The Cowboys drafted well in the first three rounds, and I expect all three of the players chosen to make the team and contribute (at least as a backup) in the coming season. But the players chosen in rounds four through seven are never "sure-things". The Cowboys have struck gold in the past in the lower rounds (Everson Walls was a 14th round pick), and they've made some draft mistakes. How will they do with those picks this year?If nothing else, they did try to address some needs for the team -- drafting a linebacker in the fourth round, a defensive end in the fifth round, and a linebacker, an offensive tackle, and a tight end in the seventh round. The tight end choice was somewhat a surprise for me, since they are pretty well set at that position. I expect he will mainly be used as a blocker. Here are those picks:
4 (127th overall) -- Damien Wilson of University of Minnesota, inside linebacker (6'2", 240 lbs)
5 (163rd overall) -- Ryan Russell of Purdue University, defensive end (6'4", 269 lbs)
7 (236th overall) -- Mark Nzeocha of University of Wyoming, outside linebacker (6'2", 232 lbs)
7 (243rd overall) -- Laurence Gibson of Virginia Tech University, Offensive tackle (6'6", 305 lbs)
7 (246th overall) -- Geoff Swaim of University of Texas, tight end (6'4", 245 lbs)
It will be interesting to watch these players, and to see if they can make the team and contribute.
(Photo of Damien Wilson is from minnesota.cbslocal.com.)
(Photo of Ryan Russell is from youtube.com.)
(Photo of Mark Nzeocha is from bloggingtheboys.com.)
(Photo of Laurence Gibson is from hokiesports.com.)
(Photo of Geoff Swaim is from espn.go.com.)
