IRVING, Texas --Head coach Jason Garrett doesn't just want talent out of the NFL Draft. He wants leaders -- guys willing to put in the work, yet also skilled enough to benefit from their effort.
The Cowboys feel their seven selections have both traits.
Five of them -- first-round corner Morris Claiborne, fourth-round linebacker Kyle Wilber, fourth-round safety Matt Johnson, fifth-round receiver Danny Coale and seventh-round linebacker Caleb McSurdy -- were voted team captains in college. The other two rookies -- third-round defensive end Tyrone Crawford and sixth-round tight end James Hanna -- are viewed as mature and coachable.
"We believe they all have the physical ability to play. They are big enough, long enough, fast enough," Garrett said. "They have the traits that are required to play their position.
"If you look at the character of each of them, we believe they have the make up to be really good players. Why do we think that is so important? We feel like that allows them, as much as anything else, to achieve their potential. Our experience has been, when you have a lot of these kinds of guys on your football team, you practice better and you play better. It's infectious."
