I was not the GM for the Cowboys in the first and second pick, but was present and soon afterwards became GM. I feel fairly good about most of the picks. A special thanks to all that were in the war room to help out!
Pick 1.4: Jalen Ramsey- DB I was so happy we were able to pick Ramsey. He most likely will move around whether matched up against various WR or playing FS, or maybe will be played solely as a CB and Byron Jones will be kept at FS like they want to. I believe he is the best player available outside of Tunsil who the cowboys would not be expected to select. Ramsey is a very talented player however you look at it.
Pick 2.34: Vernon Butler- DT I actually wanted Kevin Dodd, but the majority of the war room wanted Butler and I can’t be mad with him there. Butler is a disruptive and very versatile player across the defensive line. Showing quickness off the snap he can become a contributor in a defensive rotation for the cowboys.
Pick 3.67: Derrick Henry- RB This pick was somewhat laughed at in the thread, but to me Henry is a probable second round pick. The cowboys have brought in Alfred Morris which I loved, and still have McFadden, and Lance Dunbar who is largely used as a receiver. The problem is Dunbar will start out on PUP and once again more receiver than RB. I don’t LOVE Henry, but I think he can start if they want or later if they trust McFadden to pass block better or Morris with his experience. In short yardage at the very least though he would be exceptional and beyond that shows talent. How good? Hard to say, but as a third round pick I think he makes sense here. We didn’t feel great about any pass rusher available at that time so we went here.
Pick 4.101: Ronald Blair- DE I love Blair as a pass rusher who shows some versatility to move to 3-tech. He somewhat reminds me of Jeremy Mincey in this regards. While he went to Appalachian State, he showed great tape against Clemson. To me he is a perfect fit for this scheme with a team that likes versatility with its players.
Pick 4.135: Matt Judon- DE We doubled down on DE in an effort to create as much depth as we could at a position of need, but we did like the pick. He shows impressive athleticism albeit against less talented players in division II. However, he has been extremely productive, but does need some tweaks to his mechanics and overall technique. With some development he can be a good player, but had absolute success in college (21 sacks his senior year), so there is hope that it translates.