aeb89'S MOCK DRAFT
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  • aeb89 DRAFTING FOR THE
    Cowboys
Draft Selections
Kenneth Grant Head Shot
PICK: 14 RND: 1 (DAL)
Kenneth Grant
DT Michigan
Kaleb Johnson Head Shot
PICK: 44 RND: 2 (DAL)
Kaleb Johnson
RB Iowa
Deone Walker Head Shot
PICK: 76 RND: 3 (DAL)
Deone Walker
DT Kentucky
Hollin Pierce Head Shot
PICK: 116 RND: 4 (DAL)
Hollin Pierce
OT Rutgers
Tommi Hill Head Shot
PICK: 150 RND: 5 (DAL)
Tommi Hill
CB Nebraska
Dont'e Thornton Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 170 RND: 5 (DAL)
Dont'e Thornton Jr.
WR Tennessee
Jeffrey Bassa Head Shot
PICK: 172 RND: 5 (DAL)
Jeffrey Bassa
LB Oregon
Jay Higgins Head Shot
PICK: 174 RND: 5 (DAL)
Jay Higgins
LB Iowa
Jackson Slater Head Shot
PICK: 190 RND: 6 (DAL)
Jackson Slater
OG Sacramento State
Damien Martinez Head Shot
PICK: 211 RND: 6 (DAL)
Damien Martinez
RB Miami
Donovan Smith Head Shot
PICK: 249 RND: 7 (DAL)
Donovan Smith
QB Houston
Draft Picks Received
Kenneth Grant Head Shot
PICK: 14 RND: 1 (IND)
Kenneth Grant
DT Michigan
Hollin Pierce Head Shot
PICK: 116 RND: 4 (IND)
Hollin Pierce
OT Rutgers
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 2 (IND)
NEXT YEAR (2026)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 5 (IND)
NEXT YEAR (2026)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Jahdae Barron Head Shot
PICK: 12 RND: 1 (IND)
Jahdae Barron
CB Texas
Players Gained
Head Shot
Adonai Mitchell
WR
Draft Grade — Cowboys
Overall B+
ValueB NeedB TradesA+ FutureB
The Cowboys let Martinez fall into their laps, and walked away with a B+.

You could see the war room lean forward. Damien Martinez at No. 211 is the sort of fall that does not happen, except it just did.

They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast. If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through tight end.

They are betting Thornton Jr. proves the room right and everyone else wrong.

In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the tight end spot they never got to.

Pick Analysis
Pick14 Rnd1 Kenneth Grant
In the 14th pick they get a disruptive interior force at fair value. A clean fit for the roster.
Pick44 Rnd2 Kaleb Johnson
A clean, defensible pick in pick No. 44 with a little surplus value in Kaleb Johnson. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick76 Rnd3 Deone Walker
Deone Walker at Round 3, Pick 12 is money in the bank, a interior defensive lineman taken below his worth. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick116 Rnd4 Hollin Pierce
A straight-up fair deal on Hollin Pierce at slot 116, value and slot in agreement. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick150 Rnd5 Tommi Hill
Tommi Hill in pick 150 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick170 Rnd5 Dont'e Thornton Jr.
They jumped the gun on Dont'e Thornton Jr., taking him earlier than his grade liked. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick172 Rnd5 Jeffrey Bassa
A linebacker of that caliber at the 172nd overall pick is the definition of value, full stop. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick174 Rnd5 Jay Higgins
Somehow Jay Higgins was still sitting there in the Round 5 slot, and they pounced on premier linebacker value. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick190 Rnd6 Jackson Slater
Circle this one: Jackson Slater at Round 6, Pick 12 is a fall that decides a draft. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick211 Rnd6 Damien Martinez
Damien Martinez at the Round 6 slot is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick249 Rnd7 Donovan Smith
They took Donovan Smith at par in the 249th overall pick, which is nothing to complain about. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.