My 2011 Draft Pet Cats

I’m just one among many draftniks on BTB, which is cool, because I get so much information from their posts and comments that I wouldn't ordinarily get. So to put in my two cents, here are the first of my pet cats this draft season—guys I’m rooting for and yes, guys that I think would benefit the Cowboys. You may or may not have heard of them yet, but their names are not currently being shouted from the media mountaintop:

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Much of this may not be news to anyone, but this is what I took from this draft.

from the Dez Bryant pick:

Jerry still loves the WOW pick and has never gotten over passing on Randy Moss. Is this news? No.

But I appreciate the way Jerry played this, much like the way he went after Mike Jenkins and Anthony Spencer in recent drafts. The Cowboys do target certain players, and are willing to go after those guys. In recent drafts, the Cowboys have also missed out on certain targets, but this may not have been for lack of trying. Regardless, in this draft the Cowboys went after both of their 1st and 2nd round targets.

from the Sean Lee pick:

The Cowboys were telling the truth when they declared they would not be held hostage to any one position in the draft. Also, the needs recognized by the fans and media may not always match those recognized by the Cowboys.

Certainly there is concern about the age of the offensive line, both within and out of the Cowboys organization. But there seems to have been a similar concern within the organization for the age of our inside linebackers. The Cowboys went after the BPA at what they viewed as an area of need. They now have two young ILBs that they believe are future starters-Jason Williams, taken last year in the third round, and Lee.

from the Akwasi Owusu-Ansah pick:

Special teams are just as important as offense and defense to the Cowboys, and the frequent scenes of Wade Phillips and Joe DeCamillis together on the sidelines of games isn't just for show. The Cowboys value young players who have potential but can also contribute immediately on special teams. Both Owusu-Ansah and Dez Bryant have intriguing return abilities, and can make an impact in that role during their rookie seasons.

from the Sam Young pick:

The Cowboys are not changing their template for offensive line positions, and they view Robert Brewster as an interior lineman.

Sam Young is a right tackle, and right tackle only. He is too tall to play on the inside and not quick enough to play on the left. Prior to this draft, I wondered whether the Cowboys might start valuing more agility and quickness in their offensive line prospects. But, as Raf has noted, the Cowboys are traditionally willing to give up some speed and quickness for power in their right tackles, and Young fits that mold.

But why draft such a prospect if the Cowboys believed that Brewster's future was at RT? It seems they view Brewster as a guard.

from the Jamar Wall pick:

I can honestly state that this pick had me scratching my head. Don't get me wrong--I liked watching Wall play in college, but his speed and coverage abilities seem to me better suited to a Cover 2 scheme.

He can contribute on special teams coverage--he does like to hit. But wasn't last year's draft about those kinds of guys? I believe that the Cowboys are not overly optimistic about the return of Stephen Hodge from microfracture surgery, and are at least hedging their bets. Which sucks because I really liked Hodge as a STs prospect.

from the Sean Lissemore pick:

Right now, Wade may not want a typical Nose tackle, he wants a backup to Ratliff who fits the Ratliff mold. The Cowboys believe that Lissemore could play DE or NT. He is physically similar to Ratliff, and he intrigues the Cowboys because they see some of the same quickness and athleticism that makes Rat such a special player.