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by Brandon George
Reviewing the Cowboys' 2008 draft:
The NFL draft is right around the corner in April and before we dive more into the Cowboys' needs and what direction they might go with their selections each round, we're going to take a step back and review.
So, how did the Cowboys get here? How has America's Team remained stuck in mediocrity the last decade? Some of the blame can be traced to how the team has drafted players, especially the last five years. We'll begin today by taking a look back at each of the Cowboys' last five draft classes, reviewing the overall impact of each class and if each pick that year was a bust (D or below, if you prefer grades), fair (B-C) or good (A).
On Tuesday, we looked back at the Cowboys' 2007 draft class. Today, we review the Cowboys' 2008 draft class.
In 2008, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was very active with draft-day trades. In total, he traded picks eight times during the draft and settled on drafting six players. Four are still on the roster.
Here's a look at each of the Cowboys' six players selected in the 2008 draft:
First round: RB Felix Jones from Arkansas
How he fared: Jones has never developed into a featured running back and though he's had his moments he's never been consistent enough. In four seasons with the Cowboys, he's averaged 581.5 yards rushing. That's not what you'd expect from a first-round running back. Jones was given the chance to be the Cowboys' featured running back to start last season for the first time in his career and failed to establish himself, allowing rookie DeMarco Murray to take his starting job while he was out with an injury. Jones has scored only one rushing touchdown in each of his last two seasons.
How he rates: Bust. Jones could rate a "fair" if only he would have been taken in a later round, but to draft him so high the Cowboys still need more impact from him.
First round: CB Mike Jenkins from South Florida
How he fared: Jenkins developed into one of the Cowboys' starting cornerbacks and is currently the team's best coverage cornerback. Jenkins' best season with the Cowboys came in 2009, when he intercepted five passes. In his three other seasons with the Cowboys, he's had only one interception each year. Last season, Jenkins played through some injuries and ended up missing four games. The Cowboys need Jenkins to take a step forward with his play in 2012.
How he rates: Fair. It's hard to give Jenkins a "good" rating yet because he's not been consistent enough and not produced enough impact plays.
Second round: TE Martellus Bennett from Texas A&M
How he fared: Bennett caught four touchdown passes during his rookie season but he hasn't had one since. He had only 17 catches last season. The Cowboys rave about Bennett's ability to block - and though that's important for a tight end - he has the skill set to be more than a good blocker. However, Bennett has never developed into a consistent receiving threat and has dropped too many passes when he's been given a chance. He's now an unrestricted free agent and probably won't return to the Cowboys.
How he rates: Bust. This one is easy considering how highly Bennett was drafted and the little impact he made.
Fourth round: RB Tashard Choice from Georgia Tech
How he fared: Choice started only four games for the Cowboys during his four seasons. After rushing for 472 yards his rookie season, Choice's numbers declined each year. The Cowboys cut an injured Choice in late October after the emergence of rookies DeMarco Murray and Phillip Tanner.
How he rates: Bust. Choice never was consistent enough and made little impact.
Fifth round: CB Orlando Scandrick from Boise State
How he fared: The Cowboys believe Scandrick has developed into one of the NFL's top slot cornerbacks. They're so convinced of Scandrick's future that they gave him a five-year, $27 million contract extension last August. The Cowboys didn't see enough from Scandrick at outside cornerback when he was given a chance to play there because of Cowboys' injuries to move him outside next season. The Cowboys would like to see more impact plays from Scandrick, who has only three interceptions in his career.
How he rates: Good. He's given the Cowboys great value for a fifth-round selection.
Sixth round: LB Erik Walden from Middle Tennessee State
How he fared: The Cowboys made Walden one of their final cuts at the end of training camp in 2008 and hoped to add him to the practice squad. However, Kansas City claimed him off of waivers. He eventually wound up in Miami and played 19 games for the Dolphins from 2008-10. The Packers signed him in late October of last season.
How he rates: Bust. He never played a down for the Cowboys.
Overall: Fair. With four players still on the roster (for now) and all four having contributed and with Jenkins and Scandrick developing into steady cornerbacks, the class has to rank higher than a "bust." It's not at the "good" level, however, because Jones has been a disappointment for a first-round running back and Bennett never capitalized on his athletic skill set.
by Brandon George
Reviewing the Cowboys' 2008 draft:
The NFL draft is right around the corner in April and before we dive more into the Cowboys' needs and what direction they might go with their selections each round, we're going to take a step back and review.
So, how did the Cowboys get here? How has America's Team remained stuck in mediocrity the last decade? Some of the blame can be traced to how the team has drafted players, especially the last five years. We'll begin today by taking a look back at each of the Cowboys' last five draft classes, reviewing the overall impact of each class and if each pick that year was a bust (D or below, if you prefer grades), fair (B-C) or good (A).
On Tuesday, we looked back at the Cowboys' 2007 draft class. Today, we review the Cowboys' 2008 draft class.
In 2008, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was very active with draft-day trades. In total, he traded picks eight times during the draft and settled on drafting six players. Four are still on the roster.
Here's a look at each of the Cowboys' six players selected in the 2008 draft:
First round: RB Felix Jones from Arkansas
How he fared: Jones has never developed into a featured running back and though he's had his moments he's never been consistent enough. In four seasons with the Cowboys, he's averaged 581.5 yards rushing. That's not what you'd expect from a first-round running back. Jones was given the chance to be the Cowboys' featured running back to start last season for the first time in his career and failed to establish himself, allowing rookie DeMarco Murray to take his starting job while he was out with an injury. Jones has scored only one rushing touchdown in each of his last two seasons.
How he rates: Bust. Jones could rate a "fair" if only he would have been taken in a later round, but to draft him so high the Cowboys still need more impact from him.
First round: CB Mike Jenkins from South Florida
How he fared: Jenkins developed into one of the Cowboys' starting cornerbacks and is currently the team's best coverage cornerback. Jenkins' best season with the Cowboys came in 2009, when he intercepted five passes. In his three other seasons with the Cowboys, he's had only one interception each year. Last season, Jenkins played through some injuries and ended up missing four games. The Cowboys need Jenkins to take a step forward with his play in 2012.
How he rates: Fair. It's hard to give Jenkins a "good" rating yet because he's not been consistent enough and not produced enough impact plays.
Second round: TE Martellus Bennett from Texas A&M
How he fared: Bennett caught four touchdown passes during his rookie season but he hasn't had one since. He had only 17 catches last season. The Cowboys rave about Bennett's ability to block - and though that's important for a tight end - he has the skill set to be more than a good blocker. However, Bennett has never developed into a consistent receiving threat and has dropped too many passes when he's been given a chance. He's now an unrestricted free agent and probably won't return to the Cowboys.
How he rates: Bust. This one is easy considering how highly Bennett was drafted and the little impact he made.
Fourth round: RB Tashard Choice from Georgia Tech
How he fared: Choice started only four games for the Cowboys during his four seasons. After rushing for 472 yards his rookie season, Choice's numbers declined each year. The Cowboys cut an injured Choice in late October after the emergence of rookies DeMarco Murray and Phillip Tanner.
How he rates: Bust. Choice never was consistent enough and made little impact.
Fifth round: CB Orlando Scandrick from Boise State
How he fared: The Cowboys believe Scandrick has developed into one of the NFL's top slot cornerbacks. They're so convinced of Scandrick's future that they gave him a five-year, $27 million contract extension last August. The Cowboys didn't see enough from Scandrick at outside cornerback when he was given a chance to play there because of Cowboys' injuries to move him outside next season. The Cowboys would like to see more impact plays from Scandrick, who has only three interceptions in his career.
How he rates: Good. He's given the Cowboys great value for a fifth-round selection.
Sixth round: LB Erik Walden from Middle Tennessee State
How he fared: The Cowboys made Walden one of their final cuts at the end of training camp in 2008 and hoped to add him to the practice squad. However, Kansas City claimed him off of waivers. He eventually wound up in Miami and played 19 games for the Dolphins from 2008-10. The Packers signed him in late October of last season.
How he rates: Bust. He never played a down for the Cowboys.
Overall: Fair. With four players still on the roster (for now) and all four having contributed and with Jenkins and Scandrick developing into steady cornerbacks, the class has to rank higher than a "bust." It's not at the "good" level, however, because Jones has been a disappointment for a first-round running back and Bennett never capitalized on his athletic skill set.