The NFL draft kicked off Thursday night with the first three rounds in the books. In this two-part draft review, we are going to break down the newest Cowboys through three rounds and give our grade on them based on production, needs, and immediate impact.
First round pick: # 28- Viduantae “Taco” Charlton, Defensive End, Michigan
Charlton is a huge get for the Cowboys as they add a potential starter and depth to the defensive line. He had a great senior season in which he compiled 40 total tackles, 13.5 for loss, and ten sacks according to sports-reference.com along with earning first-team All-Big Ten. He is a big man at 6’6 277lbs who has 4.92 speed. The only knock is that he only started for one year which has to make you wonder what the reason behind that was. This is still a very solid pick for the Cowboys and his tape against Ohio State shows what Charlton brings to the table.
Grade- A+
Second round pick: #60- Chidobe Awuzie, Cornerback, Colorado
Awuzie is a versatile defensive back who has the ability to play corner, nickel, and safety. Awuzie finished his senior season with 65 total tackles, six for loss, one interception, and 11 pass deflections according to sports-reference.com. He also earned second-team All-Pac 12 last season as well. He is also a great blitzer from the nickel position. He has a good combination of size and speed as he stands at 6’0 204lbs with 4.43 speed. He fills a need at defensive back with multiple departures. Should see a lot of playing time early.
Grade- A+
Round three pick: #92- Jourdan Lewis, Cornerback, Michigan
Lewis joins his college teammate Charlton in Dallas. Like Awuzie, Lewis has a chance to see the field early and often this season. He posted 27 total tackles, 3.5 for loss, two interceptions, and nine pass deflections last season according to sports-reference.com. Lewis, who stands at 5’10 188lbs and has 4.54 speed, earned first-team All-American notice from multiple outlets. He was also a Jim Thorpe Award finalist and the Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year. Only major knock is his misdemeanor domestic violence charge in March. While not the Michigan defensive back Cowboys fans were hoping for Lewis is a great constellation prize.
Grade- A
