Grading the Dallas Cowboys 2023 Draft

Dallas, Texas (PSF) - The 2023 NFL Draft is now over and this years draft was a crazy one, so I decided to grade my team, the Dallas Cowboys. In my opinion the Cowboys overall had a good draft, it wasn’t anything fancy but they drafted for positional needs compared to best player available.

Round 1 - Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan: B+

Personally, I really loved the Mazi Smith pick. A lot of fans had a split opinion on this pick because of the smokescreen that Jerry Jones threw out of Dallas potentially taking a tight end in the first round. When you watch Mazi’s tape he is exactly what Dallas has been missing and needed for the last decade. This is also the first time they have even valued drafting or even signing a run stuffing nose tackle. My favorite part about this pick is Mazi can eat up the line of scrimmage causing Micah Parsons to roam free all throughout the gaps on the line of scrimmage, and this will allow DeMarcus Lawrence to return to strictly an edge rusher. All Mazi has to be is just a run stuffer in his first year and Dan Quinn will develop him into a pass rusher as well.

Round 2 - Luke Schoonmaker, TE, Michigan: D

This was not a good pick at all from the front office. Schoonmaker wasn’t even looked at as a consensus round 1-4 talent, and now with the pressure he will have after getting drafted in the second round when there are two other tight ends that are not only better, but younger then Schoonmaker. I just don’t see this pick panning out at all, but hopefully he will prove people wrong.

Round 3 - DeMarvion Overshown, LB, Texas: A-

I absolutely loved this pick from Will McClay. Overshown came into the University of Texas as a safety and they converted him into a linebacker. For any people questioning this pick I will just say one thing, turn on the film. This guy is an absolute unit on the defense as he flies around everywhere and sticks his nose into everything. Not to mention, he has that safety speed with him playing the linebacker position. I just cannot wait to see the nascar packages Dan Quinn uses with him and Parsons.

Round 4 - Viliami Fehoko Jr, DE, San Jose State: C+

I felt like this pick was kind of a reach too, especially with it being the Cowboys first pick on day 3 of the draft. I just felt like there were a lot more better options and needs at this point in the draft and a defensive end was not one of them. I think this pick kind of had some family ties to it with Fehoko’s cousin, Simi Fehoko already on the Cowboys roster. Viliami likely will not see much playing time in his rookie year but hopefully he can progress and turn into maybe something of Dorance Armstrong’s role for us later down the road.

Round 5 - Asim Richards, OL, North Carolina: B

This was a pretty good value pick for Dallas. They did need some offensive line depth. The biggest question with Dallas’s O-Line is who will be playing left guard, with Connor McGovern now in Buffalo. They talked about keeping Tyron Smith at right tackle as Terrence Steele still recovers from a torn ACL late in last season. Tyler Smith would then have to stay at Left Tackle, which he thrived in, and this would make the starting left guard spot a training camp battle. I think Richards could win this spot even as a fifth round rookie, he played left tackle for most of his career at UNC, but with the coaching and veterans around him in Dallas, he could have a very successful career.

Round 6 - Eric Scott Jr, CB, Southern Missouri: C

This pick was seen as a reach too as Scott wasn’t even projected to get drafted. A lot of fans are scared of his 4.7 40 time but he apparently pulled his quad during the run which makes sense seeing as he has a 40 inch vertical. Scott claims to have a real 40 time of a 4.42, and with that 40 time his RAS (Relative Athletic Score), is a 9.99 which makes him a near perfect athlete.

Round 6 - Duece Vaughn, RB, Kansas State: B+

Not only was this a good pick but it was an emotional pick too as Vaughns father Chris, who is a scout for the Cowboys made the call to draft his own son. Duece actually slipped a ton in this draft which is mainly due to his height only being 5’5. Dallas got great value here and Duece will be a weapon out of the backfield next year. He compares himself to Darren Sproles, so you could imagine how electric that backfield will be with Tony Pollard and Duece Vaughn.

Round 7 - Jalen Brooks, WR, South Carolina: C

Jalen Brooks is a big bodied, physical receiver and as a 7th round pick, nobody expects anything of him, so his best shot is to stay a big body receiver because it is exactly what Dallas is missing. Brooks does have a chance to compete for the last receiver spot on the roster and I actually think he might win it. Simi Fehoko has proved absolutely nothing and doesn’t look like he’s getting better and with Jalen Tolbert and Kavontae Turpin likely being your WR4 and 5, this spot just seems like Brooks can win it.