How did national pundits grade the Dallas Cowboys’ 2024 NFL Draft class?
The 2024 NFL Draft ended with the Dallas Cowboys making eight selections, Dallas took four offensive and defensive players hoping they could help offset the loss of multiple veterans who left the team in free agency.
How did the national media grade the Cowboys draft class?
Chad Reuter, NFL.com
Gaining a third-round pick in a move down the board and still landing a starting tackle made for a successful Thursday night for Dallas. Kneeland and Beebe should prove to be excellent values, while Liufau will be a solid addition to the middle of the Cowboys’ defense. The Notre Dame ‘backer was picked a bit early for my taste, though.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports
I thought the Cowboys had a solid draft. Trading down and adding an extra pick and taking tackle Tyler Guyton in the first was a hit. He will start as a rookie and has the tools to do so. They added some good football players the rest of the way, guys like Beebe and Wake Forest corner Caelen Carson (fifth). It wasn’t splashy, but it was solid.
Charles McDonald, Yahoo Sports
This draft went about how most people expected. The Cowboys got a potential Tyron Smith replacement in the first round, added front seven help and got depth on the offensive line. This draft might not have huge immediate returns for the Cowboys, but they made some strong dice rolls on future starters.
Mark Schofield, James Dator, and Joseph Acosta, SB Nation
For a team that went in with a lot of major holes, the Cowboys addressed their needs in a big way while banking on their development. Oklahoma OT Tyler Guyton is a phenomenal athlete, who could be a star at left tackle with some refinement. Cooper Beebe is going to start at center and immediately become a fan favorite, rounding out an offensive line that looks to be incredibly physical.
Trevor Sikkema, PFF.com
Dallas selects the former defensive end Guyton out of Oklahoma to reinforce their offensive line. He’s the 39th-ranked player on the PFF big board and is considered something of a project with outstanding athletic ability. He didn’t allow a sack in 355 pass-blocking reps this season, but he only earned a 59.0 PFF true pass-blocking grade.
Staff, Fox Sports
For a team that had so many holes to fill after they did nothing in free agency, the Cowboys made some curious choices. They did a great job plugging two key holes on the O-line (Oklahoma LT Tyler Guyton in Round 1 and Kansas State C Cooper Beebe in Round 2). But no running back? No receiver until Round 6? Instead, in Round 2, they took Western Michigan edge rusher Marshawn Kneeland, who could be terrific in 2025, but might not be a huge help now, when they’re supposedly “all-in.”
Nate Davis, USA Today
An organization that’s allegedly “all in” uses its first-rounder on a tackle (Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton) with tremendous upside but who may or may not be ready to play immediately. And while Dallas needed help in the trenches (second-round DE Marshawn Kneeland, third-round G Cooper Beebe) and potentially filled a hole with third-round Notre Dame LB Marist Liufau, what’s the plan at tailback? Run it back with Ezekiel Elliott? All … in?
Staff, Bleacher Report
It would have been wise to do a little more to address a mediocre run defense, and the Cowboys still lack a starting-caliber running back and reliable receiver depth. Viewing this in terms of being an “all-in” draft for the 2024 season, though, Dallas could have done much worse.
Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune
I like the offensive linemen and Kneeland will help take pressure off of Micah Parsons, but Notre Dame’s Liufau went about two rounds too early and the Cowboys failed to secure a running back. Even though it was an underwhelming class for ball-carriers, many of them would’ve been an upgrade over their current depth chart and Ezekiel Elliott (a potential free agent signing).
Matt Verderame Sports Illustrated
We discussed this on the MMQB podcast, but Dallas’s continued insistence on behaving and drafting like a team that has already won something of consequence is puzzling. Guyton may have the highest upside of any tackle in this class, but owner Jerry Jones has to consider who benefits from a longer-term project when everyone on his staff is being held to the fire this year.
