NFC East Draft Grades: Giants bolster offense, Eagles polish ranks
By Ian Cummings
Dallas Cowboys
Round 1 – Boise State LB Leighton Vander Esch (B-)
Round 2 – Texas OG Connor Williams (A-)
Round 3 – Colorado State WR Michael Gallup (B+)
Round 4 – Kansas DE Dorance Armstrong (B+)
Round 4 – Stanford TE Dalton Schultz (C+)
Round 5 – Western Kentucky QB Mike White (B+)
Round 6 – Indiana LB Chris Covington (C-)
Round 6 – Boise State WR Cedrick Wilson (B)
Round 7 – Alabama RB Bo Scarborough (C)
The Dallas Cowboys had some very good picks out of their nine-selection slate in the 2018 NFL Draft. Connor Williams translates well to guard in the NFL, and that is exactly where the Dallas Cowboys will use the mauler from Texas.
Michael Gallup should be an immediate contributor in a weak receiving core, and Dorance Armstrong, a double-digit sack producer in 2016, should rekindle some of his former fire in a rotation with Taco Charlton and Demarcus Lawrence.
Mike White is an underrated pick in Round 5; the Western Kentucky product was one of the more pro-ready quarterbacks in the 2018 class. White has a chance to win the backup job from Cooper Rush right away, and if Dak Prescott continues to regress, the Cowboys now have a reliable fallback option at quarterback.
More from Riggo's Rag
- What will Emmanuel Forbes bring to the Washington Commanders?
- Highlighting the best Commanders 2023 NFL Draft betting props
- 3 late Commanders rumors drawing buzz ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft
- 4 bold predictions for the Commanders 2023 NFL Draft
- Commanders News: Chase Young trade, draft day, CB riser and Sam Howell
While the Cowboys hit on some picks, there were others that generated more confusion than excitement. Leighton Vander Esch is a decent pick at No. 19, but the selection left other greater needs unaddressed, when in all likelihood, Vander Esch wasn’t the best player on the board.
Vander Esch will be a solid contributor alongside Sean Lee, but that interior defensive line needs a lot of work, and they didn’t get it in the NFL Draft. In Round 6, they had a chance to pick Julian Taylor or Kahlil McKenzie, and instead, they went with Indiana linebacker Christian Covington, after they already addressed linebacker in Round 6. Defensive line is a major need for the Cowboys, and they did not do enough to make it better last weekend.
The other selections not yet mentioned don’t inspire confidence, either. The Cowboys selected Dalton Schultz to replace Jason Witten, who will make a retirement decision later this week. But Schultz doesn’t fit the need that the Cowboys have. He would be a good pick for the Washington Redskins, who need depth, and more blocking strength at the tight end position. Schultz may not be able to come in and replace Witten’s pass catching production.
In Round 7, the Cowboys decided on a running back, picking Bo Scarborough. As big and terrifying as Scarborough might be, he’s not what the Cowboys needed at running back. They lack a true third-down back to compliment Ezekiel Elliot and help provide a little more quickness to the rotation. Scarborough is not that back, and they may need to do a bit of searching if they want more speed in that area.
The Cowboys hit on some positions, and overall, this draft gave them a number of players who will contribute early. However, there were too many holes to give them solid grade. In a division that seems to keep getting better, the Dallas Cowboys may have fallen behind with this draft class. It’s worth noting that the team traded a sixth-round pick for Rams’ hybrid receiver Tavon Austin. That alone won’t turn the fortunes of an inconsistent draft performance.