Cowboys' draft board not ready yet
Stephen Jones, the Cowboys' executive vice president, talked a little bit about the team's draft board during his Monday interview on 105.3-FM Dallas/Fort Worth.
Jones said it's not completed yet.
"Halfway through the final evaluation of it," he said.
Jones added the Cowboys haven't finalized how they would rank the quarterbacks.
The NFL draft is May 8-10 and how this board is established could determine the fates over several people within the front office and coaching staff.
Last year, the Cowboys' draft board put together by scouting director Tom Ciskowski had some quirks. Ciskowski and his scouts valued several players more highly than the coaches did, especially along the defensive line.
Ciskowski and his staff had defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd ranked higher than defensive line coach Rod Marinelli. Ciskowski and his staff thought Floyd was worth taking in the middle of the first round; Marinelli thought better of it and GM Jerry Jones, who makes the final call on draft selections, sided with the coaches.
So, the Cowboys eventually traded down and selected center Travis Frederick at No. 31. Frederick had a second-round grade, but his selection that late in the first round was considered a good value. Frederick ended up having a solid rookie year for the Cowboys. You can thank Ciskowski for that selection.
Jones should have either listened more to Ciskowski or allowed Marinelli to tell the scouts what he wanted in a defensive lineman.
With Jason Garrett entering the final year of his contract, the success of the Cowboys' pick at No. 16 could be vital to the coach's success.
Garrett is in a win-now mode.
This year, Ciskowski isn't finalizing the draft board. It's been given to Will McClay, who is the assistant director of player personnel. McClay works closely with Ciskowski and the two are trying to make sure everybody is on the same page come the draft.
During the offseason, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said McClay, who also helps select pro players in free agency, was having an outstanding offseason.
"He's there night and day," said McClay's former Arena Football League assistant and confidante Terry Gray in an interview with ESPN's Todd Archer recently. "He's got a relentless passion to provide Mr. [Jerry] Jones and Stephen [Jones] the very best product available within the means and the parameters of what he's able to work with. He's nonstop. Nonstop. He doesn't sleep a whole lot."
