With the conclusion of the NFL draft here is the breakdown of the newest Cowboys selected in rounds 3-7.
Round 4: #133- Ryan Switzer, wide receiver, North Carolina
This pick surprised me a little as the Cowboys already have Cole Beasley and Lucky Whitehead at slot but is a solid pick none the less. Switzer has eight career return touchdowns and can step right into that role for the Cowboys pairing nicely with Whitehead in the return game. Switzer hauled in 96 catches for 1,112 yards and six touchdowns last season according to sports-reference.com. Switzer, who stands at 5’8 179lbs with 4.5 speed, is a Beasley clone who can come in and make an impact. Ryan Switzer highlights
Grade- A
Round 6: #191- Xavier Woods, strong safety, Louisiana Tech
This is a very, VERY solid player who the Cowboys liked so much they traded up to get. Woods brings the wood (no pun intended) at 5’11 197lbs and has a great chance to come in and compete for a starting job. Woods posted 84 total tackles, 6.5 for loss, three sacks, five interceptions, and six pass deflections last season according to sports-reference.com. He also has six career forced fumbles and 14 career interceptions showing that he can make big hits and plays on the ball. Was first-team All-Conference USA the past three seasons. With 4.54 speed I see him as a faster version of J.J. Wilcox. Great value here. Xavier Woods highlights
Grade- A+
Round 6: #216- Marquez White, cornerback, Florida State
White is a former two-sport athlete for the Seminoles as he played basketball in six games during the 2013-14 season. White went on to start the last 26 games of his career earning honorable mention All-ACC along the way. White posted 25 total tackles, two for loss, two interceptions, and four pass deflections last season according to sports-reference.com. At 6’0 194lbs with 4.59 speed, White has the tools to be a solid corner in the NFL. While he might need a few years to develop this is a solid pick. Marquez White highlights
Grade- B
Round 7: #228- Joey Ivie, defensive tackle, Florida
Standing at 6’3 305lbs Ivie is a big presence who can help the interior line rotation. He posted 26 total tackles, 3.5 for loss, and 2.5 sacks last season according to sports-reference.com. Ivie has to get bigger and stronger but plays hard and has the look of a practice squad player. Joey Ivie highlights
Grade- C
Round 7: #239- Noah Brown, wide receiver, Ohio State
This is another great value pick for the Cowboys as he had some mid-round grades heading into the draft. At 6’2 222lbs he fills the need of another big physical receiver to complement Dez Bryant. Brown had a monster game against Oklahoma hauling in four touchdowns on just five catches proving he’s a legit threat. Also played H-back and special teams showing his versatility. Brown registered 32 catches for 402 yards and seven touchdowns according to sports-reference.com en route to earning honorable mention All-Big Ten. With 4.57 speed Brown is not slow either and is a tremendous get here in the seventh round. Noah Brown highlights
Grade- A+
Round 7: #246- Jordan Carrell, defensive tackle, Colorado
The second Colorado player taken Carrell was the final pick for the Cowboys. He finished with 30 total tackles, six for loss, and five sacks last season according to ncaa-football.players.pointafter.com en route to an honorable mention All-Pac 12 selection. Carrell is also nimble for a man his size as he had 4.9 speed to go with a 6’2 300lbs frame. Had 12 quarterback hurries last season as well. Is a solid pick who could earn some rotational snaps in a few seasons after some fine tuning.
Grade- B
Overall this was a solid class that addressed a lot of needs. The only knock is that they could have added another offensive linemen for depth reasons but clearly, the focus was on defense, mainly the back end which was a sore spot last season. A lot of talent and immediate impact players who should see the field early and often.
Overall grade- A-
