Solid Starter
Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama – Round 2 
Diggs was one of the top steals in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He was in contention to go in the first round and was an option for Dallas in Round 1. Diggs has a No. 1 corner’s skill set, so to land him in Round 2 was highway robbery for the Cowboys.
Diggs (6-1, 205) has some real talent in pass coverage in combination with a skill set that is hard to find. He has excellent height and length that allow him to cover big receivers to prevent a size mismatch. Diggs has the speed to run downfield and also does a nice job of playing the ball. The background of playing wide receiver can be seen as he attacks the ball with solid hands and his ball skills, which are some of his better traits for the next level.
Diggs is going to need some development in the NFL and has some rawness to him. That’s understandable given his injury history and from playing some wide receiver early on at Alabama. Diggs has above-average instincts, but is not a natural defender. He’s late getting his head around to track the ball in flight and bites on double moves, so he needs some good coaching from the Dallas staff. Thus, Diggs could use some developmental time, and it could hurt his ability to stick in the league if he is thrown straight into the fire.
Diggs is big and can run, so he projects to being a starting corner on the outside. In the NFL, he could be a starter with the skill set to be a boom pick, but his limitations could have him topping out as a solid starter.
2019: Connor McGovern, G
2018: Leighton Vander Esch, LB
2017: Jourdan Lewis, CB
2016: Ezekiel Elliott, RB
2015: Cha Green, OT
2014: Zack Martin, G
2013: Travis Frederick, C
Most Likely To Bust
Tyler Biadasz, C, Wisconsin – Round 4 
This was a very difficult selection because I loved the Cowboys’ performance in the 2020 NFL Draft and gave them the designation of having the best draft class this year. I also liked the Biadasz pick late in the fourth round, so this was a tough choice. However of their picks in the first four rounds, Biadasz looks like the riskiest as he is not especially strong or quick and his skill set is why he slid to the final day of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Some teams felt that Biadasz had just an average skill set and could have issues with NFL defensive linemen. They thought that he could have problems with both fast interior rushers and heavy, powerful nose tackles. As a result, some felt that Biadasz might top out as a backup only. Thus, he could be the most likely of the Cowboys’ draft selections to not pan out as a pro.
2019: Michael Jackson, CB
2018: Connor Williams, OT
2017: Chidobe Awuzie, CB
2016: Dak Prescott, QB
2015: Randy Gregory, DE
2014: Anthony Hitchens, LB
2013: Gavin Escobar, TE
Potential Boom Pick
CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma – Round 1 
The Cowboys were planning on upgrading their defense in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, but when Lamb fell to them at the No. 17-overall pick, they snatched him up because the Okalahoma star receiver was too good to pass up. Dallas stayed true to its board and landed one of the best values of the first round. Lamb could have gone as a top-12 pick, and many around the league thought he was the best receiver in the 2020 NFL Draft, so getting him at the start of the back half was an amazing value for Dallas.
Lamb is very dangerous with the ball in his hands. He uses his well-built frame to break tackles and is very difficult for a lot of defensive backs to get to the ground. His strength to run through their hands makes it difficult for them to get a hold of him. While he isn’t a burner, he has a second gear to run away from defenders in the open field and is an elusive runner in space.
Lamb also has good feet and moves to change direction. Whenever he touches the ball, he is a dangerous threat to rip off a long gain because off his tremendous run-after-the-catch skills. Due to his great skills with the ball in his hands, Lamb is also a dangerous punt returner. The Cowboys probably won’t use him much in that role to protect him from injury, but Lamb does bring that added value and could go back to return punts in critical situations.
With his route-running and hands, Lamb looks like mismatch receiver who could be a No.1 receiver in the NFL. His excellent route-running has him very polished for a college receiver entering the NFL and he is phenomenal after the catch.
I think Lamb could be a more consistent receiver than Amari Cooper and it would it would not surprise me if Lamb replaces Cooper as the No. 1 wideout in the Dallas offense. Some team sources compared Lamb to Arizona Cardinals star wideout DeAndre Hopkins or the Packers’ Davante Adams, and I think Lamb could be that caliber of wideout for Dallas, which would definitely be a boom pick. Similar to the Texans taking DeAndre Hopkins late in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, I think a lot of teams could end up regretting they passed on Lamb.
2019: Trysten Hill, DT
2018: Dorance Armstrong, DE
2017: Taco Charlton, DE
2016: Jaylon Smith, LB
2015: Byron Jones, S
2014: DeMarcus Lawrence, DE
2013: Terrance Williams, WR
Future Depth Player
Bradley Anae, DE, Utah – Round 5 
I think third-round defensive tackle Neville Gallimore and fourth-round cornerback Reggie Robinson could become starters, so I can’t include them in this category. Cowboys ended Anae’s slide in the fifth round, which was a fantastic landing spot for him. Many thought the Cowboys could take an edge rusher in the first round, but they did not take one before Anae, so he immediately steps in as a competitor to fill a serious roster need. Demarucs Lawrence is locked in at one end spot, but the Cowboys need more pass rush across from him. They had hoped that Randy Gregory and Aldon Smith could overcome their off-the-field issues to provide that, but both of them are extremely unreliable to avoid suspension and stay eligible.
Aside from them, Anae will compete for a roster spot and playing time with veteran Tyrone Crawford and youngsters Joe Jackson and Dorance Armstrong. It is a wide-open competition, so if Anae plays well in training camp and the preseason, he could get significant playing time in the regular season as a rotational pass rusher. Anae may not have the skill set to be a three-down starter in the NFL, but he is a natural quarterback hunter who could turn into a solid rotational contributor and offer good depth.
2019: Tony Pollard, RB
2018: Michael Gallup, WR
2017: Ryan Switzer, WR
2016: Charles Tapper, DE
2015: Damien Wilson, LB
2014: Ben Gardner, DE
2013: Joseph Randle, RB
Walt’s 2020 NFL Draft Grades:
17. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma – A Grade
The Cowboys loved K’Lavon Chaisson, but I don’t think they expected CeeDee Lamb to be available. Lamb doesn’t fill much of a need for Dallas with Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup on the roster, but Lamb is the best player available, and it allows the Cowboys to have flexibility with contracts at the position. It’s hard to hate this pick, given that Lamb could’ve gone as high as No. 9 without any complaints.
51. Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama – A+ Grade
Want to hear something crazy? Trevon Diggs was the Cowboys’ Plan B at No. 17 if K’Lavon Chaisson wasn’t available. Of course, CeeDee Lamb was, which bumped the Chaisson pick, but Diggs is still Dallas’. Diggs has an injury history, but that clearly didn’t bother the Cowboys, who selected Leighton Vander Esch in the first round despite his medical concerns. Diggs is a first-round talent, and he fills a need, so this is an A+ grade.
82. Neville Gallimore, DT, Oklahoma – C Grade
The Cowboys signed Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe this offseason to go along with last year’s second-round pick, Trysten Hill, so I didn’t think defensive tackle was much of a need. I get picking a defensive tackle here if one is a steal, but Neville Gallimore was pretty much a third-round prospect to begin with. Thus, I don’t really like this pick, but I don’t hate it either.
123. Reggie Robinson, CB, Tulsa – B+ Grade
Reggie Robinson is a raw player, but he’s tall and athletic. He could end up being a good NFL starter, or he could be out of the league in two years. I like swinging for the fences on Day 3, and the Cowboys are potentially addressing a big need.
146. Tyler Biadasz, C, Wisconsin – A+ Grade
As if this draft couldn’t go worse for Eagle fans, they just watched their team allow the arch rival Cowboys to move up to this spot and select their replacement for Travis Frederick. Biadasz was one of the best players on the board, so this is another great pick for Dallas and another dubious move by the Eagles.
179. Bradlee Anae, DE, Utah – A+ Grade
What a steal at the end of Round 5! Bradlee Anae dominated the Senior Bowl, showing some promising pass-rushing ability. He should’ve been chosen much earlier than this.
231. Ben DiNucci, QB, James Madison – B Grade
Ben DiNucci transferred from Pittsburgh to James Madison. He improved his play, albeit against lesser competition. He probably won’t make it, but Mike McCarthy likes developing late-round prospects.
2020 NFL Draft Team Grade: A . Follow Walter @walterfootball for updates.
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