from the Cowboys' standpoint. I was one that sat up here two days before the draft and said there was no way the Cowboys would draft 11 players this year. I was right about that, except that they actually added one and finished it up with 12.
Shocking to me. Jerry's history has always been to trade things around and try to stockpile a few picks for next year.
If anything, they would package some picks to move up, which they did a couple of times. But I never dreamed the Cowboys would end up with any more draft picks than about seven or eight. My thinking was the Cowboys can't get that many rookies to make this team. Last year, only five rookies made the squad. It will be tough for many more than that to do it this year.
So with that logic, you have to applaud what the Cowboys did. I'm sure all 12 draft picks won't make the team, but if a lot of them can play special teams, there's a chance for about seven or eight, maybe close to 10.
Now, this isn't exactly a full-fledged support column on the Cowboys' draft. I don't believe in draft grades so therefore I won't give one. But if I was forced to do one, it certainly wouldn't be an A. It can't be, not right now at least.
The Cowboys went out there and took guys that they liked. They trusted their own board, not to mention their own scouts and coaches. So because of that, they took guys like Jason Williams and Robert Brewster in the third round, while the draft-gurus like Kiper and McShay had them in the fifth and sixth.
Obviously, the experts won't be giving out top grades for guys they barely know.
Not saying the Cowboys should have high marks for this draft. Not saying they are right and everyone else is wrong. But I will say the Cowboys got the guys they like and the guys they believe in. We'll see just how it all plays out here in the next couple of seasons.
But just for the record, the Cowboys didn't draft special teams players. They drafted players who can also play special teams.
