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Nitebar DRAFTING FOR THECowboys
Draft Selections
Draft Picks Received
Players traded away
Draft Grade — Cowboys
Overall
D
ValueB-
NeedB+
TradesF
FutureA
The Cowboys bet the future on Penix Jr.. The board says D. The war room fell hard for McCallan Castles, and it showed at slot 233: 109 picks ahead of a board that had other ideas. It grades a D, and the process earned it.
Everything downstream of Michael Penix Jr. depends on Michael Penix Jr., and the building knows it. Overpaying at the table undid a lot of the good work elsewhere.
The Williams pick is the one they will point to when this weekend is judged.
In short, the board sent warnings, and they will be hoping it was wrong.
Pick Analysis
Pick11
Rnd1
Rome Odunze
A market-rate wide receiver, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Rome Odunze. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick23
Rnd1
Jackson Powers-Johnson
A reach for Jackson Powers-Johnson in Round 1, Pick 23; a little patience would have been rewarded. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick24
Rnd1
Michael Penix Jr.
In the 24th overall pick they get a franchise quarterback, outstanding value to boot. A real need, handled.
Pick56
Rnd2
Jonathon Brooks
They read the board right and Jonathon Brooks was the payoff at slot 56. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick87
Rnd3
Khyree Jackson
They paid a round early for Khyree Jackson in pick 87, more than the board wanted. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick108
Rnd4
Johnny Wilson
The board had cheaper options than Johnny Wilson at the 108th pick, and it noticed. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick132
Rnd4
Javon Foster
Javon Foster is a better player than No. 132 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick157
Rnd5
Fabien Lovett
Fabien Lovett in the 157th pick is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. The roster fit checks out.
Pick159
Rnd5
James Williams
Steal is underselling it; James Williams at Round 5, Pick 23 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick173
Rnd5
Braiden McGregor
Braiden McGregor at pick 173 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Pick174
Rnd5
Isaiah Davis
Isaiah Davis in the Round 5 slot should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick177
Rnd6
Ryan Watts
They reached into another round for Ryan Watts, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick216
Rnd6
J.J. Weaver
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for J.J. Weaver. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
Pick233
Rnd7
McCallan Castles
McCallan Castles at slot 233 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick244
Rnd7
Zion Logue
A wild overpay on Zion Logue in Round 7, Pick 24, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. It fills a real need, too.
















