The Dallas Cowboys got a fine young football player when they traded up to land LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne with the sixth overall pick last year, but according to ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr., Claiborne stands out as the only real bright spot in the team’s 2012 Draft Class. What’s more, he’s not sure the Cowboys did themselves any favors by parting with a second round pick in order to make the deal.
After a year to review the Cowboys’ draft, Kiper bumped Dallas down from a C-plus--the grade he gave immediately after the draft--to a C.
“Despite getting a very good player in Morris Claiborne, this draft looks worse after a full season,” Kiper said, per the Dallas Morning News. “You can’t just say the trade up to get Claiborne at No. 6 was a brilliant move, because that’s analyzing the pick in a vacuum. In terms of overall value, the Cowboys got Claiborne at the cost of a valuable second-round pick. So while the fact that Claiborne is a good one is a credit to Dallas, he also came at the cost of a pick that would likely turn into a starter. (Dallas has landed Bruce Carter, Sean Lee and Anthony Fasano in Round 2 in recent years.) And beyond Claiborne, there isn’t much here.
“Tyrone Crawford looks like a depth addition, and Kyle Wilber isn’t a future starter. The one guy you might point to is James Hanna, who caught 8 passes and showed some upside down the stretch. But overall, the draft is about Claiborne, a very good player, but one who came at a cost. I just can’t say there’s anything here of significance beyond that selection.”
It’s worth noting that the Cowboys “C” was the worst draft grade given to any team in the NFC East.
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