Grading Cowboys draft pick-by-pick; evaluating the new process under Brian Schottenheimer

Story by

Story by
Grading Cowboys draft pick-by-pick; evaluating the new process under Brian Schottenheimer

Reid D Hanson, Cowboys Wire · Cowboys Wire

Mon, Apr 28, 2025 ·

16 min read

About Our Ads

Welcome to the most controversial time of the NFL year. It's a time when the media members, analysts and various keyboard warriors go head-to-head against fanbases across the league. The 2025 NFL draft has concluded, the jury has deliberated and now the grades are coming in.

The Dallas Cowboys , a ratings juggernaut for most media outlets, are no strangers to bold criticism after a draft. They frequently endure bold takes this time of the year, seemingly given for no other reason than to spark a response. As can be expected, many of these hot takes should be consumed with a grain of salt.

Most draft grades takes are unfounded, whether criticism or praise. It's nothing more than gut feelings, preferences and predictions packaged as gospel. Their reckless application has caused some fans to check out entirely. Those fans refuse to accept criticism until two or three years down the road; an understandable response.

This particular analysis is of a different vein. It's not trying to say which player is good and which player is bad, nor looking to predict the future or playing favorites with prospects. This grade sheet is an evaluation of the Cowboys' process. It measures things that can actually be measured and takes an objective look at decision-making.

As with all previous post-draft grades , it will assess and grade the following factors:

Value of the pick relative to his place on the consensus board
Positional and surplus value
Need on the team
Scarcity of the position in the draft class
Risk
Reward

Positional value measures impact of the position. For example, quarterbacks have more positional value than fullbacks, just like left tackles have more positional value than right guards. Surplus value is the financial savings a starter on a rookie contract saves a team over his veteran alternative. High value positions typically have greater surplus value because teams pay those veterans more.

Needs speak to the specific situation on the Cowboys at the time of selection. Risk and reward are self-explanatory and based on verified reports and player profiles. And scarcity is in regard to the depth of the position still available in the draft.

The reason a consensus board is used rather than , is because more often than not the consensus board is more accurate and predictive. It rounds the edges on outliers and offers a reasonable position for each player.

But this year there will be one big change in grading.

Since head coach Brian Schottenheimer voiced his intentions of targeting high-character players to build his team, that will be an additional category. Gone are the days of taking big swings on prospects with big off-field concerns.

It's important to state once again – this IS NOT a prediction of who will be a good player and who will be a poor player - those are scouting reports. This is grading the decision-making process using data available to the team at the time of the pick. It begins with the Cowboys most controversial pick of the weekend…

Tyler Booker , OG, Alabama

Some decisions are hard to understand, let alone justify. When the Dallas Cowboys selected Tyler Booker with the No. 12 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, a wave of "you've gotta be kiddin' me" sentiments flooded Cowboys Nation. Not only was Booker considered a reach at that point in the draft (No. 28 on the consensus board) but the position he played was not regarded as a top need heading into the draft.

The Cowboys were hoping receiver Tetairoa McMillian would have fallen to them instead, allegedly, but when Carolina scooped him up four spots earlier Dallas pivoted to Plan B. A debate between Walter Nolen and Booker ensued with Schottenheimer pounding the table for the offensive lineman.

It was a curious decision given all the resources the Cowboys threw at the guard position over the offseason. They re-signed Brock Hoffman , a seven-game starter in 2024, and added Saahdiq Charles and Robert Jones. With T.J. Bass already in place on the roster, they had put together a pretty competitive unit already. But Booker was the pick and the competition has effectively been settled before anyone even touched a football field. Those are the expectations for a top 15 pick.

Position value was another instant criticism thrown at the Cowboys after this pick. Interior offensive line is not a high value position in the NFL so drafting a guard on Day 1 wasn't just a questionable use of resources but it set potentially unrealistic expectations for the prospect. Given his draft slot, anything short of All-Pro could be seen as a failure and based on scouting reports and testing scores, All-Pro would be a highly unlikely ceiling for Booker.

On one hand Booker is a safe pick with fairly low risk. Unlike tackle, receiver, cornerback and defensive line (the high value positions), guard is a relatively easy position to play, athletically speaking, for high-end prospects. On the other hand, there is added risk for Booker given his extremely poor athletic profile as a prospect. The list of NFL success stories fitting Booker's athletic profile is shorter than a cornstalk in the month of May. Booker's film is rock solid; therefore, many scouts love him, but the facts are the facts, and bad athleticism is a hurdle he has to overcome. Drafting an interior offensive lineman in the top 15 should deliver extremely low risk and extremely high reward. Booker doesn't offer either.

Booker is a high character player who should take on a leadership role in the locker room. By all accounts he's going to reach his max potential given his focus and work ethic. He fits more of a want than a need and will be somewhat limited by scheme given his athletic profile.

Consensus value: 60
Position and surplus value: 60
Need: 60
Risk (higher = low risk): 85
Reward: 75
Scarcity: 60
Character bonus: 95

Final grade: 71

To reiterate, the final grade is not a prediction whether a player is going to succeed or fail with the Cowboys. That's left to the scouting reports. This is objectively grading the decision-making process based on the information available at the time. As the scores indicate, Booker's grade is largely propped up by the character component.

Donovan Ezeiruaku , DE, Boston College

For every valley, there is a peak, and the Cowboys waited just one round to summit it, selecting pass rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku at No. 44. Ezeiruaku, No. 29 on the consensus board, represented extreme value for Dallas in the second round. One of the most physically gifted pass-rushers in the class, Ezeiruaku has double-digit sack potential in the NFL and will combine with Micah Parsons to form quite the dynamic duo going forward.

Edge was a legitimate need for the Cowboys. It wasn't as high as receiver, running back, defensive tackle, or cornerback but it was looming for the very near future. Ezeiruaku brings elite explosiveness, bend and production to. Like Booker, Ezeiruaku is a high-character player with a strong work ethic. He's durable and a two-year team captain making him one of the least risky edge prospects in class.

The Cowboys could have reached and forced a number of WRs, RBs or CBs here, but stayed true to their board and made a smart decision with the long-term in mind. This was arguably the smartest pick made by any team in this round.

Consensus value: 95
Position and surplus value: 95
Need: 85
Risk (higher = low risk): 90
Reward: 95
Scarcity: 80
Character bonus: 95

Final grade: 91

Shavon Revel , Jr. CB, East Carolina

Fresh off the second-round steal, the Cowboys kept their hot hand rolling when they scored Shavon Revel at No. 76. Revel, considered by some scouts as the most physically talented CB in the class, represented extreme value in the third round. Sitting at 42 on consensus boards, Revel would have even been a solid option a round earlier for that matter.

Revel hits the profile of a "Blue Star Special" in Dallas. Not for off-field behavior but in his medical history. Revel is still rehabbing from 2024 knee injury and may not be ready to contribute right away in Week 1. What his injury adds in risk, his athletic profile doubles in reward. The 6-foot-2, 202-pound ballhawk boasts a ridiculous 80-inch wingspan.

Revel is a true boundary CB who will need polishing before he can fully reach his potential. At 24-years-old he's older than most rookies but still comes with plenty of room to grow in his development. The Cowboys have a very obvious need at CB since Trevon Diggs could miss time recovering from offseason surgery and DaRon Bland is unsigned beyond 2025. Like Ezeiruaku, Revel may just be the best draft decision made by any team in his respective round.

Consensus value: 95
Position and surplus value: 90
Need: 90
Risk (higher = low risk): 90
Reward: 95
Scarcity: 85
Character bonus: 95

Final grade: 91

Jaydon Blue, RB, Texas

Some will ding the Cowboys for waiting until the 5thround to address the running back position but in matters of decision making, it was probably the wisest thing to do. Given the depth of the RB position in this class, waiting to see who slips through the cracks is a great way to find value from a notoriously over-drafted position. The Cowboys nailed it picking Blue at 149 when his consensus value was at 139.

Blue doesn't just fit the profile as a potential starter in a committee, but he brings explosiveness and pass catching to the table that's been missing from this offense for a couple years. Explosiveness, one of the most stable metrics in predicting college-to-NFL translatability, is the perfect addition to this Cowboys offense.

Blue has ball security problems that need to be addressed but he fills a major need and comes with extreme upside. Dane Brugler pointed out Blue's work ethic is under some question, so he doesn't get the same character bonus bump the previous picks do but he also doesn't come with red flags so overall it's more of a push.

At 5-foot-9, 195-pounds, there is risk with his size but his elusiveness and yards after contact indicate that might not be a problem with the Cowboys.

Consensus value: 80
Position and surplus value: 80
Need: 95
Risk (higher number = low risk): 75
Reward: 95
Scarcity: 85
Character bonus: -

Final grade: 85

Shemar James, LB, Florida

With DeMarvion Overshown and Marist Liufau locked in for the future, linebacker didn't headline the Cowboys needs this draft cycle. Dallas added new players to the mix over the offseason to fill in the cracks so pushing the position to Day 3 of the 2025 NFL draft made solid sense.

Shemar James, 6-foot-2, 222-pounds, was selected before the consensus board said he should have been (206), but in the 5thround that doesn't matter as much as previous rounds. At just 20-years-old, James has a lot of developing to do. He's far better running downhill than he is moving back in coverage, so a specialized role early is likely in the cards.

James doesn't win in value points, but he scores top grades in the character department. He fits the Schottenheimer profile and fills a modest need.

Consensus value: 65
Position and surplus value: 70
Need: 75
Risk (higher = low risk): 70
Reward: 75
Scarcity: 75
Character bonus: 90

Final grade: 74

Ajani Cornelius , OT, Oregon

The Cowboys win with value with their sixth-round pick, selecting Oregon offensive tackle Ajani Cornelius at No. 204 when his consensus value was sitting at 164. OT is a high value position in the NFL and the Cowboys look a little thin at OT heading into the new season.

Scouts feel Cornelius is a little awkward and lumbering but he seems to get the job done and plays with an edge to him. Cornelius is also extremely durable and worked his way from a no-star recruit into an NFL locker room through hard work.

Consensus value: 85
Position and surplus value: 85
Need: 80
Risk (higher = low risk): 70
Reward: 70
Scarcity: 75
Character bonus: -

Final grade: 78

Jay Toia, DT

UCLA

Jay Toia, 6-foot-3, 341-pounds, fills a vital need on the Cowboys roster. As the expected 1-tech, Toia will be tasked with taking on double teams, holding the line and generally clogging things up in the middle by squeezing out gaps. It's a position the Cowboys had yet to address and where he should be able to compete at from Day 1.

The number of draftable DTs was dwindling quickly so the Cowboys found value on a position that was fast becoming scarce. At No. 217 he was drafted slightly before his consensus value said he would (232) but beggars can't be choosers, and the Cowboys adapted to the situation.

Consensus value: 70
Position and surplus value: 85
Need: 90
Risk (higher = low risk): 75
Reward: 75
Scarcity: 85
Character bonus: -

Final grade: 80

Phil Mafah , RB

Clemson

At 6-foot-1, 234-pounds, Phil Mafah fills a need alongside the Cowboys' previous RB pick, Blue. Mafah is bigger, stronger, and safer with the ball. He's the perfect yin to Blue's yang and a good use of draft resources from the Cowboys since RB is arguably the deepest position in the draft.

Slotted on consensus boards at 258, Mafah isn't a dazzling NFL prospect, but he is relatively safe. With a 4.2 percent pressure rate allowed in pass protection, he's one of the better blocking RB prospects this year. He doesn't have the athletic profile that make him a lock to make the roster and the need at the position wasn't as significant since the Cowboys already drafted Blue. But Mafah fills a role and near the end of the draft, the stakes aren't all that high.

Consensus value: 70
Position and surplus value: 75
Need: 75
Risk (higher = low risk): 70
Reward: 80
Scarcity: 80
Character bonus: 85

Final grade: 76

Tommy Akingbesote, DT

Maryland

With the Cowboys' final pick, they double-dip at the DT position adding Tommy Akingbesote to the mix. With this player it comes down to "eye of the beholder" since he was graded as 350 on the consensus board. But like most of the previous Day 3 prospects, everyone's a longshot at this point so that's not a condemnable offense.

Most likely a developmental player for the practice squad, Akingbesote can play multiple roles along the defensive line and could add versatility someday.

Consensus value: 60
Position and surplus value: 70
Need: 70
Risk (higher = low risk): 65
Reward: 70
Scarcity: 65
Character bonus: -

Final grade: 67

Conclusion

The Dallas Cowboys' final 2025 draft grade is a product of wild extremes in the first three picks. Based on scouting reports and his film, Booker should develop into a fine player for the Cowboys, but it's hard to justify the pick from a decision-making perspective. As the most valuable pick of the Dallas draft class, that weighs down an otherwise excellent draft haul.

Since top-100 picks hold so much more value than Day 3 picks, the first two days carry extra weight when averaging grades. On average, picks made after the 4 th round haven't been great to the Cowboys so they should be seen for the long shots they really are.

Cowboys cumulative grade: 80.2

Follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!

This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Pick-by-pick grades, analysis of Cowboys' 2025 draft decisions

Mobilize your Website

View Site in Mobile | Classic

Share by: