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Boke DRAFTING FOR THECowboys
Draft Selections
Draft Picks Received
Draft Picks Traded
Players traded away
Draft Grade — Cowboys
Overall
D
ValueB
NeedB+
TradesF
FutureB-
The Cowboys won the night they stopped Leonard from sliding. Grade: D. Thirty-one other rooms let Riley Leonard slide, and the Cowboys were the ones holding the card at pick 171. Highway robbery.
Every board in the league had Payton lower, and that gap is the story. The dealing is the wound this class cannot quite close. The Cowboys indulged a want in Payton while a need in tight end stayed open.
They covered a lot of ground and still skipped tight end, which is a strange place to end up.
It is a steep hill from here, and the grade knows it.
Pick Analysis
Pick16
Rnd1
Luther Burden III
In No. 16 they get a matchup problem out wide. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Pick42
Rnd2
Josh Simmons
A slide stopped in the 42nd pick, with Josh Simmons worth more than the price. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick55
Rnd2
Josaiah Stewart
A clean, defensible pick in pick No. 55 with a little surplus value in Josaiah Stewart. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Pick66
Rnd3
Emery Jones Jr.
They paid sticker price for Emery Jones Jr. in the 66th overall pick, and that is fine. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick78
Rnd3
Danny Stutsman
They paid a round early for Danny Stutsman in the Round 3 slot, more than the board wanted. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick86
Rnd3
Ollie Gordon II
Nothing to complain about; Ollie Gordon II went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick102
Rnd4
Patrick Payton
A surprising call. With tight end still to address, they spent Round 4, Pick 1 on Patrick Payton, an edge rusher they were not short of.
Pick109
Rnd4
Ja'Quinden Jackson
A quiet steal in slot 109: Ja'Quinden Jackson for less than the market said. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick117
Rnd4
Mansoor Delane
By-the-book stuff, Mansoor Delane at the Round 4 slot squarely in line with his ranking. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick153
Rnd5
Miller Moss
A top-tier quarterback at a bargain, Miller Moss in pick No. 153, plain and simple. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick169
Rnd5
Tonka Hemingway
A conviction pick on Tonka Hemingway at slot 169 that the board grades a round light. It fills a real need, too.
Pick170
Rnd5
Nic Anderson
Nic Anderson in Round 5, Pick 32 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick171
Rnd5
Riley Leonard
Circle this one: Riley Leonard at No. 171 is a fall that decides a draft. The roster fit checks out.

















