Dallas Cowboys Draft Picks In 2016 NFL Draft

As regular readers of this blog will probably know, I am a die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan. I have only missed seeing or hearing one Cowboys game since their inception in 1960. That was when I was having surgery to repair a gunshot wound in 2005 -- and even then, my first question when waking up was "Did the Cowboys win?" (they had not won that one).

So, I hope you'll bear with me as I part with politics for a minute to celebrate the Cowboy's draft picks for this year.

Here are those picks:

4th pick (round 1) -- Ezekiel Elliott, running back, Ohio State (6'0", 225 lbs)

34th pick (round 2) -- Jaylon Smith, linebacker, Notre Dame (6'3", 229 lbs)

67th pick (round 3) -- Maliek Collins, defensive tackle, Nebraska (6'2", 311 lbs)

101st pick (round 4) -- Charles Tapper, defensive end, Oklahoma (6'4", 260 lbs)

135th pick (round 4) -- Dak Prescott, quarterback, Mississippi State (6'2", 226 lbs)

189th pick (round 6) -- Anthony Brown, cornerback, Purdue (5'11", 192 lbs)

212th pick (round 6) -- Kavon Frazier, safety, Central Michigan (6'0", 217 lbs)

216th pick (round 6) -- Darius Jackson, running back, Eastern Michigan (6'0", 221 lbs)

217th pick (round 6) -- Rico Gathers, tight end, Baylor (6'8", 273 lbs)

I have no doubt that Ezekiel Elliott will make an immediate impact, especially running behind the great offensive line of the Cowboys. But this draft will be judged by the players taken after him.

Jaylon Smith was originally projected to be a top five pick in this draft, but then he hurt his knee. He is expected to recuperate fully, but probably will not play until the 2017 season. If he does return to the form he had in college, this this will be remembered as a great pick. He just won't be able to help the team this season.

For me, this draft will be judged as good or bad by how the next four players work out. Can Maliek Collins, Charles Tapper, and Anthony Brown help to improve the defense in the coming season? Will Dak Prescott turn out to be the team's future quarterback (as expected)? Nobody knows, but I hope they are all as good as I think they are. We'll find out when training camp opens in July.