IRVING - Will McClay is still getting used to seeing daylight. The Dallas Cowboys assistant director of player personnel had a routine going over the last several months where he spent most of his waking hours inside Valley Ranch.
McClay would arrive early in the morning, leave in the evening to put his son to bed and then head back to the Cowboys' practice facility until two or three in the morning.
"It wasn't just me," McClay said Friday. "It was a lot of guys. We watched more tape. We had more discussions."
For the first time in his Cowboys career, McClay was in charge of the draft.
He'll receive the most blame if this group is as productive as the 2009 class, but he'll be praised if Zack Martin and Demarcus Lawrence become quality starters and a Day 3 pick sticks for a few seasons.
Heck, Jerry Jones already said McClay deserves an "A" grade for the 2014 class. Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones was also complimentary, saying Friday that McClay was "outstanding" and a "big plus."
"I think we had a good draft," McClay said. "We put a plan together and the guys went out and did the work so we could put together a good board, and then have good conversations about it.
"My job was to try and get everybody closer together, so when the draft started, we had gone over a number of different scenarios. And I was good with it."
McClay was especially good with finding players like cornerback Terrance Mitchell and defensive lineman Ben Gardner in the seventh round. Dallas had a third/fourth-round grade on Mitchell. Gardner "has the ability to play at a high level," according to McClay.
The Cowboys also traded a valuable third-round pick to move up in the second-round to grab Lawrence, their projected future right defensive end.
McClay's view on trading up: "Right ends are very, very hard to find ⦠sometimes you got to pay the cost to live in a nice house."
The former Arena Football League player and coach says the Cowboys are looking for three things in a player: "football character, competes and work ethic." They were looking for that during last weekend's draft and all last season as they brought in numerous free agents off the street.
It's not an easy task. The scouts and coaches don't always agree. And that's where McClay comes in.
"The coaches are looking sometimes for that guy that's ready-made because they have to win right now," McClay said. "The scouts are looking for the future, the future of the organization, and you got to marry those two."
If McClay has enough success at the alter, other teams will eventually come calling. At 47, he must have dreams of one day becoming an NFL general manager, right?
"My career goal right now is to help the Cowboys get back to winning championships," McClay said. "That's my goal. I love the Cowboys. I love the family. I love the whole deal. I'm not worried about going anywhere right now."
Follow Jon Machota on Twitter: @jonmachota
