a premium position. After signing Brandon Carr in free agency, the Cowboys have a ton of potential in that secondary.

Last night on the NFL Network, both Kurt Warner and Jamie Dukes were effusive in their praise of the move. Warner called it the best value move becasue the Cowboys started the day at pick 14, and walked away with the best defensive player in the draft. And even though they gave up a second-round pick, that was cheaper than the deal should have cost. Jamie Dukes thought that of all the players drafted in the first round, Claiborne was the one most likely to end up on the NFLN's Top 100 players list for the 2012 season.

Over at SB Nation studios, they gave the move an 'A':

But not everyone is drinking the Kool-Aid, Chad Reuter from NFL.com:

Losers for now, but time will tell

Dallas Cowboys give up second-rounder to move up for CB Morris Claiborne: In few cases does giving away a top-50 pick to move up in the first round result in a winning situation. In fact, here are some of the players in recent memory whom teams traded into the sixth overall pick to acquire: DT Ryan Sims (Kansas City, 2002), DT Johnathan Sullivan (New Orleans, 2003), TE Kellen Winslow II (Tampa Bay, 2004). And of course, Atlanta took WR Julio Jones sixth after a bold, draft-day trade last year. If Claiborne turns out to be a Pro Bowler, then I'll be proven wrong. But staying at No. 14 could have netted Dallas another talented cornerback in Dre Kirkpatrick, while still keeping the second-round pick that could've become another down-the-line starter at receiver or defensive end.