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Before the Dallas Cowboys signed La’el Collins to a three-year deal worth $1.65 million this week, I had already given them a grade of a B+ for their 2015 draft. But after seeing that they were able to pick up a player who was supposed to be a first-round pick in Collins for the kind of money you would normally spend on a special teamer out of a Division II school, I now have to say that this year’s draft may go down as the best ever for the Cowboys.
Any kid who grows up in the south, whether they admit it publicly or not, wants to play football for the Cowboys. And this is the very reason why the other 31 teams, which all inexplicably passed on a player who was never considered to be a suspect in a murder investigation, didn’t have a chance when Jerry Jones invited Collins to his $17 million home with Zack Martin, Travis Frederick and Tyron Smith there to pitch to him the idea of joining what will be the best offensive line ever!
Collins will likely take the place of the very solid but not great Ronald Leary at the guard spot, a position he graded out better in scouts’ eyes than he did at tackle. And once he does he will also take the field with fellow rookies and eventual starters Byron Jones and Randy Gregory.
The Cowboys truly believe they have found something special in Gregory, who if it weren’t for his mental issues would have been a top-five pick in this year’s draft. His athleticism and drive alone will make him a nightmare for opposing offenses, and once he learns the nuances of the position under defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, you can expect his sack totals to reach astonishing levels.
In Jones the Cowboys believe they have a long-term answer at the cornerback position, as they have finally found a tall ball-hawk to help contain the likes of Odell Beckham Jr. and DeSean Jackson, two dangerous receivers they face twice a year in the tough NFC East. He will join the two steady corners they already have in place in Orlando Scandrick and Brandon Carr to help solidify the secondary for Jason Garrett’s Cowboys.
This essentially gives the Cowboys three first-round draft picks from one draft, and the beauty of it is, they didn’t have to trade any picks to do so. So the signing of Collins, along with the selections of Gregory, Jones, swing tackle Chaz Green out of Florida and pass-rushing specialist Ryan Russell out of Purdue, gives the Cowboys a draft for the ages.
Kelly Anderson is a blogger for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @bgipp01 or add him to your network on Google.
