2023 NFL Draft grades: Dallas Cowboys did well, but didn't have many holes to begin with

Overall Dallas Cowboys grade: B-

Dallas did a quality job by grabbing Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith and Michigan tight end Luke Schoonmaker. Smith isn’t the most dynamic defensive tackle out there, but he’ll play a big role in the Cowboys’ front seven and the goal is for him to be a shutdown run defender early on. Schoonmaker gives them a quality prospect to develop at tight end. There isn’t too much else to glean from this draft class right now.

Favorite pick Deuce Vaughn, RB, Kansas State (212nd overall)

This is absolutely for sentimental reasons, but the Deuce Vaughn pick was the highlight of the entire draft. Whether or not Vaughn turns into something with the Cowboys doesn’t even really matter here. There was no better moment than seeing longtime Cowboys scout Chris Vaughn being able to draft his son this weekend. It’s an incredibly rare moment that even had Jerry Jones overcome with what was happening around him. Great moment and hopefully Deuce gets to go to work with his father for more years to come.

Least favorite pick: DeMarvion Overshown, LB, Texas (90th overall)

DeMarvion Overshown has a ways to go before he can be a real linebacker in the NFL. He played a somewhat of a positionless off-the-ball spot at Texas that doesn’t really exist in the NFL, kind of similar to former Jets first-round pick Darron Lee. A third-round pick isn’t the biggest price to pay here, though, so this may turn out to be inconsequential. To be fair to the Cowboys, it’s not like there were a whole lot of options at linebacker in this draft in general.

Full Cowboys draft

Michigan DT Mazi Smith (R1, 26th overall)

Michigan TE Luke Schoonmaker (R2, 58th)

Texas LB DeMarvion Overshown (R3, 90th)

San Jose State edge Viliami Fehoko Jr. (R4, 129th)

North Carolina OT Asim Richards (R5, 169th)

Southern Mississippi CB Eric Scott Jr. (R6, 178th)

Kansas State RB Deuce Vaughn (R6, 212th)

South Carolina WR Jalen Brooks (R7, 244th)