Mailbag: Gotten away from 'best player available'?

(Editor's Note: Time to check the mail! The DallasCowboys.com staff writers answer your questions here in 'Mailbag' presented by Miller Lite.)

NFL.com released grades on last year's draft and Dallas was near the bottom at No. 26. They added that this was the second year in a row that the Cowboys had a poor draft. Do you think the team has gotten away from its "best player available" approach the past couple drafts with such glaring needs at defensive tackle and offensive line?– Rob Riggieri/Rutland, MA**

Mickey: Rob, the two positions you mentioned, tackle and offensive line, the Cowboys utilized a first pick on each, DT Mazi Smith with the 26th pick in the 2023 first round and OT Tyler Guyton with the 29th pick in the 2024 first round. And let's remember, a rookie season doesn't define a draft. When drafting that late in the first round, you basically are drafting guys with second round grades and let's not kid ourselves, at that point need certainly comes into play along with depth and what might still be available at certain positions on Day 2. While the Cowboys did experience growing pains with Guyton, he did start 10 of the 13 games he played, and remember, he only played tackle for just 14 games at Oklahoma. Let's see how this plays out. And trading down from 26 to 29 did gain them an extra third round pick in 2024, and did turn that into starting center Cooper Beebe.

With the other third round pick they drafted linebacker Marist Liufau, who ended up starting seven of 15 games, and don't be surprised if he's one of their starting linebackers this season. Also in the 2024 second they drafted DE Marshawn Kneeland, and if he hadn't suffered an injury the rookie would have started more than just the one game once the Cowboys lost Sam Williams for the season, Micah Parsons for four games and DeMarcus Lawrence being limited to playing just four games. And don't be surprised by upcoming the contributions of Luke Schoonmaker this year, the 2023 second rounder. Oh, wonder how they graded 2023 third rounder DeMarvion Overshown and if not for two torn ACLs in his two seasons, you were looking at a possible Por Bowl linebacker. And the first pick that year Mazi exhibited much improvement in his second season. When drafting lower than 20 in the first round, "best player" is in the eye of the beholder at that point. And have you forgotten three consecutive first round draft choices CeeDee Lamb, Micah Parson and Tyler Smith, those guys now having totaled 10 Pro Bowls.

Tommy: I think it may be easy to think that given how the players from the last two years have panned out so far, but when you consider how late the cowboys were picking in each of the first round selections in both 2023 and 2024, both Mazi Smith and Tyler Guyton very well may have been the best player available on the team's board at the time.

In my opinion, there's no two positions that you need to bolster more than offensive and defensive line, so I don't think spending the draft capital there is a bad thing. Sure, those two players need to develop and improve more, but I don't think they should be completely discarded just yet.