NFL Draft Day's Final Thoughts

By foxsports
Published


Yesterday, I presented the audience with my best version of my Final board.  This would imply that it is my final copy, but when I realized I did not place Chris Borland (he belongs at 57th) or Troy Niklas (he should be about 62nd) and then need to move everyone down, I guess it is my final 77.  This works with the Cowboys pick in the 3rd round 78th for now.

For the Cowboys, I am reminded of what I wrote on January 15th - some 113 days ago.  Thankfully, I am consistent in my views (on these, at least) on how this entire thing breaks both in January and now as the process has been completed.

Let's review the basic objectives as stated in January:





I am willing to stand behind those 3 emphatically on this morning of the 2014 draft.  The Cowboys know the issues that face them and now have 11 picks to do something about it.

I think there are quite a few of us who would love nothing more than to trade backwards a bit in the first round in an effort to pick up another Top 80 selection, but, in a draft like this with relative depth, it is often believed that the number of teams looking to move down far outweigh the number of teams looking to move up.  It sounds trite, but the cliché that you have to have a partner to trade is in full effect here and now.

Now, a few frequently asked questions before we get this party started:

Hey Bob, who are the Cowboys going to take at #16?

Well, let's start here.  I really think they would love to back up 10 spots (Cleveland at 26?  Perfect!) and snag a valuable pick at #35 to boot.  That, of course, is unreasonable unless Cleveland is feeling crazy (Costner?) and therefore, I would imagine it would cost #16 and #78 (and possibly a 7th) to get #26 and #35.  Would I do that?

YES. I. WOULD.

The fact is that I am not dying to grab any of the likely candidates at #16.  Will there be a good player there, yes.  Will there be a steal?  I don't think so.  Aaron Donald and Anthony Barr are likely long gone.  Mike Evans is not sliding that far.  Johnny Manziel will tempt, but hopefully that is what Cleveland is antsy about.

But, realistically, if the Cowboys are looking at Zack Martin, Kony Ealy, CJ Mosely, and Calvin Pryor (as well as the top corners), I would love to pull the parachute and get out of there.  Unfortunately, that likely won't happen, either.

So, if you ask me to marry my best guess of who will be there and then who will the Cowboys grab, I must confess that I imagine they will take Martin while I would highly recommend Pryor.  Ealy is a fall-back spot.  I don't like Martin that much and prefer the UCLA guard Su'a-Filo over him, but if you read the signs, they seem to lock in on Martin being solid value right there.

If they can trade back, what are we looking at there?

Well, this is why I get a bit excited.  I think at #26, you could be looking at Ealy, Jimmie Ward, Scott Crichton, Timmy Jernigan, or Demarcus Lawrence.  Grab any of the 4 there.

Then at #35, you can grab the best tackle - Morgan Moses/Billy Turner/Jawuan James or the best DT left of Will Sutton/Dominique Easley/Rashade Hageman/Stephen Tuitt.

And, at #47, you can clean up the scraps, go back to the OL/DL well and grab one of the above names that will surely slide or go for the sliding premium QB prospect.

Are you telling me you wouldn't be pumped about Jimmie Ward, Scott Crichton, and Billy Turner?

I would absolutely consider that draft a success as you would have 3 studs ready to roll for years.

What prospects do you feel like you like more than the consensus opinions?

I think Mike Evans is the best receiver in this draft.  I think Xavier Su'a-Filo is a star in this league soon.  I think Kyle Fuller is the best corner in the draft.  I absolutely believe that Lamarcus Joyner is going to be a stud and people will wonder why they let him slide.  Will Sutton and David Yankey are high on my list relative to the masses.  As is Jeremiah Attaochu and Dakota Dozier.  Billy Turner is a late 1st for me (although I can see him making it to late 2nd) and my biggest stunner is David Fales, who I think is the 3rd best QB in the draft.  Put all those in the time capsule.

What prospects do you feel like you don't like as much as everyone else?

 There is quite a list here, but let me start with the track star linebackers.  I don't think Ryan Shazier and Telvin Smith are my cup of tea at all given their speed over power component.  I don't care for it much at all, to be honest.  I also think Bridgewater and Carr are highly over-touted, Bridgewater for several reasons, Carr because he throws an amazing number of his passes behind the line of scrimmage (think Nick Foles).  I think Kelvin Benjamin is absurdly over-rated and I don't get all of the love for Joel Bitonio.  Bradley Roby is not a tackler, Cyrus Kouandijo cannot set the edge on pass protection very well against speed.

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Well, that is plenty.  It starts tonight and we will re-huddle in the morning to discuss Rounds 2 and 3 as well as what the Cowboys did in Round 1.  Good luck.