Cowboys Draft Struggles Exposed

0:00It's March 25th, from breaking news to Sunday match-ups, this is NFL News Today, powered by AI. A new tool lets us judge NFL draft class as much faster than waiting three or four years. It uses approximate value, or AV, from pro football reference to set an expected AV, called EAV, for every draft slot based on data from rookie, through fourth season since 2013. Early picks expect higher value, with a clear drop-off later, and there's a big second-year jump across the board. For the Dallas Cowboys, drafts since Will McClay took over rank third overall in the lead, with a plus 201.5 EAV surplus. But it's mostly first-round hits like Micah Parsons, CD Lamb, and Zach Martin. Plus, Dak Prescott's huge fourth-round steal, driving 75. Percent of that success. Many of those top picks involved some luck, like player sliding or trades opening doors. Fans and analysts praise the Cowboys as draft wizards, but recent results tell a different story.

1:02The last three classes rank near the bottom 29th, 16th, and 27th, with negative surpluses exposing a top heavy roster. When Prescott got hurt in 2024, shaky lines and thin depth led to losing seasons and playoff flops, despite strong regular records. Breaking it down by round shows, strengths in first, third, and fourth first, even leads the NFL. But disasters in second, fifth, through seventh. Reaches for athletic traits often bust, while late rounds average low value over four years. Trading those late picks for vets like Brandon Cooks or Stefan Gilmore could fill gaps faster than hoping for diamonds. Without changes to drafting, free agency, and accountability, the Cowboys risk more hollow rosters and early exits against deeper teams.