Cowboys, Jets, and Packers got Elite grades from PFF.
All 32 NFL team's 2018 NFL Draft grades | NFL Analysis | Pro Football Focus
1 (19) Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State, 89.8
2 (50) Connor Williams, T/G, Texas, 85.7
3 (81) Michael Gallup, WR, Colorado State, 92.1
4 (116) Dorance Armstrong Jr., Edge, Kansas, 78.5
4 (137) Dalton Schultz, TE, Stanford, 82.1
5 (171) Mike White, QB, WKU, 84.2
6 (193) Chris Covington, LB, Indiana, 85.5
6 (208) Cedrick Wilson, WR, Boise State, 89.2
7 (236) Bo Scarbrough, RB, Alabama, 75.6
Day 1: Dallas made some interesting picks in the draft, and none more than their top pick of Boise State LB Leighton Vander Esch. Despite being older than the other top linebackers in this class, Vander Esch is actually younger than all of them in terms of playing time experience, with just one season of significant playing time in college. That season though was spectacular, seeing him lead the nation with 76 defensive stops and showing the kind of flow to the football that teams love. His potential remains high because of that lack of experience, and if he can develop his coverage skills to match his run defense he could quickly become one of the game’s best linebackers.
Day 2: When the Cowboys were at their best, they had the league’s most dominant offensive line, and they’re trying to get back there with the offseason hire of offensive line coach Paul Alexander and now selecting Connor Williams in the second round. Williams was the No. 2 tackle on our draft board and allowed just one sack across three seasons of play for Texas. He has shown excellent pass-blocking and run-blocking skills and looked to have the ability to stay outside at tackle but was seen as a candidate to move in to guard by many. Dallas could use an upgrade at either right tackle or left guard, and they will need to decide how they are going to deploy Williams and La’el Collins to best improve those two positions.
The Cowboys also added a PFF favorite, Michael Gallup, the highest-graded wide receiver in the nation in 2017 and one of the most productive players in college football. Gallup faced press coverage on 64 of his targets in 2017, catching 30 of those passes for 568 yards, and showed well at the Senior Bowl against improved competition.
Day 3: Dallas grabbed QB Mike White in the fifth round to back up Dak Prescott. He posted the sixth-highest grade in the draft class on deep throws. Cedrick Wilson adds nice receiver depth to this group and at 6-foot-3, he gained 4.6 yards per route against Power-5 competition in 2017, leading the FBS. With their last pick, they grabbed Alabama RB Bo Scarbrough, who never quite lived up to his huge frame, breaking 62 tackles on 267 college carries.
Overall grade: Elite
. Love the Bo pick
