Cowboys stick to their board on Day Two with Luke Schoonmaker and DeMarvion Overshown

If you were to walk around The Star in Dallas, they would tell you that they’ve had a “sexy” draft. In fact, that’s exactly what head coach Mike McCarthy said. If you didn’t think McCarthy knew how Cowboys fans felt after the first three rounds, you would be mistaken.

“You don’t think our draft is very sexy but I think it’s sexy as hell. And we’re gonna get better again tomorrow,” McCarthy said describing the draft.

In the fans’ eyes, this draft is far from sexy. Selecting Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith in the first round was not the name that would have made fans jump out of their seats, but in the front office’s eyes, it was the clear move to make. It was reported after the draft that Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs wanted to move up in the first round to draft Smith, which made Dallas fans feel a bit better about passing on the likes of Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer, Penn Stats’s Joey Porter, and Georgia’s Nolan Smith.

After we all cooled off from Thursday night, we saw the workout videos and highlight tapes of Mazi and were blown away. The dude is freakishly athletic and unbelievably strong. On top of that, he fills a desperate need that the Cowboys haven’t properly addressed in years.

Round two gave us a different feeling. This was the pick they made where it felt that they let the draft dictate who they took. Tight end became a hot commodity in the second round. Mayer along with Iowa’s Sam LaPorta and Oregon State’s Luke Musgrave all came off the board before the Cowboys’ selection, which left them with limited options. Georgia’s Darnell Washington was an option there, but a newly discovered knee issue caused him to fall quite a bit until Pittsburgh took him in the third round.

Dallas ended up selecting Michigan’s Luke Schoonmaker, who many projected to be taken on day three. Here we go again. Another not sexy pick. However, here’s what you have to remember. The draft is about traits, not name recognition. Schoonmaker is a big tight end who does a little bit of everything. He immediately becomes the most well-rounded tight end on Dallas’ roster. He has great hands, good speed, and he’s a motivated in-line blocker.

Like any other draft prospect, Schoonmaker is far from a finished product. He’ll be 25 when he plays his first NFL game and he’s had some injuries in the past, but he projects to be a fan favorite in no time. He plays with heart and will serve as a more athletic security blanket for Dak Prescott, which is what we wanted anyway.

In the third round, we saw Dallas take a familiar face in Texas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, whose biggest strength is his sideline-to-sideline athleticism. He’s a contributor immediately without question. Overshown was one of the best linebackers in the country this past season and he’s right in our backyard. This made the pick sexier, but Overshown may have been a bit of a reach in the third round.

Overshown is one of the best coverage linebackers in the draft and he’s a violent tackler. He just flies to the football. He’s an exciting player to watch on tape and fans will come to find that when the sesason kicks off. Slotting him in the middle with Leighton Vander Esch should provide an exciting combination anchoring the defense.

Again, if you look at draft boards across the league and Mel Kiper’s draft board, they are two drastically different concoctions. Outside of the first round, the rest of the draft is a wild card. Dallas always sticks to their board and they’re usually right. Vice President of player personnel Will McClay is known to be one of the best eyes for talent in the league, but every year we question his judgment. Like everyone, he misses sometimes, but his track record speaks for itself.

On day three, look for the Cowboys to add more to the secondary. Dan Quinn will not leave this draft without a corner that he loves. They could also use some safety depth behind Donovan Wilson, Jayron Kearse, and Malik Hooker.

On top of that, expect them to add another wide receiver and to dip into the interior offensive line pool. With the departure of Connor McGovern, Dallas doesn’t have an immediate answer for left guard, so they could add a name to the mix in the later rounds. Dallas will likely look to grab another receiver to add to the room giving Dak more weapons to work with even after the acquisition of Brandin Cooks.

The Cowboys’ draft has not been sexy, but it’s filling needs and fortifying areas of weakness. Regardless of the name that’s called, Cowboys fans have to appreciate that.