The biggest sporting event to happen since COVID-19 has shut down all sports contests for more than a month happened last week as the NFL still had its college draft.
By all accounts, Dallas Cowboy fans should be pretty pleased with the teams’ draft haul as many experts are grading it the best in the league.
With injuries galore expected every season in the game of football, there is no such thing as having too many quality players at a position.
That is what the Dallas Cowboys did with their first pick in the draft on Thursday. Picking almost directly in the middle of the first round with the 17th pick, the Cowboys had wide receiver CeeDee Lamb from Oklahoma fall to them.
Heading into the draft, this year’s wide receivers were considered one of the deepest in recent history, with 35 players drafted and six in the first round. Lamb was considered the best in that group with his explosive run after catch ability.
Two teams thought differently and drafted receivers from Alabama at 12 and 15, allowing Dallas the opportunity to select a player many draft experts thought was a top ten talent.
The Cowboys already have their starting wide receivers in $100 million man Amari Cooper and big play man Michael Gallup, but Lamb is versatile enough to play in the slot and provide another dangerous target for quarterback Dak Prescott.
In the second round, a similar thing happened. Cornerback Travon Diggs from Alabama was considered a late first or early second round pick when the Cowboys selected him with the 51st pick.
His physical tools and one year play as a starter showed he has a lot of potential, but still has a ways to go with sharpening his footwork.
With the team letting go of Pro Bowl cornerback Byron Jones in free agency, it was a position of need the team addressed again in the fourth round when it selected Reggie Robinson II out of Tulsa. Another big cornerback, there are questions about his athleticism, but he should at least provide some depth for a position of such great importance.
In the third round, the Cowboys again got good value drafting defensive tackle Neville Gallimore from Oklahoma who many experts thought was a second round talent. Dallas did sign veterans Dontari Poe and Gerald McCoy during the offseason to go with returning starter Antwaun Woods, but the explosive Gallimore was too good to pass up.
With Pro Bowl center Travis Frederick retiring in the offseason, the Cowboys traded back into the fourth round to select center Tyler Biadasz, who was considered one of the top three or four players at the position in the draft. It also seems fitting he played at Wisconsin, the same college Frederick played at.
While Dallas has other options at center, Biadasz could be the team’s next center for the next decade.
In the fifth round, the Cowboys seemed to pick another player that fell on many experts draft boards. Defensive end Bradlee Anae from Utah was incredibly productive in college posting 29.5 sacks during his career.
Unfortunately, a slow 40-yard dash time and unimpressive measurables led to him falling. Many experts graded him in the second and third round, so selecting him in the fifth was another steal.
Getting a pass rusher was considered one of the biggest team needs Dallas needed to address. After letting Robert Quinn leave in free agency, the Cowboys only had one proven pass rusher DeMarcus Lawrence on their roster.
Many expected the team to address it in the first round, but getting a steal in the fifth looks good for the team.
To round out the draft, Dallas took a chance drafting quarterback Ben DiNucci from James Madison in the seventh round. With Prescott hopefully signing his contract before the season starts, DiNucci is expected competing with Cooper Rush for the backup job to keep things fresh.

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.