Cowboys' Draft Analysis and Other Nuggets From the Draft Weekend

The 2010 NFL Draft has come to a close, so I figured that I'd take a moment and let my thoughts be known about the Cowboys' draft and a few other things that I found intriguing.

Cowboys' Draft:

NOTE: of my 9 coveted prospects in my previous post, the Cowboys ended up with 2 of those guys. Dez and Akwasi. Pretty good turnout...for me, anyways.

Rd. 1, 24 overall- Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State- Great value for the spot. As the number one rated receiver in the draft, the Cowboys were lucky to get him here. Some love this pick, some think it's risky. I think more is being made of his "problems" than really should be. The kid's never been in trouble with the law. He got scared and lied. I'm not condoning that. Had he told the truth, he would've avoided alot of that, but he's never been arrested and the kid can flat out play. I'm pretty excited about this pick. Rick Gosselin of DMN thinks Dez will be next season's Offensive Rookie of the Year. Roy, you've just been put on serious notice.

Rd. 2, 55 overall- Sean Lee, ILB, Penn State- Solid linebacker out of Joe Paterno's linebacker factory. After talking to Jeff Phillips about this pick, I'm even more excited. As a Penn State guy, Jeff wanted Sean for the Iggles. Apparently, he's got a motor that won't quit and will step up and be a leader on defense. I think he'll have an immediate special teams impact and maybe get some time in a few packages, but he'll have a year or two under Brooking before he really has a huge impact. Something to consider: 9 out of the past 10 years, the Defensive Rookies of the Year have been linebackers. Julius Peppers was the only exception. Just something to think about.

Rd. 4, 126 overall- Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, CB/PR, Indiana University at Penn.- Probably the guy that I'm most excited about. I know he played in a small school and will have to transition to the competition level at the NFL, but he has serious potential. The Cowboys want to move him to safety. He definitely has the size, speed and smarts to make the transition. Him and Dez could also provided a much need boost to the return game. I'm pretty excited to see what this kid can do.

Rd. 6, 179 overall- Sam Young, OT, Notre Dame- Don't know a whole lot about Sam, but he played at Notre Dame and protected Jimmy Clausen. While ND wasn't great this year, their offense was and that always starts on the offensive line. From what I know, he's pretty athletic and quick, but is only a right tackle prospect. I'm not sure if he's a project or not, but he will provide some depth at right tackle now that Free is going to be at left.

Rd. 6, 196 overall- Jamar Wall, CB, Texas Tech- Wall has some issues with open field tackling and doesn't have great speed. He has great ball skills, though. He was named MVP of the Alamo Bowl due to his play and an interception that set up Tech's win. He'll be a project and we'll have to see what Campo can do with him.

Rd. 7, 234 overall- Sean Lissimore, DE, William and Mary- 7th round from William and Mary. Not saying this pick won't work, but that combination doesn't sound promising. While at William and Mary, he put up good numbers, got some great awards and was a team captain, so he definitely has potential.

Draft grades are pretty stupid right after the draft. Talk to me in 2-3 years and we can assess these guys. At this time though, I think it was pretty solid. The Cowboys decision makers (and by that I mean Jerry Jones) didn't feel we had any great pressing needs. Their strategy seemed to be best available. I like what we came out with.

Thoughts on the rest:

Jacksonville Jaguars- I hadn't even heard the name Tyson Alualu until his name was called in the 10th overall pick. I think he had gone up some draft boards, but was by no means thought to be even a first rounder, much less a high first rounder. Maybe they'll prove everyone wrong, but I agree with most experts. A head scratcher and a stretch.

Denver- Either love it or hate it. I don't like it. I feel that Tebow in the first was a reach. I don't mind the pick up, I just feel it was paying alot (they traded back into the first to get Tebow after picking up D. Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech) to pick up a quarterback who, many feel, won't succeed on this level. I don't mind that they got him, just that they paid so much for him. It's an awfully big risk. I like Tim Tebow and I like the Broncos, so, I hope this works out. He's a good kid, there's no doubt; I'm just not sure he's a good NFL quarterback. Prove me wrong, Tim.

Kansas City- Eric Berry: love the pick. Now, two of my prospects were taken by the Chiefs in round two. Dexter McCluster and Javier Arenas. I'm unsure why they took both of these guys. Both, I thought would be for the return game. So, they stole two of the better return men in the draft and are hoarding them for themselves. McCluster is a running back, but they're listing him as a WR (they already have Jamal Charles who had a breakout year last year). Arenas is a cornerback. He was a solid cornerback at 'Bama and he may be good, but I projected him more as a return man...and KC stole both of them.

Seattle- Probably the best overall draft. Arguably, the best tackle in the draft fell into their lap, then, 7 picks later, Earl Thomas (Taylor Mays is still crying about that). Golden Tate in the 2nd. What a solid draft. On top of that, they got LenDale White in a trade. He's a solid back when he's healthy and at the right weight. If Charlie Whitehurst is the quarterback that they paid for or if Matt Hasselback returns to form, then they could quickly move up in the NFC West since Kurt Warner is no longer on his throne in Arizona.

Colt McCoy and Jimmy Clausen- Through the first 47 picks, only two quarterbacks had been taken. Two of the better ones left on the board. Head scratcher. No doubt that Carolina was pumped when Clausen was literally gift wrapped and placed in their laps. McCoy falls to 85. Really? I hope he makes some teams sorely disappointed. I do find it interesting that McCoy and Shipley (best friends since they were kids) end up in the same state, just a couple of hours away from each other.

Houton- Cornerback Kareem Jackson in the first...Kyle Wilson was the higher rated corner. Traded out of their spot in the 2nd so someone else could pick up Toby Gerhart and they were left with Ben Tate later. Head scratcher on both accounts there. I do understand that Houston fans are excited about Trendon Holliday, though.

That's plenty of thoughts for now. I could keep going, but I'm tired and this isn't my job...I should get back to that, though. Let the criticism begin: