It has been more than a month since the Minnesota Vikings stole the show of the NFL Draft’s first round by landing the #3, #7, and #15 ranked prospects on the Breitbart Sports Big Board at picks #23, #29, and #25 respectively. The three selections–defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd, wide receiver Cordarelle Patterson, and cornerback Xavier Rhodes–will dramatically improve the Vikings heading into the 2013-14 season.
However, the cornerstone of the draft class, Floyd, should not have been available in the first place.
The Dallas Cowboys were set up perfectly. With a new coordinator (Monte Kiffin) and a major need for 4-3 defensive tackles, most would have assumed that the team would jump at the chance to take the former Florida Gator with the #18 overall selection. Moreover, it was recently revealed that the Cowboys had Floyd #5 overall on their draft board showing that the team ought to have seen incredible value in the pick.
Instead, owner and general manager Jerry Jones elected to trade with the 49ers, giving the team the 31st pick, which they used on offensive lineman Travis Frederick, a player most felt was a likely third rounder. What is even more interesting is that the Cowboys themselves only listed the former Wisconsin Badger with a second round grade.
This inexplicable decision, at odds even with their own draft board, shows “America’s Team” in complete disarray. In fact, this is perhaps greater evidence than the idea that Tony Romo, one of football’s most inconsistent players, should be more involved in the decision making process of the team that the Cowboys are on the wrong track.
Beyond the negative indicators for the Cowboys, the draft board confirms that teams saw quarterbacks wildly differently as they ranked E.J. Manuel, taken 16th overall, as a fourth rounder and had three first rounders (Jarvis Jones, Alec Ogletree, and Matt Elam) off their board entirely.
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