It was a phenomenal start to the draft for the Cowboys, paying a small price to move up one spot and take Caleb Downs before later trading back and taking Malachi Lawrence. But they’re certainly not the only ones celebrating, and the Cowboys’ three divisional rivals all believe they got better Thursday night too.
New York Giants
The Giants had previously made a bold move to secure two top 10 draft picks, swapping Dexter Lawrence for the Bengals’ 10th overall pick, in addition to the fifth pick they already owned.
Immediately, chatter abounded that they were targeting Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson with one of the picks.
New head coach John Harbaugh would not use the fifth pick on Tyson, though partially because of how the draft board fell. Ohio State hybrid pass rusher Arvell Reese, long expected to go second overall to the Jets, fell to fifth. Despite having three former first round edge rushers already on the roster – Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and last year’s Abdul Carter – the Giants took Reese.
Reports immediately emerged that there’s no imminent move for any of the other three EDGEs on the roster, which likely means new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson will have to create a hybrid role for Reese, who was compared by some draft experts to Micah Parsons.
If the Giants’ plan was to take Tyson at 10, their plans were foiled. Tyson came off the board two picks early to the Saints, and suddenly everyone started to believe Downs would be the Giants’ pick at 10. It was a nervous few minutes for Cowboys fans.
In the end, though, Harbaugh prioritized the offensive line by taking Miami’s Francis Mauigoa. A mountain of a man and generally considered the top tackle in the draft, Mauigoa started to earn some doubters due to a herniated disk that some feared may be symptomatic of further back issues down the road. Mauigoa was also projected by some as a candidate to move inside to guard, which he may end up doing with both Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eleumunor both on the roster.
Washington Commanders
Sitting at seventh overall, there was no shortage of what the Commanders could have done. Might they target a playmaker like Tyson to give Jayden Daniels more weapons? Or go after a top defensive stud for new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones?
In the end, they went with the latter. Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles dropped right into their lap after a brief slide out of the top five. An athletic freak and heat-seeking missile, Styles was the consensus top linebacker in this draft and widely considered a lock to go top 10 due to his versatility.
In Washington, he’ll play alongside a similar player in Frankie Luvu, giving both Jones and Dan Quinn a couple chess pieces to play with on the second level. After a miserable season on defense last year, the Commanders are hoping Styles can be a catalyst for turning it around.
Philadelphia Eagles
Not many outside of Philadelphia were talking about what the Eagles might do on night one of the draft, but Howie Roseman found a way to steal all the headlines, plus a player.
The Eagles made a rare intra-division trade, moving up to the Cowboys’ 20th overall pick in exchange for the 23rd overall pick and two fourth-rounders (a seventh-rounder was also involved). They made the move for USC wide receiver Makai Lemon, who turned out to have been on the phone with Mike McCarthy and the Steelers (who picked 21st) at the time Roseman made his move.
The drama of that moment immediately made for a great headline, but Lemon is also a really talented player. Oozing with speed and quick twitch, Lemon became a fan favorite for many mock drafters, even after his bizarre combine interview.
Of course, for as good as the Lemon pick was on its own, it prompted renewed conversation about A.J. Brown’s future with the team. Rumors persist that Brown has played his last down of football with the organization, and moving up to take a receiver in the first round will certainly amplify that talking point.
