The Dallas Cowboys didn't receive much praise from the experts at the conclusion of this year's NFL Draft. Criticizing the Dallas Cowboys for trading back and not selecting defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd in the first round was far more popular than giving Jerry Jones and Co. an A+ grade for their seven picks.
But roughly three months later and Jones says he's quite pleased with those seven players.
"I really have something good to say about every draft pick that's out there," Jones said Tuesday. "It's actually inordinate that you can speak to something that they all have done. It's easy to take a rookie and take a new guy and see all the things he's not doing. In general, we've got a good group here that really have a chance to contribute to special teams. Their part is going to be good. Regret that [Terrance] Williams got that concussion last week but he should be back in there pretty soon. I'd loved to have seen him in Canton. He would have gotten a lot of work there. But I would say the participation, the time that our rookies are spending on the field is one of the things I've seen."
Williams got off to a slow start at training camp, but the third-round pick out of Baylor started coming on last week. First-round pick Travis Frederick has played well at center and should start at that position. Second-round pick Gavin Escobar has shown very good hands at tight end and should play often in his rookie season. Third-rounder J.J. Wilcox has been arguably the biggest hitter in camp and has been competing for a starting spot. Fourth-rounder B.W. Webb is adding quality depth at corner and on special teams. Fifth-rounder Joseph Randle rushed for a team-high 70 yards on Sunday. Sixth-rounder DeVonte Holloman returned an interception for a 75-yard score in that same game.
Now, everything obviously hasn't been perfect. On Sunday, Holloman had a late hit on the quarterback and followed it up with an offside penalty. Cowboys coach Jason Garrett pointed both out on Tuesday. Garrett also discussed Wilcox's struggles, which included the safety struggling at times in coverage.
"I think he'd be a good example of inconsistent play," Garrett said of Wilcox. "He needs to run. You can hit everybody all day long but if you can't get to the point to hit the guy you're not going to be real good. So he needs to understand to play with that urgency 100 percent of the time and he will. It was evident on tape to him. He's a conscientious kid. He can be a really good player. He just needs to keep working at it and understand what it takes at this level."
Garrett later added: "He did some good things in the game, don't get me wrong. But he can play better and he knows it."
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