Dallas Cowboys 2023 draft review: Opening statements left plenty to be desired

Reviewing a 2023 draft class in 2024 can go a couple ways.

The first is the exercise can be conducted and consumed somewhat half-heartedly since one season is too small a sample size for any draft to be seriously audited. The second is to treat the review as a time capsule, one that provides a future frame of reference for how the class came to mature.

Option 2 is the choice here.

This is a one-year progress report, not a final report card. This is a statement on where things stand, not where they will forever lie. Having established that future years — not the first — will define the 2023 class, what is the group’s impact so far?

In a word: woof.

The Dallas Cowboys’ 2023 draft has an opportunity to become a poster child for why no one should rush to judge a young NFL player, much less an entire draft class. That is because anyone tasked today with making an assessment based on early production levels could only characterize the group as a devastating disappointment.

Dallas selected eight players last April. All came to be weighed down by some combination of a lack of NFL readiness, poor injury luck, and/or positive injury fortune for the veterans ahead of them on the depth chart, which created fewer opportunities.

In the most critical game of the season, two of the eight draft picks played. Nose tackle Mazi Smith and tight end Luke Schoonmaker combined for 23 snaps on offense and defense in a Jan. 14 playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Players drafted

Hits

It speaks to how little the above class contributed that the selection most deserving of being called a “hit” has yet to play a down outside the preseason.

Overshown tore his left ACL in August during the second exhibition against the Seattle Seahawks. Before that, he built real buzz within the team for his athleticism and playmaking flashes in training camp. He stood to be very busy both on defense and special teams.

Excitement surrounds his future.

He is on track to be a full participant for camp and projects as the starting Will linebacker.

Misses

It just hasn’t gone smoothly for anyone.

The Cowboys weren’t happy with Smith’s weight loss during the season. A shoulder injury then required offseason surgery. Schoonmaker could do next to nothing last spring because of a college foot injury that lingered into training camp. He had mental lapses in the regular season and eventually needed offseason shoulder surgery, too.

Both are expected back in time for camp. But an operating table is a poor starting spot for a second-year jump.

Fehoko and Scott never played as rookies in the regular season. Scott was not ready, unable to help his case on special teams. Veteran health on the defensive line is largely responsible for Fehoko’s blocked path to the field.

Richards appeared on offense in five games. All 39 of those snaps came in fourth-quarter garbage time of games the Cowboys won by at least 20 points. He did a nice job, though, in field goal protection.

Vaughn’s preseason elusiveness did not translate to the regular season. He managed 23 carries for 40 yards, an average of 1.7 yards per attempt. His eyes were late in pass protection on a Week 4 fourth-down sack against the New England Patriots.

Brooks, a healthy scratch most of the season, had a solid introduction to the league. He caught all six passes thrown in his direction for 64 yards.

Bottom line

Two undrafted free-agent signings, guard T.J. Bass and fullback Hunter Luepke, arguably were brighter lights in the regular season than any Cowboys draft pick. Just like there is team excitement for Overshown, undrafted tight end John Stephens built a strong buzz before tearing his left ACL, too, in Seattle.

The jury is not still out on the Cowboys’ 2023 class.

It is too early for that. Deliberation hasn’t even started.

Jurors sit in their courtroom box, waiting to review a mountain of evidence yet to be presented following a rather uninspiring round of opening statements.

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