The 2013 Cowboys Draft Thread

[TheFinisher]

Yea I like Hodges, and am fairly confident he'll go higher than currently projected. When scouts go through a checklist of what they look for at LB Hodges is a guy that checks off across the board. As is he's a good prospect, but when you factor in he's still relatively new to the position there's good reason to like the upside. I could see him being a better pro than collegian, and that's not a knock on his career at Penn St.

[pocketaces]

1st round: Sheldon Richardson DT Missouri

Richardson was impossible not to notice when watching tape of the Tigers; he was all over the field. If plays went away from him, Richardson would give tremendous effort to run across the field and get in on tackles. Because he is extremely fast, he was able to have an impact with that effort. Richardson got in on tackles over 10 yards down the field on wide receivers after receptions.

Richardson could be a dangerous pass-rusher in the NFL as a three-technique defensive tackle in a 4-3 defense. He also could play end on run downs and move inside to tackle in passing situations for a 4-3 system. Richardson also would fit as a 3-4 defensive end given his length, speed and great motor. He is an impact player who is a three-down player and tone-setter for a defense. Richardson is a fiery player who has some potential to be a leader in the locker room.



Round 2 Larry Worford G Kentucky

Warford had an excellent week of practice at the Senior Bowl that illustrated he can handle power tackles and speedy gap-shooters. He was the only offensive linemen who could consistently handle Georgia defensive tackle John Jenkins. Warford blasted open running holes in practice and the offense had a lot of success running behind him in the team scrimmage.

Warford has a complete skill set. He is too strong and powerful to be bull rushed. Warford uses that power to be a force in the ground game. He constantly pushes his blocker aside to open running lanes. What is very impressive about Warford is how quick and athletic he is for such a big blocker. He handled speed-rushers like Richardson and Floyd extremely well. Warford shielded their speed rushes and uses his hand strength to sustain blocks.

Warford looks like a plug-and-play candidate for the NFL. At the very worst, he shouldn't need long before he is ready to start. Warford would be a perfect fit in a power man-blocking scheme. Warford could be good in a zone scheme as well, but might want to get into the 320s for that style of ground game. The impressive week in Mobile should solidify Warford's second-day status, and he could easily go in the top-60 selections.


Round 3 Tony Jefferson S Oklahoma

There is a lot to like about Jefferson, and he is a great fit for the current trends in the NFL. Jefferson has the ability to play free safety or strong safety with the schematic flexibility for a zone- or man-coverage-based defense. He excels in all phases of the game. Jefferson's standout trait is that he is extremely fast, possessing enough speed to blaze around the field like a cornerback.

Jefferson is a good wrap up tackler in the open field. He is constantly looking to lay a hard hit, but does a good job of maintaining ahold of ball-carriers. There are times when Jefferson throws his body around with reckless abandon. It is clear that he possesses excellent pursuit speed.

Not only does Jefferson use that to chase down backs and receivers, he is also a standout blitzer. Jefferson picks his lanes well and gets pressure on the quarterback even when he doesn't record a sack.

In pass-coverage, Jefferson covers a lot of ground. He is a natural free safety who patrols the deep part of the field well. Jefferson doesn't get caught out of position or take false steps. That makes him a real asset to his cornerbacks.

Jefferson picks up receivers running deep down the middle and has plenty of speed to get to the sideline. In the NFL, he should be very valuable to cover tight ends in man coverage. With Jefferson' speed and aggressiveness, it would be surprising if some teams look at him at corner. He could play safety and slot cornerback to cause more confusion for offenses.

Jefferson is very decisive. He uses his instincts to get in position and fires into ball-carriers. That makes Jefferson very dangerous when he moves up into the box. Jefferson routinely blasts into the backfield to disrupt runs or blow up quick passes like bubble screens.



Round 4 Oday Aboushi, G/OT, Virginia

Aboushi broke into the starting lineup as a sophomore in 2010. He started all 12 games for the Cavaliers at offensive tackle. Aboushi was at right tackle for the first five contests before he was moved to left tackle for the remaining seven games.

Aboushi stayed at left tackle in 2011 and started all 12 games there. He showed real improvement and was a Second-Team All-ACC selection. Aboushi held his own when taking on the best pass-rushers he faced.

Versus North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples, Aboushi allowed some pressures, but kept Coples from recording a sack.

here is a lot for NFL teams to like about Aboushi as a potential starting left tackle. First of all, he is extremely athletic. Aboushi has unique speed and athleticism that are in demand for the next level. Those makes him ideally suited to be developed into a good pass-protector against speed-rushers coming off the blind side. Aboushi has light and quick feet that allow him to mirror edge-rushers, too. He moves quickly to get back and be in position to pick up blitzers.

Aboushi has nice length that he uses to help keep rushers at bay. His arms look long and shouldn't hurt his draft status like it has other tackles. There are times when Aboushi gets sloppy and is too reliant on his long arms. He reaches rather than moving into position. Aboushi needs to accentuate his ability to use his hands and feet at the same time.



Thanks to Walters for the scouting reports. This is what I think we might do. Comments?

[Macarthur]

I love your first two picks but I'm Leary of Jefferson and aboushi will not be there in the 4th.

[pocketaces]

Originally Posted by Macarthur

I love your first two picks but I'm Leary of Jefferson and aboushi will not be there in the 4th.

What do you dislike about Jefferson? I love him but Im a homer too ;) Walters has Aboushi going 117th in the 4th round. Is that unrealistic?

[Macarthur]

Originally Posted by pocketaces

What do you dislike about Jefferson? I love him but Im a homer too ;) Walters has Aboushi going 117th in the 4th round. Is that unrealistic?

CBS thinks aboushi is a 2nd rounder. He supposedly has really good intangibles. I just think OT is so valuable that he won't last that long.

I can't really give you a great answer on Jefferson. He didn't look very good against A&M.

[thule]

Interesting thought on Cooper making the line calls and being able to play center potentially. Nice plan B on draft day.

Jonathan Cooper, OG (6-3, 310), North Carolina
Cooper is the starter at left guard for the Tar Heels….he is the opposite of Warmack of Alabama when it comes to athletic ability…very easy pull and adjust…plays on his feet…offense calls for plenty of boots and waggles and he is always the one pulling to the outside to get in position…can set and mirror the rusher easily…does a nice job of riding his man past the quarterback on the outside rush…hardly ever see him on the ground…very good knee bend and can anchor down when he has too….not able to always get the push that you would from Warmack but his sustain is outstanding…when he hooks up on the block, he is able to work his hands inside for control…plays a lot of his snaps from a two point stance….would not call him a dominating run blocker but more of a tie up and control with athletic ability….on film you can see him make the line calls and adjustments….feel like offensively you can do more things with his skill set than that of Warmack but he doesn’t play with that nastiness…think you could play this player at center and I don’t believe you could with Warmack.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/ar...dium=twi tter

[leroyisgod]

I'd be stoked with these first 4 picks. Aboushi might not be there in the 4th like others have stated, but if he were great.

[D-Unit]

If we came away from this draft with those top 3 picks how could anyone complain. haha. I agree with others that Oday won't be there. Little bit of doubt that Jefferson won't be there either, but there is a decent chance.

Broaddus seems to think Warford won't be there for us in round 2, but I think the chance could be there.

[princefielder28]

Originally Posted by D-Unit

If we came away from this draft with those top 3 picks how could anyone complain. haha. I agree with others that Oday won't be there. Little bit of doubt that Jefferson won't be there either, but there is a decent chance.

Broaddus seems to think Warford won't be there for us in round 2, but I think the chance could be there.

Warford is a nice prospect, but I don't think he'll be gone before the middle of round two. Warmack, Cooper, Frederick and Jones will all be guys that go ahead of him in the guard/center conversation. Then players like Kyle Long and Dallas Thomas will draw consideration as guards during that part of the draft as well.

[D-Unit]

Originally Posted by princefielder28

Warford is a nice prospect, but I don't think he'll be gone before the middle of round two. Warmack, Cooper, Frederick and Jones will all be guys that go ahead of him in the guard/center conversation. Then players like Kyle Long and Dallas Thomas will draw consideration as guards during that part of the draft as well.

Yeah, part of me thought Broaddus was overreacting. Personally, I didn't like Warford's weigh in. Very flabby. Not strong, more fat. Bust factor! If he doesn't turn that fat to muscle, he'll get walloped by NFL D-Lineman.

I love the sound of his last name for some really weird reason. Seeing WARford on the back of his jersey just makes me think he'll be a hoss. I know that's dumb. lol.

[dsc1600]

I like the idea of addressing DL,OL and Safety on the 1st 2 days. I honestly thing BPA on either OL/DL in rd 1, and then address the other in rd 2, with a safety in rd 3 or 4. No trading up, if anything trade down if you think one of your guys will slip.

We need to improve this team's depth and I'm not sold on our WR depth considering Miles goes down for an avg of 2-4 games a year.

[bigbluedefense]

I've been scouting Richardson bc he could be on the radar for the Giants as well. I'm not a fan at the moment. He was dominated by Alabama. Was washed out of every play. Doesn't have much strength. Didn't like his motor. I wasn't impressed.

Now granted that was 1 game but that was vs NFL caliber OLmen so that was concerning for me.

[pocketaces]

Originally Posted by bigbluedefense

I've been scouting Richardson bc he could be on the radar for the Giants as well. I'm not a fan at the moment. He was dominated by Alabama. Was washed out of every play. Doesn't have much strength. Didn't like his motor. I wasn't impressed.

Now granted that was 1 game but that was vs NFL caliber OLmen so that was concerning for me.

You and Thule must have watched 2 different games lol

"Richardson is the only guy who I feel is a must take if he's on the board at 18. Might even be worth a future pick to move up a few spots to secure him. He is just so explosive...watching other prospects you just feel like Richardson is a man amoungst boys. He's constantly slashing into the backfield. Need to be sold watch the Alabama tape. He gets hurt comes back gets burned in the 2nd quarter a couple of times...then really turns it on at the end of the game. Thought it showed a lot competitiveness and I see elite potential here."

[bigbluedefense]

Originally Posted by pocketaces

You and Thule must have watched 2 different games lol

"Richardson is the only guy who I feel is a must take if he's on the board at 18. Might even be worth a future pick to move up a few spots to secure him. He is just so explosive...watching other prospects you just feel like Richardson is a man amoungst boys. He's constantly slashing into the backfield. Need to be sold watch the Alabama tape. He gets hurt comes back gets burned in the 2nd quarter a couple of times...then really turns it on at the end of the game. Thought it showed a lot competitiveness and I see elite potential here."

Well I just went back and looked the game up on YouTube. Perhaps I was a bit harsh. His motor and strength are there. But as a 1st round pick I'm skeptical. He looks like a 2nd to me. He overshot his gap too often and washed himself out of plays and could get pushed backwards.

He did have some great plays too, but he didn't look dominant enough to be a first rounder to me. To be fair though, I hate taking DTs in the first round so I have bias.

[thule]

Originally Posted by bigbluedefense

I've been scouting Richardson bc he could be on the radar for the Giants as well. I'm not a fan at the moment. He was dominated by Alabama. Was washed out of every play. Doesn't have much strength. Didn't like his motor. I wasn't impressed.

Now granted that was 1 game but that was vs NFL caliber OLmen so that was concerning for me.

I thought Richardson showed burst and elite ability to turn his shoulders and slide through the gap all while maintaining his leverage. Sure he was washed out on some plays. But he wasn't playing in a 2 gap scheme and he was in the backfield all game. Even when he was double teamed and pushed out of the play...he still found his way to the ball and made an impact. What I liked most about the game is the adversity he displayed. He was injured in the first half. He wasn't playing his best ball...shooting gaps rather than maintaining his gap leverage...but look at the second half. He was as disruptive as any 3-tech in the class. And he did this against top competition. I like Floyd and Short but they don't have the raw abilities that Richardson does. Richardson is a freak.

Put on the A&M tape and watch Floyd. You see the versatility but you don't see the disruption. Thats probably why Floyds numbers aren't as high as they should be. Richardson is far from a finished product...but he is thick below the waste and lives in the backfield. That sounds like a Kiffin 3-tech to me. Stop the run on the way to the quarterback.

[bigbluedefense]

Originally Posted by thule

I thought Richardson showed burst and elite ability to turn his shoulders and slide through the gap all while maintaining his leverage. Sure he was washed out on some plays. But he wasn't playing in a 2 gap scheme and he was in the backfield all game. Even when he was double teamed and pushed out of the play...he still found his way to the ball and made an impact. What I liked most about the game is the adversity he displayed. He was injured in the first half. He wasn't playing his best ball...shooting gaps rather than maintaining his gap leverage...but look at the second half. He was as disruptive as any 3-tech in the class. And he did this against top competition. I like Floyd and Short but they don't have the raw abilities that Richardson does. Richardson is a freak.

Put on the A&M tape and watch Floyd. You see the versatility but you don't see the disruption. Thats probably why Floyds numbers aren't as high as they should be. Richardson is far from a finished product...but he is thick below the waste and lives in the backfield. That sounds like a Kiffin 3-tech to me. Stop the run on the way to the quarterback.

You're selling me on him. After watching the YouTube clip I feel that I might have been too harsh.

But he looks like a early 2nd rounder to me. But he's growing on me. I still have some work to do on him. I was unaware he got hurt during that game too. That does count a lot in my book how he kept going.

[arub4]

I just want to know why we should draft a DT in the first round when we have enough ample players at that position already. I know you shouldn't draft based on need but I really think it would be a waste. We have ratliff, lissamore, crawford, hatcher, spears.

I personally think we should draft best DE available or best OG available. I only say DE because there's a good chance spencer won't return.

[pocketaces]

Originally Posted by arub4

I just want to know why we should draft a DT in the first round when we have enough ample players at that position already. I know you shouldn't draft based on need but I really think it would be a waste. We have ratliff, lissamore, crawford, hatcher, spears.

I personally think we should draft best DE available or best OG available. I only say DE because there's a good chance spencer won't return.

Rat-Suspension/Injured. Lissemore 9 games 43 tackles. Crawford 20 tackles 0 sacks. Spears sucks might be cut. Dont think we should upgrade?

[arub4]

Originally Posted by pocketaces

Rat-Suspension/Injured. Lissemore 9 games 43 tackles. Crawford 20 tackles 0 sacks. Spears sucks might be cut. Dont think we should upgrade?

Both lissemore and ratliff were 7th round picks...i think they are both way better than that grade. Ratliff should benefit health-wise playing in the 4-3. Crawford was a rookie last year and should take the next step this year. I agree we need to draft a DT but not in the first round, we won't get as much out of them as we would a DE or guard. Maybe wait until the 4th or 5th round for a DT...

[D-Unit]

If I'm being honest with myself, I don't see Sheldon Richardson being available at 18, nor do I think trading up for him is wise. We need ALL of our picks this year.

Which ones do I think will be there?

Lotulelei - No
Hankins - No
Richardson - No
Floyd - Yes
Short - Yes
Sly Williams - Yes
Jesse Williams - Yes
John Jenkins - Yes

Out of the ones I said yes to, I don't like any enough to spend a 1st rounder on.

[princefielder28]

I think Richardson has a better chance of being available at 18 than Floyd...Floyd may very well be a Top 10 pick on draft day

[D-Unit]

Originally Posted by princefielder28

I think Richardson has a better chance of being available at 18 than Floyd...Floyd may very well be a Top 10 pick on draft day

That's interesting. Really appreciate you commenting here. I hope people know they are always welcomed to post here.

No doubt I've seen Floyd hustle at times and look down right nasty, but the inconsistency is alarming to me. Teams will look at his skills and measurements which I think will help him rise. But I still worry about how legit he'll be. I'm all for somebody selling me on him, but I haven't seen anyone convince me yet.

[princefielder28]

Originally Posted by D-Unit

That's interesting. Really appreciate you commenting here. I hope people know they are always welcomed to post here.

No doubt I've seen Floyd hustle at times and look down right nasty, but the inconsistency is alarming to me. Teams will look at his skills and measurements which I think will help him rise. But I still worry about how legit he'll be. I'm all for somebody selling me on him, but I haven't seen anyone convince me yet.

I'm not sold on Floyd personally, but I know his physical attributes, combined with being just 20, and the strides he took this season has NFL teams very much intrigued by his upside. We've seen Amobi Okoye go high thanks to those similar pluses and even last year Dontari Poe went high strictly on measurables.

[thule]

Richardson has a couple of character knocks on him. He was held out of a game at the end of the year by the coaching staff. He comes from a J Co college. He supposedly had trouble academically. But they never released why he was held out. He isn't a homerun by any means. I see a lot of Brockers in him..but Brockers was younger and had only one knock and it was experience. With this DT class I don't have any problem mocking any of the DT's for us. Noone knows where they will go. Hell Mingo is ranked anywhere from top 5 to top 50. It's a bit of a guessing game till the combine/pro days. So I have no problem mocking all different kinds of guys. Remember last year...noone thought we'd get Clairborne...but we got him. Don't you kick yourself for not calling it or atleast discussing it rather then a guy like Janoris Jenkins who imo we wouldn't touch. We won't draft players with drug issues period. They are removed from our board.

There is more then enough depth at DT to have Richardson fall. Even if it's not Richardson....can I mock Floyd? Can I mock Hankins? My point is noone has a clue what the exact order is at this point. Everyone is ranked in tiers and after the combine/pro days we will have the measurables to project who is out of range and in range. In Feb I'd say it's fair game to mock anyone. Hell I even contemplated to draft Bjoern Werner just because he isn't a top 10 lock to me.

[pocketaces]

Originally Posted by princefielder28

I think Richardson has a better chance of being available at 18 than Floyd...Floyd may very well be a Top 10 pick on draft day

I agree. If Floyd is there at 18 its a no brainer IMO