Dallas Cowboys Rookie Report Card Grades After Week 7
In 2016, the Dallas Cowboys had one of the best rookie classes of all time.
Not only did the team find their franchise quarterback and running back in the same draft class, they also found multiple other starters, including Maliek Collins, Anthony Brown and eventually Jaylon Smith.
It will be a long time before anyone can repeat the success Dallas had in one single draft.
Expecting the Cowboys to hit again in a draft class like that in 2017 was always beyond unrealistic, especially considering where they were selecting at this season. No matter how well Dallas drafted this season, it was going to be seen as a significant step down.
But how has the Cowboys' rookie class of 2017 looked so far? Who has disappointed and who has surprised? Almost midway through the season, here is a look at how each draft pick has played so far and their grade compared to expectations.
Round 1: Taco Charlton
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Grade: D
First and foremost, Taco Charlton hasn't been as bad as everyone has portrayed him to be.
Yes, he's been a massive disappointment, but part of that is due to expectations being too high.
For the past several years, the Cowboys have hit home runs on nearly every first-round pick. Their last seven first-rounders have combined to make the Pro Bowl 14 times in total, per Pro Football Reference. To say they have been good at drafting in the first round is quite an understatement.
Unfortunately for Charlton, he hasn't had the instant success that Ezekiel Elliott or Zack Martin enjoyed. In fact, he's struggled mightily.
Through six games, the defensive end has failed to register a single sack and has created just seven pressures on 86 pass-rushing snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. Too often, he finds himself on the ground or so far out of the play that he fails to even make an impact.
However, the book isn't closed on the 22-year-old yet by any means. In fact, it's easy to see he is making small improvements each week, and his performance against the San Francisco 49ers was the best of the season.
Charlton has still a long ways to go to justify the Cowboys' selection of him in the first round, but he hasn't been as awful as many people have suggested.
According to Pro Football Focus, he has graded out as the 80th out of 106 qualifying edge-rushers this season. Is that good? Of course not. But as a rookie, it's fair to assume his grade and ranking should rise throughout the season and his career as he adapts to playing in the NFL.
He's also not the only rookie to struggle on the edge. The third overall pick Solomon Thomas has graded out as just the 81st-ranked edge defender, per Pro Football Focus.
Luckily for Dallas, DeMarcus Lawrence and David Irving have been playing so well as of late that the team doesn't "need" Charlton to play a big role right now. They can continue to rotate him in during games and work on developing him in practice. He's likely going to be a player who looks much different in the second half of the season and in his second year in the NFL.
Be patient and refrain from calling Charlton a "bust" for the time being as he has the potential to turn things around quickly.
Round 2: Chidobe Awuzie
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Grade: C-
Unlike Charlton, defensive back Chidobe Awuzie has played well to start his Dallas career.
Through six games, he has an overall grade of 75.3, according to Pro Football Focus, and that would be good enough to place him within the top 60 cornerbacks in the league. In nearly every phase of the game, he's been as good as advertised.
However, injuries have plagued the 22-year-old since training camp and kept him off the field for most of his rookie season. Because of a nagging hamstring injury, Awuzie has only played 33 total snaps this season, according to Pro Football Reference.
With the Cowboys having a ton of turnover in their secondary from last season, they desperately needed their rookie cornerbacks to stay on the field and produce. Unfortunately, Dallas just hasn't had that luxury so far this season.
The good news is Awuzie has shown he does have the ability to play both cornerback and safety in the NFL. When healthy, he has been a difference-maker, and the Cowboys have loved his versatility and willingness to move all over the field.
However, there is no way he can get a grade any higher than a "C-" after missing so many snaps in the first half of the season.
Hopefully, the Cowboys will allow Awuzie to get back to full strength before he takes the field again. Dallas is going to need him in the second half of the season if they want to go on any sort of potential playoff run.
Round 3: Jourdan Lewis
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Grade: A
Of all the Cowboys' draft picks, cornerback Jourdan Lewis has been the best player so far this season.
Despite missing all of training camp and the preseason with a hamstring injury, he has emerged as the best cornerback on the roster. According to Pro Football Focus, not only is he the best defensive back on the roster, he's also graded out as a top-45 cornerback this season.
At 5'10" and 188 pounds, Lewis' ability to play on the outside and in the slot, combined with his competitive attitude, allows him to thrive despite his lack of size.
What has been most surprising about Lewis' game in Dallas is his willingness to tackle. He's been a perfect fit in Rod Marinelli's zone-heavy defense that puts a lot of pressure on the cornerbacks to contain the edges.
If the 22-year-old can continue to improve on his impressive rookie season, there is no reason to think this defense won't improve drastically over the next several weeks.
With so many young players in the secondary, Lewis has shined the brightest of them all.
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Round 4: Ryan Switzer
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Grade: C-
In the fourth round, the Cowboys selected Ryan Switzer from North Carolina to be the replacement for Lucky Whitehead on both offense and special teams. But through six weeks, his impact has been minimal.
On Sunday, Switzer recorded his first catch of the season against the San Francisco 49ers when the game was already out of hand. On the ground, he's touched the ball three times for nine yards.
But his real value comes in the return game, although he's been average in that phase as well. He's averaged under seven yards per punt return this season and his one fumble against the Los Angeles Rams changed the momentum of the game and likely the outcome.
Like so many of the other Cowboys' rookies, the 22-year-old's missed time in camp and preseason set him back and lowered his expectations during his rookie campaign.
However, expect the Cowboys to get him more involved on offense in the second half of the season. Dallas clearly wants him to be involved in the offense, and his role should only grow as he becomes more comfortable in this scheme.
Round 6: Xavier Woods
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Grade: A
Finding sixth-round picks who can make a team's 53-man roster is difficult. Finding ones who can come in and play right away at a high level is rare. But that's exactly what defensive back Xavier Woods has done for Dallas.
When Dallas traded up for Woods, many were anticipating he would be the team's third or fourth safety on the depth chart. But the Cowboys had a plan for the talented defensive back from Louisiana Tech. Instead of just keeping him at one position, they've used his versatility all across the field, depending on the matchup.
According to Pro Football Focus, the 22-year-old has played 128 snaps this season and 62 have come as a slot cornerback, while 58 have come as a safety. Not only is he playing multiple different positions, he's also playing them extremely well.
Per Pro Football Focus, he's the team's second-highest graded defensive back (75.5), only behind rookie Jourdan Lewis (78.4).
He still isn't a full-time starter for Dallas, but his time is coming. Every week, it's becoming increasingly difficult to keep him off the field. In the sixth round, the Cowboys hit it out of the park with the selection of Woods.
7th Round: Noah Brown
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Grade: A
Any time a seventh-round pick can earn a job on the 53-man roster, it's a major win for the entire front office and scouting staff. But when that player continues to make an impact every week as a rookie, it will automatically earn an "A" grade. For the Cowboys, they might have stolen one in the seventh round with Noah Brown.
Brown doesn't have any eye-popping stats this season (just one catch for 13 yards), but he's been on the field frequently for the Cowboys and has contributed in some of the team's biggest plays. On Sunday, he made the key block on the outside to spring Ezekiel Elliott free down the sideline on his 72-yard touchdown.
Blocking is what has gotten the 6'2", 225-pound player on the field as a rookie. According to Pro Football Focus, he is the best blocker at the receiver position in the entire NFL this season. His size and tenacity as a blocker give him the ability to get onto the field, despite how raw he is as a receiver.
At just the age of 21, Brown's future is bright. It's clear the team values him, and it's safe to assume he should only grow as a route-runner the longer he is in the league.
If the Cowboys stay patient with him and he continues to develop, this could easily turn out to be the team's best value pick in the entire draft.
The Best of the Rest
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The Cowboys also had a few other late-round picks who did not make the team's 53-man roster.
Sixth-round pick Marquez White was one of those players, but he is stashed on the team's practice squad, waiting for an opportunity. He will likely stay there all season as the Cowboys would ideally like to groom him to become a potential contributor next season.
The Cowboys also selected two defensive tackles in the seventh round who failed to make the 53-man roster or the practice squad. Jordan Carrell and Joey Ivie have bounced around the rest of the league as they washed out in Dallas. Neither flashed much in training camp or preseason, leading to their departures.
Overall, this is a draft class that has a lot of potential, but injuries have significantly lowered the possible impact for the 2017 season.
Still, there are quite a few names from this class who are contributing to this roster and will need to continue to do so if the Cowboys want to make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
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