Hindsight, of course, is 20/20, but in the case of a do-over 2011 draft, objects in the mirror may be closer than they appear.
That is to say, it's probably still too soon to judge last April's haul. The jury is still out.
Over on the NFL.com Santa Maria this week, though, they've held a draft do-over for each of the last five years. Even Bucky Brooks, who wrote the pieces, concedes that it takes at least three years to properly analyze a draft.
Still, the Cowboys deserve a gold star for the work they did last year. Two of their seven picks landed in the top 10 selections as re-imagined by Brooks in Friday's series finale.
Instead of Jake Locker, running back DeMarco Murray, the Cowboys' third-round choice, No. 71 overall, was given to the Titans with the eighth pick. Brooks retrospectively envisions a dynamic duo in the Tennessee backfield:
*"Imagine if the Titans had an explosive runner to lean on while Chris Johnson fought through his slump a season ago. Murray paced all rookies with 897 rushing yards and only averaged 12.6 attempts per game, which points to his impressive efficiency and effectiveness as a runner. Most importantly, Murray provided a home run element in the backfield that few in the league can rival. While it certainly would be a luxury to have a pair of dynamic runners in the backfield considering the devaluation of the position, the thought of Murray and CJ2K occupying interchangeable roles would keep defensive coordinators up at night."
*As for the Cowboys' own pick, No. 9 overall, Brooks has them sticking to the conviction they displayed a year ago, again picking tackle Tyron Smith:
*"The Cowboys discovered their left tackle of the future with the selection of Smith. He was outstanding starting on the right side in 2011, but his combination of size, strength and athleticism makes him an ideal fit at left tackle. Given Jason Garrett's desire to become rougher and tougher at the line of scrimmage, the selection of Smith has helped the Cowboys take a step in that direction."
*An optimist would take this as a sign that the Cowboys' draft-day decision makers are beginning to turn things around. The team did not land a top 10 pick in any of the four previous do-overs.
