2009 NFL Draft: Cowboys Round-Up

The Cowboys had the most picks of any team on Day 2 (rounds 3-7) after staying quiet on Day 1. Will all 12 of these players make the roster? Who knows, but Jerry & company addressed most of their needs and added quality depth. Let’s take a look at the newest Dallas Cowboys, pick-by-pick:

Round 3 (#66) Jason Williams, LB, Western Illinois, 6-1, 240 lbs.

The “experts” called this pick a reach, but I had Williams rated as a solid 4th round  player so it wasn’t too big of a risk in the 3rd round. He has excellent size and speed combo with a reportedly sub 4.5 40-yard dash, but wasn’t invited to the combine. Williams is expected to add depth at linebacker in the middle and compete for a starting job down the road.

Round 3 (#75) Robert Brewster, OL, Ball State, 6-4, 325 lbs.

I thought this pick was a bit of a reach as I had Brewster rated as 5^th-6^th rounder and a few other quality lineman were still on the board at the time. Nonetheless, Brewster is a talented blocker who protected Nate Davis the past few years at right tackle, but is being viewed as a guard in the NFL. He was a four year starter and All-MAC player at Ball State.

Round 4 (#101) Stephen McGee, QB, Texas A&M, 6-3, 225 lbs.

Jerry took the first senior QB not named Patrick White right here as Stephen McGee gets his wish and becomes a Cowboy. McGee, who was born in Round Rock and grew up in Burnet, had an up-and-down career at Texas A&M, but many NFL scouts feel his skills weren’t maximized with the Aggies. He is a leader with nice mobility, but there are questions about his so-so arm and durability concerns. The Cowboys will be able to stick this guy behind Romo and Kitna and have him learn for the next few years.

Round 4 (#110) Victor Butler, DE/OLB, Oregon State, 6-2, 250 lbs. 

Butler is a hybrid pass rusher who played down-end at Oregon State and had 12 sacks as a senior, including four against Pittsburgh in the Bowl Game (a big reason Oregon State shutout Pitt 3-0). He has a terrific combination of size and strength and while he doesn’t show exceptional speed, he has nice quickness off the snap.

Round 4 (#120) Brandon Williams, DE/OLB, Texas Tech, 6-5, 250 lbs.

Another Texas-pick, Williams decided to forego his senior season and declare for the draft after a breakout junior campaign. Everyone knows about Orakpo out of Texas, but most people don’t realize that Williams actually led the Big 12 in sacks in 2008 with 13, which was also top five in the nation. Williams is another pass-rushing hybrid who will fit best as a linebacker in the Cowboys defensive scheme.

Round 5 (#143) DeAngelo Smith, CB/S, Cincinnati, 5-11, 195 lbs.

The first defensive back for the Cowboys, DeAngelo Smith grew up in Columbus, Ohio, but was spurned by the Buckeyes and wound up at Cincinnati where he racked up 12 career interceptions, including eight in a breakout junior season in 2007. Smith doesn’t have lightning speed (clocked at 4.57 in the 40 yard dash) and it shows as he struggles to turn and run with quick receivers. Smith’s NFL career might be best at safety.

Round 5 (#166) Michael Hamlin, S, Clemson, 6-2, 215 lbs.

Hamlin was a fourth rounder on my board so he is an excellent value pick in the fifth round. He had a team-best 97 tackles and six interceptions as a senior and fits as a strong safety at the NFL level. He doesn’t have elite speed and strength (4.62 40, 17 reps of 225 lbs.), but he shows a lot of ability as an instinctive player against both the pass and run.

Round 5 (#172) David Buehler, K, USC, 6-2, 227 lbs.

Eugene Monroe, Michael Oher, Herman Johnson, Larry English, Aaron Maybin, and Robert Ayers. What do those players all have in common? They all bench-pressed LESS than kicker David Buehler, the first kicker drafted this weekend, at the Combine who put up 225 lbs. 25 times. While I don’t think the Cowboys are ready to replace incumbent Nick Folk, I do think bringing in Buehler can only help the kicking game by putting some heat on Folk. Oh, and Buehler also ran a 4.62 40 yard dash.

Round 6 (#197) Stephen Hodge, LB/S, TCU, 6-0, 235 lbs.

Another Texas guy, Hodge was a college safety who has the frame to bulk up and also contribute at linebacker. He really caught my eye in the Bowl Game against Boise State when he collected three tackles for loss, a sack, and an interception. Hodge has a high motor and flies around the field and should be able to make his mark in Dallas on special teams.

Round 6 (#208) John Phillips, TE, Virginia, 6-5, 250 lbs.

Phillips is a clone of Steve Heiden (Cleveland Browns), a big pass-catcher who isn’t very fast, but is a load to bring down. He is one of the few tight ends in this draft who are better blockers than receivers and helps add depth for the Cowboys.

Round 7 (#227) Mike Mickens, CB, Cincinnati, 6-0, 185 lbs.

Dallas has now drafted both starting corners from Cincinnati with the pick here of Mike Mickens, who I actually graded higher than DeAngelo Smith. Mickens collected 14 career interceptions for the Bearcats, but fell in the draft due to a few durability concerns. He has above average speed and has the skill-set to develop into a solid nickel corner for Dallas, an excellent value in the seventh round.

Round 7 (#229) Manuel Johnson, WR, Oklahoma, 5-11, 190 lbs.

Johnson is a player was never looked at as a top prospect for the NFL, but flew under the radar most of his career at Oklahoma. An excellent deep-threat, Johnson is a tough-guy with a great work ethic who played through injuries as a senior and still racked up 42 catches and 714 receiving yards. Johnson is one of those guys who doesn’t do anything great, but does everything well.

Overall, you have to give the Cowboys a solid grade because they maximized their draft picks and selected quality players who were also guys Dallas wanted. If you don’t include Roy Williams as part of this draft class (because that is where the first rounder went and the jury is still out), I give Dallas a B+ grade with the draft picks they had to work with.