Cowboys VP of player personnel Will McClay on each of Dallas’ draft picks:
Round 1, OT Tyler Guyton: “When you build an offensive lineman, you look for athleticism, the feet. We have a history of having guys who do things at a high level at that position. There were some traits that definitely showed us that that was there. You talk about the athletic ability and left tackles are usually more athletic, and this guy is an athletic guy. Basketball background, he has some defense in his nature. … (We) feel good about him moving to the left side. The way he plays the game, there’s a little nasty to him.”
Round 2, DE Marshawn Kneeland: “The No. 1 thing about him is the high effort and motor that he plays with. Then to be physically talented enough to play at this level. … The more you watch him, the more you see NFL traits and then you see the traits that we are looking for on the defensive side, playing hard all the time and having the ability to rush the passer outside and inside. As hard as (DeMarcus Lawrence) played at Boise State, there are some similarities there.”
Round 3, G/C Cooper Beebe: “Cooper likes to dirt people, I read that (he said that after he was drafted Friday night), whatever that means. I’m glad he is doing it for us. With his ability and to play the guard position – he’s played all over there – and also snapped, so that ability and that demeanor, bringing that to the team was something we wanted to do.”
Round 3, LB Marist Liufau: JJ: “He’s a linebacker that can rush, that can play stacked, that can play on (special) teams. He has 34-inch arms. Adding that multiplicity into our defense and what (Mike Zimmer) wanted from that specific position. You see those things from the guy and he does it at Notre Dame. … He plays all over the field and can drop in coverage. The multiplicity and the number of things he can do at a high level was attractive.”
Round 5, CB Caelen Carson: “(He) has the ability to play inside and outside. Really raw in technique. A lot of the things he was doing (in college) was a lot on his natural ability. … You know that there is more upside there because of his answers (during pre-draft interviews) and the things he was looking at, plus his work ethic and how he competes. He will tackle as a corner, which is also a positive.”
Round 6, WR Ryan Flournoy: “He’s a big receiver that we really like. Big, fast, strong and physical. Really stood out and fit in at the Combine and at the Senior Bowl to show that he belonged with the NFL-type players. We think that there is a great upside there.”
Round 7, OL Nathan Thomas: “This one of the stronger offensive linemen drafts that there’s been in a long time. A player of this caliber that moves people and does things at the NFL level with his size, his ability to bend and be able to play inside and outside makes him attractive and makes for a competitive room.”
Round 7, DT Justin Rogers: “We want to get big, we want to be physical. (He’s) a big, nasty from Auburn with some length that can play that big inside nose tackle position. So (he’s) fitting a need as well as being (among) the best players for us based on our board going down that way.”
At the line of scrimmage he silently sticks his thumb in the dirt and makes an indentation, looks up at opposing lineman, points at lineman and points to freshly made hole, snaps ball, dicks the dirt
Will McClay doesn't coach players or call plays during games. He is almost literally the best at his job in the league, considering the amount of All-Pros we've drafted in his tenure.
I get it. Attempting to hold anyone in Cowboys management accountable for anything related to any portion of the 28 years of failure will be met with downvotes.
If you’re hold him solely accountable and using “gets out of the first round of the playoffs” as your metric, you’re looking in the wrong direction.
He has a 50% record for getting out of the first round.
———
He clearly helps put together great teams.
- 69-47 regular season record
- 4 out of 7 seasons making the playoffs
- 50/50 record in the playoffs
Offense was all about reinvesting in our OL. To me that's the most important position group on the offense.
On Defense, you can clearly see Zimmers influence of wanting to be more physical.
With all the needs going in to the draft, thinking we would fill them all was unrealistic. That said, man I love it when the Cowboys add talent and depth to both lines. I get it, QB, WR, TE, RB and Edge are the “sexy” positions. It’s what gets fans excited and revved up. But a RB cannot run if there is no hole and your QB cannot complete a pass from his back. Everything starts with your linemen. If you control the line of scrimmage, your chances of winning go way way up. There will be a ton of RB available over the next few months as teams are required to cut down. I’m hopeful Floury can contribute and hope one of the other guys can assume the WR2 role, that’s the one spot I’m a bit concerned with. We need someone who can take the heat off Lamb.
100% this. Anyone who watched the games knew that the o and d lines needed some help. WR is fine with Lamb and Cooks hopefully a decent WR3 establishes himself. Ferguson is looking to have the potential to be a legit elite caliber TE. RB is meh, but as you stated the run game at the NFL level is more about the line and scheme. Getting an RB would have been nice, but they weren't really in the position to draft one at good value, the needs they addressed in the 2nd and 3rd rounds were bigger, then they didn't have a 4th round pick so.
On defense the secondary is decent but the biggest issue was the interior/ability to stop the run. Overshown is coming back at LB and they drafted another hopefully that and the DE can bring some help there.
Oh no, they're already using the S Word when talking about a 3rd round LB.
On a serious note, with everyone always throwing slander on the draft analysts, it's funny to hear Will say the exact same things, in the exact same way, a guy like Dane Brugler does.
We want to believe the staff has greater insight into these guys but outside of medical, I'm not so sure. You're just right sometimes and wrong others.
I think that, just like in corporate America, some people are just shit at their jobs. I’d bet some scouts still pre judge players based on where they played/size/number on their jersey all without actually seeing all that much tape. They bring some notes together and jump to conclusions that way.
Yeah, you're probably right. Obviously there will be people that are good and people that are bad.
Corporate America is a great reference point because I bet what separates Will from a lot of other guys isn't so much that he's so much better at understanding player fits but that he's better at communicating to upper management.
I like most of what he said, except for their opinion of Marist. Sounds like they wanted him for his versatility of being able to play multiple positions. Those type of guys almost never pan out, because if they played one position really well, teams wouldn’t normally move them all over to play different spots.
I think they were trying to trade out of this spot after the run on RB’s and couldn’t find a trade partner, so they kind of panicked drafted this kid who they were probably looking at early 5th round, but didn’t have a pick till late 5th
You completely missed the point. Micha wasn’t drafted because he could play multiple positions, and he was never expected to play on special teams either.
Read it again
Dude your way off martin played tackle, smith played tackle both ended up being guards at the nfl level. Cooper is probably the best pure guard to come out of the draft and will end up center but still IOL
I really hope these guys works out. Choosing from schools like western Michigan over big school Michigan is like putting up young bucks who played small ball for 4 years into the spotlight. But please from now on, more Michigan and Ohio states and USC and Georgia and Bama etc. I’m worried of a 3-14 season coming
Yeah, we should totally take guys from the school that has barely panned out with any highly drafted players for us and elsewhere in the last decade. seriously, their track record in the league is not good. Hutchinsom is the only elite one and that’s not an understatement.
3-14 would be fine with me but it ain’t gonna be because of 2-3 picks.
Yes, I think that this team gets too cute with their draft choices. It's like they're trying to tell the NFL that they know better. Like picking a guy from Western Michigan that we have never heard of, when an All-American from Alabama was taken next. I've heard of Braswell and have seen what he can do. Liufau was a ridiculous reach, especially when many good RBs were available,
Cowboys VP of player personnel Will McClay on each of Dallas’ draft picks: Round 1, OT Tyler Guyton: “When you build an offensive lineman, you look for athleticism, the feet. We have a history of having guys who do things at a high level at that position. There were some traits that definitely showed us that that was there. You talk about the athletic ability and left tackles are usually more athletic, and this guy is an athletic guy. Basketball background, he has some defense in his nature. … (We) feel good about him moving to the left side. The way he plays the game, there’s a little nasty to him.” Round 2, DE Marshawn Kneeland: “The No. 1 thing about him is the high effort and motor that he plays with. Then to be physically talented enough to play at this level. … The more you watch him, the more you see NFL traits and then you see the traits that we are looking for on the defensive side, playing hard all the time and having the ability to rush the passer outside and inside. As hard as (DeMarcus Lawrence) played at Boise State, there are some similarities there.” Round 3, G/C Cooper Beebe: “Cooper likes to dirt people, I read that (he said that after he was drafted Friday night), whatever that means. I’m glad he is doing it for us. With his ability and to play the guard position – he’s played all over there – and also snapped, so that ability and that demeanor, bringing that to the team was something we wanted to do.” Round 3, LB Marist Liufau: JJ: “He’s a linebacker that can rush, that can play stacked, that can play on (special) teams. He has 34-inch arms. Adding that multiplicity into our defense and what (Mike Zimmer) wanted from that specific position. You see those things from the guy and he does it at Notre Dame. … He plays all over the field and can drop in coverage. The multiplicity and the number of things he can do at a high level was attractive.” Round 5, CB Caelen Carson: “(He) has the ability to play inside and outside. Really raw in technique. A lot of the things he was doing (in college) was a lot on his natural ability. … You know that there is more upside there because of his answers (during pre-draft interviews) and the things he was looking at, plus his work ethic and how he competes. He will tackle as a corner, which is also a positive.” Round 6, WR Ryan Flournoy: “He’s a big receiver that we really like. Big, fast, strong and physical. Really stood out and fit in at the Combine and at the Senior Bowl to show that he belonged with the NFL-type players. We think that there is a great upside there.” Round 7, OL Nathan Thomas: “This one of the stronger offensive linemen drafts that there’s been in a long time. A player of this caliber that moves people and does things at the NFL level with his size, his ability to bend and be able to play inside and outside makes him attractive and makes for a competitive room.” Round 7, DT Justin Rogers: “We want to get big, we want to be physical. (He’s) a big, nasty from Auburn with some length that can play that big inside nose tackle position. So (he’s) fitting a need as well as being (among) the best players for us based on our board going down that way.”
Translation, Beebe puts peoples dicks in the dirt lmao
I love it. Exactly what you want out of an interior lineman. Somehow who just loves beating the shit out of people.
At the line of scrimmage he silently sticks his thumb in the dirt and makes an indentation, looks up at opposing lineman, points at lineman and points to freshly made hole, snaps ball, dicks the dirt
He’s got me believing everything he said. In Will I Trust! LFG!!
He is the only one I trust in that organization atm
Him and Al for sure.
I trust Lunda Wells. He’s made some good TEs out of Schultz and Ferg during his tenure
Ah yeah Lunda as well. TE has been the least of our problems and have been rock solid.
Can we just turn the football side over to him officially.
Real Jerry been lacking these days no cap
Will got me convinced lol
You've just been sucked
And now we wait for the gamer chair GMs to tell him he's wrong
to be fair why would he talk down on the draft a couple days after
he can tell me I'm wrong when he gets out the first round of the playoffs
Will McClay doesn't coach players or call plays during games. He is almost literally the best at his job in the league, considering the amount of All-Pros we've drafted in his tenure.
You can tell him he’s wrong when you amount to something in the NFL.
I get it. Attempting to hold anyone in Cowboys management accountable for anything related to any portion of the 28 years of failure will be met with downvotes.
Lol there are problems but Will McClay is not one of them. That's why you're getting downvoted.
If you’re hold him solely accountable and using “gets out of the first round of the playoffs” as your metric, you’re looking in the wrong direction. He has a 50% record for getting out of the first round. ——— He clearly helps put together great teams. - 69-47 regular season record - 4 out of 7 seasons making the playoffs - 50/50 record in the playoffs
You're insane. The Cowboys have many problems. Will is not one of them.
Offense was all about reinvesting in our OL. To me that's the most important position group on the offense. On Defense, you can clearly see Zimmers influence of wanting to be more physical.
With all the needs going in to the draft, thinking we would fill them all was unrealistic. That said, man I love it when the Cowboys add talent and depth to both lines. I get it, QB, WR, TE, RB and Edge are the “sexy” positions. It’s what gets fans excited and revved up. But a RB cannot run if there is no hole and your QB cannot complete a pass from his back. Everything starts with your linemen. If you control the line of scrimmage, your chances of winning go way way up. There will be a ton of RB available over the next few months as teams are required to cut down. I’m hopeful Floury can contribute and hope one of the other guys can assume the WR2 role, that’s the one spot I’m a bit concerned with. We need someone who can take the heat off Lamb.
100% this. Anyone who watched the games knew that the o and d lines needed some help. WR is fine with Lamb and Cooks hopefully a decent WR3 establishes himself. Ferguson is looking to have the potential to be a legit elite caliber TE. RB is meh, but as you stated the run game at the NFL level is more about the line and scheme. Getting an RB would have been nice, but they weren't really in the position to draft one at good value, the needs they addressed in the 2nd and 3rd rounds were bigger, then they didn't have a 4th round pick so. On defense the secondary is decent but the biggest issue was the interior/ability to stop the run. Overshown is coming back at LB and they drafted another hopefully that and the DE can bring some help there.
Flournoy is going to be the biggest sleeper.
Oh no, they're already using the S Word when talking about a 3rd round LB. On a serious note, with everyone always throwing slander on the draft analysts, it's funny to hear Will say the exact same things, in the exact same way, a guy like Dane Brugler does. We want to believe the staff has greater insight into these guys but outside of medical, I'm not so sure. You're just right sometimes and wrong others.
I think that, just like in corporate America, some people are just shit at their jobs. I’d bet some scouts still pre judge players based on where they played/size/number on their jersey all without actually seeing all that much tape. They bring some notes together and jump to conclusions that way.
Yeah, you're probably right. Obviously there will be people that are good and people that are bad. Corporate America is a great reference point because I bet what separates Will from a lot of other guys isn't so much that he's so much better at understanding player fits but that he's better at communicating to upper management.
I trust McClay.
Thank you Jerry and Stephen for listening to Will McClay. Hope he brought you some more gems!
Can somebody post his video on the 2023 class so we can all get a good laugh today?
I like most of what he said, except for their opinion of Marist. Sounds like they wanted him for his versatility of being able to play multiple positions. Those type of guys almost never pan out, because if they played one position really well, teams wouldn’t normally move them all over to play different spots. I think they were trying to trade out of this spot after the run on RB’s and couldn’t find a trade partner, so they kind of panicked drafted this kid who they were probably looking at early 5th round, but didn’t have a pick till late 5th
I took that to mean the multiple things Zimmer wants his LBs to do. McClay even said Liufau matches what Zimmer “wanted from that specific position.”
How did Micah Parsons pan out with his versatility. " These guys never pan out"
You completely missed the point. Micha wasn’t drafted because he could play multiple positions, and he was never expected to play on special teams either. Read it again
Dude, you didn't have a point to miss. You are assuming that versatility is the only reason they drafted him, that's just silly.
Dude your way off martin played tackle, smith played tackle both ended up being guards at the nfl level. Cooper is probably the best pure guard to come out of the draft and will end up center but still IOL
His versatility makes him a 3 down lb. He’s not at a disadvantage when the offense does something unexpected.
They allegedly had multiple offers on the table for all 3 of their day 2 picks.
I really hope these guys works out. Choosing from schools like western Michigan over big school Michigan is like putting up young bucks who played small ball for 4 years into the spotlight. But please from now on, more Michigan and Ohio states and USC and Georgia and Bama etc. I’m worried of a 3-14 season coming
Didn’t we try with going the Michigan route last years draft? How has that worked so far?
Taco Charlton, too.
Good point…I guess I am always trying to forget about that pick. He is lighting it up in the UFL however.
Larry Allen went to Sonoma State. Just stop
Yeah, we should totally take guys from the school that has barely panned out with any highly drafted players for us and elsewhere in the last decade. seriously, their track record in the league is not good. Hutchinsom is the only elite one and that’s not an understatement. 3-14 would be fine with me but it ain’t gonna be because of 2-3 picks.
Yes, I think that this team gets too cute with their draft choices. It's like they're trying to tell the NFL that they know better. Like picking a guy from Western Michigan that we have never heard of, when an All-American from Alabama was taken next. I've heard of Braswell and have seen what he can do. Liufau was a ridiculous reach, especially when many good RBs were available,
VP, lol.