Cowboys Have Good Draft

The three days of the NFL draft are finally over, and 255 college players have been drafted. Some of them will turn out to be great players, many will have a so-so professional career, and others may not even make it into the league by the time opening day arrives. It's hard to know how any team did in the draft until the players chosen get their chance to compete against current NFL players, and that won't happen for real until training camp opens.

But as of now, it looks like the Cowboys had a pretty good draft. Right now, I'd give them a grade of B+ (with the understanding that grade could go up or down depending on how the players taken 3 through 6 actually work out).

The first round pick (#24 in the draft) for the Cowboys was Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant (6'2", 225). Bryant was very probably the best wide receiver in this year's draft and the Cowboys were lucky to get him with the 24th pick. I expect Bryant to quickly become one of the team's top two receivers (along with Miles Austin).

This makes it very important for Roy Williams to step up his game. The Cowboys haven't given up on him yet, but if he doesn't show some improvement he could be seeing a lot of bench time. That's because Kevin Ogletree (signed as a free agent last year) has impressed everyone, and should get a lot more playing time this year. It's quite possible that he could be the #3 or #4 receiver early in the season. It's a good bet that either Patrick Crayton or Sam Hurd will be traded.

The second pick (#55 in the draft) was an inside linebacker from Penn State named Sean Lee (6'2", 236). If you're going to draft a linebacker, then Penn State is a good place to look (since they have a long tradition of producing great linebackers). ESPN calls him "arguably the most instinctive linebacker in this class." I expect Lee to be on the opening day squad, and that means someone else will have to go. Bobby Carpenter maybe?

In the fourth round (#126 in the draft) the Cowboys chose a cornerback from tiny Indiana College (in Pennsylvania) named Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (6'0", 207). Although he played cornerback in college, the Cowboys want to make him a safety, and he seems to have the size and speed to make that transition. The change in position will make him a bit of a project for the Cowboys, but if it works out he will fill a definite need on the team. At this time, it's just a "maybe" as to whether this was a good pick.

In the sixth round, the Cowboys chose two players. The first (#179 in the draft) was Sam Moore (6'8", 316), an offensive tackle from Notre Dame. The offensive line is one of the hardest positions in which to start as a rookie, but it speaks well for Moore that he started every game in his four-year college career (50 straight games).

Marc Columbo and Doug Free will probably be the starting tackles on opening day. Currently the backup is Pat McQuistan. Moore will be battling last year's pick Robert Brewster (who missed the year because of injury) for a backup spot right now. Hopefully, one (or both) of the two will turn out to be a really good player and work their way into the starting line up soon.

The other sixth round pick (#196 in the draft) was a cornerback from Texas Tech named Jamar Wall (5'10", 204). The Cowboys already have three very good cornerbacks (Terence Newman, Orlando Scandrick and Mike Jenkins) and they are just hoping Wall can show himself to be a quality backup at the position (since current backup Alan Ball will probably move to safety). We'll just have to wait and see if Wall can make the team.

The final pick for the Cowboys (#234 in the draft) was Sean Lissemore (6'3", 297), a defensive tackle from William & Mary. Lissemore wasn't invited to the NFL combine, but Coach Wade Phillips likes his athletic ability and high energy level. He compares him favorably to current Cowboy Jay Ratliff (and that ain't bad). Phillips said he could play either the tackle or end position on the defensive line. I hope he can live up to the hype.

In the next couple of days, the Cowboys will be scrambling to sign the best free agents they can find, and this is expected to be a large group of free agents. I hope they are successful, because it is not unlikely that a free agent or two could make the team. After all, Tony Romo and Kevin Ogletree were both free agents.

The draft picks and the free agents will have their first mini-camp next weekend, and we can start to see if they found some really good players or if it was all just hype. All I can hope for now is that none of the players are too hard to sign, and that some of them will be on the team on opening day.