Let the games begin (again). The NFL draft is back in all of its extravagant glory after two years of a subdued presentation due to COVID-related restrictions. Two years ago in 2020, all team selections took place via video conferencing, with league commissioner Roger Goodell looking like a father reading bedtime stories, while broadcasting the picks from his home.
Then last year fully vaccinated fans were allowed to attend in person again, but team personnel remained in their team facilities where restrictions were still in place. Memos from the league mandated that only ten fully vaccinated individuals would be allowed in each draft room. Only if all individuals were fully vaccinated, would masks not be required. And oh, it was held in Cleveland. This year’s draft? Vegas baby!
Just last month the NFL and the NFL Players Association agreed to halt all aspects of their joint COVID-19 protocols, effective immediately. So beginning Thursday, April 28 and running through Sunday April 30, the NFL Draft is back in all of its former (and then some) glory.
OK, so the party is back on and in full swing, but what does that mean to Cowboys fans? Hopefully the only news coming out of Las Vegas will be that of a solid strategy in the Cowboys war room, but with the potential of Jerry Jones spending three days on The Strip we make no promises.
The Cowboys currently are sitting on picks 24, 56 and 88 in the first three rounds, and Jerry has publicly stated that he would not be opposed to moving up or down as needed. With nine total picks he certainly has some chips to play with, but what’s the smart move?
The Cowboys’ history of moving up or down in the draft has yielded mixed results over the years. Just last year the Cowboys selected the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year, linebacker Micah Parsons, with the 12th overall pick after trading down two spots in a deal with the Eagles, which was obviously a huge win. But in 2012 they traded their first (14th overall) and second round picks (45th overall) to the St. Louis Rams to move up and pick Morris Claiborne with the 6th overall pick. That was pretty much the equivalent of taking a hit while sitting on a 12 at the blackjack table, and getting dealt a face card.
Maneuvering up or down in the draft is always a reactionary process. Trades are dependent on positional needs and how you’ve graded the remaining players on your board. And in the Cowboys case a draft move or non-move can be dependent on convincing Jerry what is right and what is wrong. Take for example the now legendary case of Johnny Manziel.
The Cowboys certainly considered the Texas A&M quarterback a serious prospect for their pick at number 16 in the 2014 draft. With no heir in sight to the aging Tony Romo, a Texas-born and bred Heisman Trophy winner with a catchy nickname had to be a huge temptation for Jerry’s marketing mentality. But thankfully by the time that pick came around, he’d been made to see the light.
Manziel was never going to jump over or be rated higher on the Cowboys’ “Big Board” than two players who the scouting department had hoped would still be there when their pick arrived. One was Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier, and the other was Notre Dame guard Zack Martin. Shazier went at number 15 to the Steelers, the Cowboys grabbed Martin at 16, and the rest, as they say, is history. Fast forward to 2022 and Martin is still the anchor of the Cowboys offensive line.
So let’s say the Cowboys sit tight at number 24 in the first round, a strategy that we think could make a lot of sense, depending how the dominoes fall in front of them. Our eye is on George Karlaftis, a 6’4” 266 pound linebacker out of Purdue. Dallas lost Randy Gregory in free agency, so they need someone to replace those edge rushing skills. The free-agent signing of Dante Fowler Jr. is a second tier replacement at best, where Karlaftis is a heavy-handed power edge rusher who can also push the pocket, and could wreak absolute havoc alongside Parsons for the next ten years. And, most importantly, we think he’ll still be on the board when the Cowboys pick.
Growing up in Athens, Greece, Karlaftis was a multi-sport athlete, competing and excelling in swimming, soccer, tennis, basketball, track and field, judo and water polo. He has incredible athletic gifts as well as size and speed. The scary thing about Karlaftis is he’s still fine-tuning his craft. He’s only been playing football for 8 or so years now, beginning only after he, his siblings, and his mother moved to the U.S. after his father suddenly died of a heart attack. His potential is truly untapped.
I had the chance to talk to Karlaftis’ fellow defenseman and teammate at Purdue, linebacker Jacob Wahlberg, to get his opinion on the potential of the big Greek. His rave reviews on Karlaftis ranged from comments such as “hardest worker on the team” to “the best teammate you could have.” Wahlberg said one of Karlaftis’ greatest strengths, when it came to his dominance on the edge, was the extreme power in his lower body. He said Karlaftis was the first one in the gym and last one to leave, and it’s clear from his work habits just how much the game means to him.
So what will the Cowboys do when their name is called? That’s really anybody’s guess, and with Jerry Jones in charge all bets are always off.
