NFL Draft 'Quick-Snap Grades: Cowboys Too Many 'If's' & ''But's'?

Here's a chunk of valuable honesty. ... Because "if's'' and "but's'' are very much what this process is about.

FRISCO - The people who run NFL teams are not infallible. Still, I hesitate to "grade'' their word because it creates the false impression that I'm closer to "infallible'' than they are.

And I'm not; I'm just a broken-down ol' sportswriter.

In that vein ... 

Here's a take I have never heard before: NFL.com is saying that the evaluators shouldn't try to judge teams' picks in the long-term, but rather, that immediate snap judgments provide a clearer picture.

Hmm.

Writes Chad Reuter: "Grading teams' drafts immediately after the event is necessary in order to provide the proper evaluation of their actions in the moment. Waiting three years to evaluate draft classes, without accounting for how the decision was viewed at the time, usually leads to revisionist history.''

I've always leaned the other way - basically passing on pretending to be smart enough to give "my grades'' to the work of somebody like Dallas Cowboys personnel boss Will McClay, the central figure in drafts here inside The Star. (The results of that work are here.)

But Reuter's way is ... more interesting, for sure. And for this team, here they are ...

Dallas Cowboys B

Draft picks

Tulsa OT Tyler Smith (No. 24 overall)

Ole Miss DE Sam Williams (No. 56 overall)

South Alabama WR Jalen Tolbert (No. 88 overall)

Wisconsin TE Jake Ferguson (No. 129 overall)

North Dakota OT Matt Waletzko (No. 155 overall)

Fresno State CB DaRon Bland (No. 167 overall)

LSU LB Damone Clark (No. 176 overall)

Arkansas DT John Ridgeway (No. 178 overall)

Oklahoma State LB Devin Harper (No. 193 overall)

Day 1 grade: C

Day 2 grade: B+

Day 3 grade: B

Analysis: Smith could be a dominant run blocker if he’s able to improve in his patience and technique as he matures – or he could become a first-round offensive lineman who does not reach his potential. Williams is a pass-rush talent, but there are off-field issues in his history. The Cowboys got good value in Tolbert, who could become a downfield threat. ... Waletzko ... could be a valued backup or better if he gets stronger on the edge. Ferguson separates better than his timed speed indicates, and he has strong hands and solid blocking skills. I love that the Cowboys took Clark in the fifth round even though he’s unlikely to play in 2022. He could prove to be well worth the investment once healthy. 

In summary: Reuter thinks the Dallas draft is full of "if's'' and "buts'' ... which is almost a subtle admission that those of us who are grading the people who graded the players - and then drafted them - have a bit of uncertainty in our own opinions.

That's a chunk of valuable honesty. Because "if's'' and "but's'' are very much what this process is about.

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