Playing ‘Reach or Value Pick?’ for Cowboys’ 2022 NFL Draft haul

Matt Waletzko, Offensive Tackle – North Dakota (155th Pick)

Height: 6’7″  Weight: 315lbs

Career Stats: 32 games played, 29 games started at left tackle

Team Impact: Can battle for the swing tackle position with last year’s pick Josh Ball

When we last saw America’s Team play they were getting bullied up front by the San Fransisco 49ers. The Cowboys decided early on that they wanted to get meaner along both of their offensive and defensive lines. With the Waletzko pick, the Cowboys added another mauler to their offensive line whose upside had many people thinking he would go in the third or fourth round and Dallas was able to get him in the fifth round. You can’t predict how he will work out but that’s a pretty solid value when a team is able to find a physical,  high-upside tackle in the fifth round.

Waletzko is going to take some time to develop and work on his technique, but you can’t teach size, attitude, and strength. According to Mockdraftable.com, Waletzko compares 87% athletically to Trevor Penning who was a Cowboys’ first-round target. When it comes to play on the field as an offensive tackle, Waletzko compares 74% to Isaiah Prince.

Draft Pick Assessment: Value Pick

People aren’t going to like this pick because they don’t know who the player is. They also just saw this team take a left tackle in the first round. The reason this is a value pick is that the league had him higher on boards and the Cowboys got him in the fifth round, you can’t beat that.

DaRon Bland, Cornerback – Fresno State (167th Pick)

Height: 6’0″  Weight: 197lbs

Career Stats: 32 games played, 29 games started at left tackle

Team Impact: Special team player that has traits to develop over time.

There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Cowboys’ 2021 second-round pick Kelvin Joseph and his off-the-field issues, so this pick was something we all should have seen coming. The issue for people with this pick was the fact that Dallas waited until the second pick in the fifth round to address the position and it’s another player people don’t know. The league knows about Bland, though, and his size and speed made him an attractive prospect to stash on a roster and develop. It’s a good pick for the Cowboys but one they may have been able to take later in the round.

There wasn’t anything on Bland at Mockdraftable.com but when you take a look at his measurables, Bland compares favorably to Buffalo Bills cornerback Taron Johnson. It’s going to take some time for Bland to help out on the defensive side of the football but he can come in and make an impact in special teams coverage.

Draft Pick Assessment: Bit of a Reach

The fifth round is mainly about finding traits in players you believe you can hone over time that can make contributions later on in their careers. This is a prime example of a trait pick by Dallas, but again, this is one they may have been able to do later on in the round not to risk losing the next two players they took.

Damone Clark, Linebacker – LSU (176th Pick)

Height: 6’2″  Weight: 239lbs

Career Stats: 50 games played, 249 tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 5 passes defended, 1 interception

Team Impact: Redshirt rookie year with the possibility to be an impact player in 2023

This was a smart pick for Dallas as they were able to get one of the more talented linebackers in this draft in the fifth round due to his neck surgery after the NFL Combine. That contributed to his free fall in the draft with teams afraid to take a chance on Clark and his neck. That didn’t stop Jerry Jones who secured another possible Micah Parsons-type player if he comes back from his neck injury. Clark may just be one of the biggest steals of the draft.

The risk-reward situation with Clark is one that we’ve seen this Cowboys team take before and this could be their best yet. According to Mockdraftable.com, Clark is just as athletic as first-round pick Devin Lloyd at 98.3%. His play on the field compares favorably to Lloyd as well at 92%., great value for the Cowboys with this one.

Draft Pick Assessment: High-Value Pick

There’s nothing better than seeing your team steal a player on Day 3 who has the potential to become a Pro-Bowler upon his return from surgery. This looks like one of those times where the Cowboys’ risk-taking on injured players should work out in their favor, especially when he’s paired with Parsons and Jabril Cox.

John Ridgeway, Defensive Tackle – Arkansas (178th Pick)

Height: 6’5″  Weight: 321lbs

Career Stats: 42 games played, 141 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 4 passes defended, 1 interception

Team Impact: Rotational defensive tackle that can become an every-down defender.

When you hear the director of the Senior Bowl say that he hasn’t seen a real old-school defensive tackle in quite some time until he saw Ridgeway this past year, call me intrigued. Dallas found themselves someone who wants to bully offensive linemen and is a force in the running game. Ridgeway was a player seen by many scouts as a person who should have gone in the fourth round. The Cowboys were lucky to get him with their final pick in the fifth round in my opinion.

Dallas wanted to find themselves a defensive tackle with a mean streak and that’s exactly what Ridgeway is going to add to this defensive front. Athletically, Ridgeway compares 80% to fourth-round defensive tackle, Angelo Blackson. He also compares favorably overall as a defensive tackle to DaQuan Jones at 87%.

Draft Pick Assessment: Value Pick

Ridgeway’s mean streak and play strength will give him the ability to immediately insert himself into the rotation and help this team defend the run. If he can do that then this pick is going to be another steal for this team. The value is there and Ridgeway’s attitude leads me to believe they got a good one here.