The Dallas Cowboys are well-established as one of the best drafting teams in the league. Just in the last few years, they’ve netted bonafide superstars in CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons, and gems in the middle rounds including Osa Odighizuwa, Tony Pollard, Donovan Wilson, Dalton Schultz, and yes, Dak Prescott.
The Cowboys had nine picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, and all of them made the 53-man roster coming out of training camp and the preseason. Some got more playing time than others, but that’s to be expected when you consider the talent discrepancy spanning the first and seventh rounds.
After free agency, our attention will eventually shift to the 2023 draft.
Before we dive head-first into the future, though, let’s re-grade Dallas’ 2022 draft class after the first year of their respective careers.
Grading the Cowboys 2022 draft class after Year 1
Round No. 6
Devin Harper – Linebacker
- Oklahoma State, Pick No. 193 overall
By all accounts, the Cowboys stunned folks by drafting Harper, a 24-year-old prospect who was viewed as a development pick. The former-Cowboy-turned-Cowboy carved out a prominent role on John Fassel’s special teams unit, logging a healthy 66 percent snap share before an Achilles injury upended his year.
Harper was injured back in Week 3. He wasn’t placed on IR until late October, though, and just recently (after Dallas’ playoff win over the Buccaneers) was designated to return. He didn’t feature in the Divisional Round loss, and finished his rookie year without playing a single snap on defense.
A defensive role could await Harper in 2023 with Leighton Vander Esch and Anthony Barr both hitting free agency, but it’s not unfair to say the jury is still out on whether he’ll be an important player for the Cowboys.
As of this writing, Damone Clark and even Jabril Cox are ahead of him in the pecking order, and it’s worth noting Dallas’ safeties play a lot of snaps in the box. The odds will be stacked against Harper entering Year 2.
Grade: C-
Round No. 5
John Ridgeway – Interior Defensive Linemen
- Arkansas, Pick No. 178 overall
The Cowboys didn’t have much use for Ridgeway this season with Osa Odighizuwa, Quinton Bohanna, Carlos Watkins, Neville Gallimore, and eventually Johnathan Hankins, all battling for playing time.
Drafted for his run-stuffing and gap-filling attributes, Ridgeway didn’t see any action in Week 1, and was swiftly waived. He quickly signed with the Commanders, and posted 24 tackles, one forced fumble, and 18 run stops in 15 appearances for Dallas’ divisional rival.
Grade: D
Damone Clark – Linebacker
- LSU, Pick No. 176 overall
It’s incredible Clark even contributed for the Cowboys as a rookie. Coming off fusion surgery that was expected to shelve him the entire season, Clark defied the odds and was activated in time for Week 8 against the Bears.
When all was said and done, Clark played 59 percent of the snaps and was Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded linebacker from the 2022 class. He took his lumps in coverage, but there’s a reason so many Cowboys talking heads and fans are high on Clark’s future with the team.
Grade: B+
DaRon Bland – Cornerback
One of the best value picks from any team, Bland flourished after season-ending injuries to Jourdan Lewis and Anthony Brown forced him into a big role.
The 6-foot-2 defender compiled 57 tackles, seven passes defended, and five interceptions, which ranked second in the entire NFL.
Only Justin Simmons, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, and fellow rookie Tariq Woolen had more interceptions than Bland. He’s a building block for Dan Quinn and jumped to the second round (No. 60 overall) in ESPN’s re-drafting of the first two rounds of the 2022 draft.
Grade: A
Matt Waletzko – Offensive Tackle
- North Dakota, Pick No. 155 overall
Waletzko’s rookie year never got off the ground. He was drafted with an injured shoulder suffered as a senior at North Dakota. He aggravated the injury early in training camp, and missed most of camp. Fast forward to October, and Waletzko suffered another subluxation of his shoulder and landed on injured reserve.
Grade: C-
Round 4
Jake Ferguson – Tight End
- Wisconsin, Pick No. 129 overall
The buzz surrounding Ferguson after Year 1 is tangible and fully deserved after he posted 19 catches for 174 yards and two touchdowns.
In mind-boggling fashion, Ferguson was targeted 3.0 yards downfield on average and still managed 10.4 yards per catch, while Dalton Schultz was targeted 8.0 yards downfield and tallied just 10.1 yards per catch.
That’s a testament to Ferguson’s ability to make defenders miss after the catch. The young tight end has a bright future in Dallas.
Grade: B
Round 3
Jalen Tolbert – Wide Receiver
- South Alabama, Pick No. 88 overall
It brings us no joy to talk down on a player, but it’s nearly impossible to speak of Tolbert in a glowing light after Year 1.
A large contingent of Cowboys fans were excited when the team drafted Tolbert in the third round. While nobody expected him to post 1,000 yards out of the gate, you could also contend nobody expected him to be a complete non-factor … especially given the state of the receiver room behind CeeDee Lamb.
Tolbert appeared in eight games, and logged 81 offensive snaps, finishing with two catches for 12 yards on three targets. He started the season playing special teams, but was ultimately pulled from that role, and was inactive for the final five games (inactive for nine games overall).
Let’s hope for a Tolbert bounce back in 2023.
Grade: D (with room to improve)
Round 2
Sam Williams – Defensive End
- Ole Miss, Pick No. 56 overall
Williams was heavily linked to the Cowboys after Dan Quinn participated in Ole Miss’ pro day. He became an obvious second-round target, and Dallas wasted no time when it was their turn to draft at pick No. 56 overall.
Williams didn’t play a big role in 2022, but the fact he carved out a role while battling Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong, and Dante Fowler for snaps speaks volumes about his talent.
In 15 games (27% of the snaps), the pass rusher compiled four sacks, 22 pressures, 10 TFLs, nine quarterback hits, one forced fumble, and a whopping three fumble recoveries. He finished tied for fifth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. Not sure how he got there over Bland, but that’s no knock on Williams.
The former Rebel has a bright future ahead of him.
Grade: B+
Round 1
Tyler Smith – Offensive Tackle
- Tulsa, Pick No. 24 overall
How great of a pick was Smith? In ESPN’s 2022 re-draft, the Tulsa product went sixth overall as the first offensive linemen off the board; higher than Ikem Ekwonu, Evan Neal, Charles Cross, Kenyon Green, Zion Johnson, and Trevor Penning.
Smith started every game as a rookie. He played mostly at left tackle, but compiled 122 snaps at left guard when Tyron Smith came back and Jason Peters shifted from right tackle to LT. Smith ranked 15th among left tackles with a 74.6 offensive grade, per PFF. He gave up six sacks and was flagged 13 times, but his rookie year was a roaring success by all accounts, and he won’t turn 22 until April.
The Cowboys have their successor to Tyron Smith. And to think there was so much criticism surrounding the pick on draft night.
Grade: A+
Cowboys 2023 Draft: Early look at potential candidates for No. 26 pick
The Cowboys are locked in to the No. 26 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Let's look at some prospects Dallas could select in the first round.