Assigning draft grades for any team in the NFL, including the Dallas Cowboys, is purely speculative no matter the source. More than likely you could ask 10 different people to grade Dallas’ last three NFL drafts and you would probably get 10 different answers. But, that didn’t stop The Draft Network from doing a little re-grading of their own for the Cowboys drafts from 2018 to 2020.
Everyone still remaining from the Dallas Cowboys 2018 draft class is entering the ever important contract year, while the 2020 draft class is just a year removed from getting their feet wet in the league. It’s interesting to get an outside perspective from someone who might not have followed Dallas’ young players as closely as we have, and thanks to Trevor Sikkema we can do just that.
2018 DRAFT CLASS
Round 1: Leighton Vander Esch, LB
Round 2: Connor Williams, OL
Round 3: Michael Gallup, WR
Round 4: Dorance Armstrong, EDGE
Round 4: Dalton Schultz, TE
Round 5: Mike White, QB
Round 6: Chris Covington, LB
Round 6: Cedric Wilson, WR
Round 7: Bo Scarborough, RB
The Cowboys made a lot of picks in this draft, but they got plenty of starters out of it, so it’s not too bad. Vander Esch played well as a rookie, but his play has declined since—a big reason why the team did not pick up his fifth-year option. Williams has improved his play each season, and Gallup has grown into a really good wide receiver in a stack receiver room. Armstrong has been fine as a Day 3 rotational player, and Schultz is the team’s starting tight end.
Did this class knock it out of the park? No, I wouldn’t say that, especially since it’s somewhat shaky at the top. However, it was pretty good throughout.
Draft Grade: B
Analysis:
The Cowboys 2018 draft class earning a B draft grade is probably about right. If LVE could’ve remained healthy and Dalton Schultz would’ve started earlier, that would have bumped the draft class up to an A. The Cowboys got several starting-caliber players in this draft class and that’s what you’re hoping for each and every year when the NFL Draft rolls around. They may not have “knocked it out of the park” as Sikkema puts it, but Dallas should have more drafts like this.
2019 DRAFT CLASS
Round 2: Trysten Hill, DT
Round 3: Connor McGovern, IOL
Round 4: Tony Pollard, RB
Round 5: Michael Jackson, CB
Round 5: Joe Jackson, EDGE
Round 6: Donovan Wilson, S
Round 7: Mike Weber, RB
Round 7: Jalen Jelks, EDGE
This draft class looks near downright awful. For starters, half of the draft picks aren’t even on the team anymore. For the ones that are, Hill has not been what the Cowboys have needed on the interior, McGovern has been fine, Pollard is actually good but is just a backup right now to Ezekiel Elliott, and Wilson took over at strong safety this past year and has been serviceable.
There are only two players punching above their draft expectations and it’s Dallas’ fourth- and sixth-round picks. That’s bad.
Draft Grade: D+
Analysis:
A D+ draft grade for the Dallas Cowboys 2019 draft class is a bit harsh. There’s a little bit too much unknown still about several of these players. We know Tony Pollard can be a dangerous offensive weapon and Donovan Wilson is a starting-caliber player, but the jury is still out on Trysten Hill and Connor McGovern. They’ve both shown enough to be possible starters in the league, but unfortunately they just haven’t received their chance to lockdown that role yet. Because of that, a C+ is reasonable that could very well turn into a solid B if Hill and McGovern turn into starters.
2020 DRAFT CLASS
Round 1: CeeDee Lamb, WR
Round 2: Trevon Diggs, CB
Round 3: Neville Gallimore, DT
Round 4: Reggie Robinson, CB
Round 4: Tyler Biadasz, IOL
Round 5: Bradlee Anae, EDGE
This was quite the swing-for-the-fences kind of draft. Despite having much bigger needs on defense, the Cowboys went with a true “best player available” approach when Lamb was still there at their pick. There were reasons for reactions to be split here, but the overwhelming thought was that the Cowboys just set themselves up for one of the best offenses in the NFL. But it did come at a price. On defense, Diggs struggled his first season, as did Gallimore. Due to injuries along the offensive line, Biadasz was forced into action and played fine. It’s obviously just one year in, but the lone bright spot here appears to be at the top. The pick was exciting, but that’s not good enough.
Draft Grade: C+
Analysis:
Sikkema must be drinking some of that Dallas Cowboys Hater-ade. As things stand right now, it looks like the Cowboys have four players from the 2020 draft class who will start in just their second-year in the league. Where he pulled the C+ draft grade from is probably best left unsaid, but it’s part of his anatomy. Dallas pretty much hit a home run with their 2020 draft class, so much so an A- draft grade is totally reasonable. We could easily see two or three Pro Bowlers from this group and anything you get from Reggie Robinson or Bradlee Anae is just an added bonus.