Cowboys must beware media trap heading into 2023 NFL Draft
As much as the Dallas Cowboys have been criticized for their usual approach to free agency (which was vastly different this year), they should be recognized for their work in the NFL Draft. For the most part, they've done a great job selecting rookies. Such strength was highlighted last season when even Day 3 rookies […]
As much as the Dallas Cowboys have been criticized for their usual approach to free agency (which was vastly different this year), they should be recognized for their work in the NFL Draft.
For the most part, they've done a great job selecting rookies. Such strength was highlighted last season when even Day 3 rookies like Jake Ferguson, Damone Clark, and DaRon Bland were manning very significant roles on the team.
So when we say the Cowboys must watch out for one particular media trap heading into the 2023 NFL Draft, we've got to admit they'll likely be fine doing their thing. Yet many people expect them to draft a wide receiver with the 26th overall pick. That could be a mistake.
Although many insiders' mocks often have the Cowboys taking an offensive lineman or a tight end; Grinding the Mocks, a website that attempts to predict the NFL Draft using thousands of mocks and data science, has WR Zay Flowers (Boston College) projected to go 26th overall.
According to The Senior Bowl's executive director Jim Nagy, NFL teams are lower on this wide receiver class than the media is. According to Nagy, "numerous teams" have Ohio State's Jaxon Smith-Njigba as the only WR with a first-round grade.
That would suggest taking a wideout at 26th would probably be perceived as a reach by many around the league.
However, here's where things get tricky: Not because there are 32 picks in the first round (or 31 as is the case this year) it means that there are 32 first-round prospects. Many analysts estimate that there are fewer such prospects every year. Instead, teams who draft late in the first round are taking guys with second-round grades on them.
But if the Cowboys have a first-round graded player on the board, they should probably lean that way instead of reaching for a wide receiver. At least according to Nagy's insight, that is.
But one thing should be clear for fans: This year's wide receiver class isn't nearly as strong as some that we've seen in recent years. Ultimately, this could be good news for Dallas.
The team has hosted several big-name wideouts in "Top 30 visits" (which you can track here) ahead of the Draft. Seeing one of them drop to the second round could mean good news for the Cowboys if that's the path they want to take at 58th overall.
Fortunately, the Cowboys don't need a WR1 out of this year's class. If they decide to take a wideout on Day 1 or 2 of the Draft, he'd be joining a wide receiver room featuring CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, and Michael Gallup.
