ESPN Dallas-Ft Worth has chimed in with their grade for the Cowboys’ 2011 draft, and it looks familiar. Todd Archer and Calvin Watkins took part in evaluating Dallas.
Archer wished that they would have found more immediate contributors, but gave them a B-.
The Cowboys say they followed their board instead of reaching for needs, which is probably why they did not go after defensive ends and a safety. They needed to find immediate contributors but of their eight picks only two figure to do so in 2011: first-round tackle Tyron Smith and third-round running back DeMarco Murray.
Watkins acknowledged that they had to go after players that were high on their board and that that meant they couldn’t necessarily load up on defenders. He also gave them a B-.
We understand what the Cowboys were trying to do and in some ways they didn’t have any choice. They selected offensive players because the better defensive players were off the board. Dallas should have gotten more defensive players but that’s OK, because they finally drafted a tackle in the first round who can play right now in Tyron Smith.
See their entire comments here: