Love it or hate it, Cowboys had a solid draft in 2022.
And just like that, in the blink of an eye, the 2022 NFL Draft is over. All of the months of buildup and excitement surrounding the big event of the offseason has come to an end, leaving us either satisfied or disappointed, maybe even somewhere in between. So, what do we do now? We dissect and analyze the Dallas Cowboys 2022 draft class.
One of the best in the business, Dane Brugler of The Athletic, released his 2022 draft class rankings, also sharing his favorite pick and surprise pick for each team. Where did the Cowboys end up falling in his rankings? Well, not so surprisingly they ended up pretty much smack dab in the middle of the pack at No. 16.
16. Dallas Cowboys
Favorite pick: Jalen Tolbert, WR, South Alabama
Tolbert fell almost a full round later than where I had him ranked and goes to a Cowboys offense where he could make an immediate impact. Though he doesn’t have elite breakaway speed, he has terrific tracking and adjustment skills to be a playmaker, not too dissimilar from Michael Gallup, another third-rounder of the Cowboys a few years back.
Day 3 pick who could surprise: John Ridgeway, NT, Arkansas
After four years at the FCS level, Ridgeway transferred to the SEC for the 2021 season and played at a high level vs. the run. A former high school champion wrestler, he is burly, long and strong with the base power to stand up double teams and be a dependable early-down player — exactly what the Cowboys needed on their defensive line.
Dallas Cowboys 2022 draft class
1.24 – Tyler Smith, OT/G, Tulsa
2.56 – De Williams, Edge, Ole Miss
3.88 – Jalen Tolbert, WR, South Alabama
4.129 – Jake Ferguson, TE, Wisconsin
5.155 – Matt Waletzko, OT, North Dakota
5.167 – DaRon Bland, CB, Fresno State
5.176 – Damone Clark, LB, LSU
5.178 – John Ridgeway, DT, Arkansas
6.193 – Devin Harper, LB, Oklahoma State
It’s really not all that surprising to see the Cowboys 2022 draft class land in the middle of the pack of Dane Brugler’s rankings. Dallas’ nine selections seemed to be generated more towards filling needs to the roster instead of taking the best player available like they’ve done in the past. Because of that, there wasn’t very much “wow” factor this year.
Despite it looking as if the Cowboys didn’t really hit any home runs with their selections in the 2022 NFL Draft, they probably did add several key contributors who should play important roles early on. In the end, if they have more hits than misses then that generally means they made the right picks, which usually equates to a successful draft.