Don't Dismiss Late Picks

Just because Dallas wasn't present in the first two rounds doesn't mean this class is for naught

There will likely be myriad questions, and lamentations, in the wake of the Dallas Cowboys’ 2009 draft. 

Dallas traded down in order to select a dozen players on the second day of the draft, setting up what has been called a death-match scenario among rookies heading into training camp; that is, these players will challenge each other, and veterans this summer in San Antonio for playing time.
 
Of course, there is a certain contingency of fans who will undoubtedly be in an uproar over the idea that, after sending their first round pick to Detroit, opted out of the second round as well. Traditional thought says that the lower the pick, the better the talent; but this is an inexact science, and traditional thought is veritably pointless with respect to the draft (Ryan Leaf?).
 
Delving into the merit of Dallas’ draft picks is another argument for another day. But from a strictly theoretical standpoint, this draft can be read as a positive for any fan who has ever complained about the laid back atmosphere of a Wade Phillips’ training camp.
 

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This is, at least, fairly legitimate, as far as complaints go. Anyone who saw even one episode of “Hard Knocks” last year got the feeling that we were miles away from the tiring gauntlet of drills and conditioning of the Jimmy Johnson era.
 
This league of draft picks will be forced to prove themselves in camp, setting a tone of hard work, accountability and competition in camp that could, potentially, carry through into the season itself.
 
And, aside from theory, the idea that no first or second round picks means no talent is patently wrong.
 
In 2007, when Dallas went 13-3 and sent a record 13 players to Hawaii, four were drafted after the second round.
 
Jason Witten and Terrell Owens are both third rounders. Marion Barber III was drafted in the fourth and Nick Folk in the sixth. Tony Romo, if you’ll remember, was not drafted at all.
 
The point is, the draft remains a crapshoot, regardless of prognosticators, theorems, charts, graphs, stop watches, 40 times, etc, etc; history has shown us repeatedly that talent exists throughout the draft and even beyond.
 
The thought process resulting in the loss of Dallas’ first and second round selections may in time prove to be specious; but then, so is dismissing the second day of the draft as ultimately inconsequential.
 
If you don’t believe me, ask the 199th overall pick of the 2000 Draft -- his name is Tom Brady.
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