The NFL Draft culminated last weekend, resulting in nine new rookies on the Dallas Cowboys. This is Brian Schottenheimer’s first NFL Draft as a head coach, and it’s evident what he wants in players: toughness, leaders, and intangibles.

Pick by pick, we’ll analyze what each player can bring to the Dallas Cowboys in 2024 and why many experts say this is an A-grade for America’s Team.

1st round – Tyler Booker (G from Alabama)

Booker may not have been the selection anyone wanted, but after doing more research, he is the pick everyone needed. Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, and Zack Martin dominated the offensive line for many years. Now, the Cowboys have invested the same first-round picks in Tyler Smith, Tyler Guyton, and now Tyler Booker. If everything pans out, Booker will be the next great offensive lineman who will take the spot of a first-ballot Hall of Famer, Zack Martin, who retired this offseason.

Booker brings an intensity and wants his opponent to “lose their love for football.” Drafting Booker instead of a running back or wide receiver signifies Schottenheimer’s plan moving forward. Schottenheimer wants to bring physicality and understands his play-action system only works if you can run the ball and control the line of scrimmage. This was a culture-defining move for the organization rather than the flashy pick.

2nd round – Donovan Ezeiruaku (DE from Boston College)

Ezeiruaku grew up a Philadelphia Eagles fan, played as an Eagle at Boston College, and now disowns an Eagle life to be a member of the Dallas Cowboys. Ezeiruaku’s production at Boston College should have warranted him a first-round selection, but being undersized for an edge rusher (6’3”, 248 lbs.) gave the Cowboys an opportunity to draft him on Friday night.

Ezeiruaku joins a defensive line with a star pass rusher in Micah Parsons, who will get paid any day now. Sam Williams returns after a torn ACL took him out for the 2024 season, while Dante Fowler Jr. comes back after a one-year stint in Washington. You also pair Ezeiruaku with a fellow second-round pick from a year ago, Marshawn Kneeland, who was finding his way as a run defender.

Ezeiruaku will immediately find himself in the rotation and impacting plays consistently. If all goes well, Ezeiruaku could be a sleeper pick for Defensive Rookie of the Year if he can translate his college sacks to the professional level.

3rd round – Shavon Revel Jr. (CB from ECU)

Revel Jr. finds himself in an interesting position. A torn ACL early in his 2024 campaign slid him to the 3rd round for the Cowboys to select him. He enters a secondary with DaRon Bland, who missed most of the 2024 season recovering from a foot injury, and Trevon Diggs, who will likely miss the first part of this season after his ACL injury. Revel will also be expected to start immediately with Jourdan Lewis signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars on a 3-year, $30 million deal this offseason. When he is at full health, Revel can play with the best of them and is another first-round talent who slipped to Dallas at the right time.

Depending on the Cowboys potentially bringing in a veteran cornerback to help, Revel will play meaningful snaps on Day 1. DaRon Bland is also in a contract year, so Revel could be a cheaper replacement in 2026, or we could see a dynamic trio between Revel, Diggs, and Bland for years to come. If we do get to see a glimpse of the future, expect Revel to play the outside while Bland fills the void at nickel left by Jourdan Lewis.

5th round – Jaydon Blue (RB from Texas)

The Cowboys watched a lot of running backs leave the board in the 4th round, a pick they traded to acquire Jonathan Mingo at the trade deadline, but were probably excited to see Blue in the 5th round. Blue’s got top-end speed with his 4.38 40-yard dash at the combine, but is a little undersized (5’9″) and has fumble concerns with 4 in his final year at Texas. Blue was the last of a historic running back room where all five made it to the NFL, a group that included Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson.

While Schottenheimer goes to establish his play-action scheme, he needs a running back he can trust. Offseason acquisitions Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders don’t strike anyone with the confidence to carry the load 300-400 times for the Cowboys. In the franchise’s history of Emmitt Smith to Ezekiel Elliott, with running backs like DeMarco Murray in between, the fan base misses a top-end running back. Blue has the potential to hit the home run and be one of the many running backs who were drafted on Day 3 to become the guy for their team.

5th round – Shemar James (LB from Florida)

With Matt Eberflus returning to Dallas as the defensive coordinator, he is known as the “linebacker whisperer.” Eberflus has drawn out special abilities from unknown linebackers, helping the likes of Anthony Hitchens make strong contributions to the team’s success. If there’s a coach who can help a Day 3 linebacker be a mainstay, it is Eberflus. Shemar James has been compared to current Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, saying “Shemar James in college was an Overshown in a Gator jersey.”

Overshown will be coming back from a major knee injury and might miss time. The Cowboys have Jack Sanborn, who is familiar with Matt Eberflus from Chicago, and Kenneth Murray Jr., who was acquired in a trade from Tennessee. Dallas likely relies on Marist Liufau while Overshown recovers, but don’t be surprised if Shemar James is the next name called in the unfortunate event of an injury, or just defeats Sanborn on the depth chart to play alongside Overshown and Murray.

6th round – Ajani Cornelius (OT from Oregon)

While Eberflus will be whispering to the linebackers, offensive coordinator Klayton Adams will strongly influence the offensive linemen. Currently, there are 17 offensive linemen on the roster. Not all will make the team, and while we believe the starting 5 is set, the backups are not. Cornelius will have the chance to compete for a roster or practice squad spot. Cornelius likely fills one of those bench spots, but don’t be surprised if Terence Steele continues to struggle and the Cowboys look to Cornelius to groom him into the starting right tackle spot.

7th round – Jay Toia (DT from UCLA)

It took seven rounds for the Cowboys to address the defensive tackle position and the atrocious run defense that has plagued the Cowboys for years. Typically, a 7th-round talent wouldn’t sniff the rotation in their first year. Between the lack of depth, Toia’s intangibles, and his leadership, he could see prominent playing time for the 2025 Dallas Cowboys. Toia was a team captain for UCLA, and he is known for disrupting the backfield by pushing defenders back, engaging two offensive linemen, and chasing runners with good effort.

For Toia, you watch the 6’2”, 342-pound defensive tackle, and longtime Buccaneer, Vita Vea, comes to mind. ESPN ranked Toia 168th in this class and was selected 217th overall. For the 7th round, you shouldn’t get a contributor, and Toia could likely be a diamond in the rough.

7th round – Phil Mafah (RB from Clemson)

Much like Jaydon Blue, the Cowboys might have found a contributing running back on Day 3, but Mafah and Blue are polar opposites. Blue is small and fast, but Mafah will be the guy who pounds the rock and fights for the one or two yards on the goalline. Mafah doesn’t have great speed, but he still had over 2,000 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns over the last two seasons for Clemson. He’s big and patient with blocks.

For the Cowboys, I assume the scheme will rely heavily on the play-action scheme, and with Klayton Adams in town as the offensive coordinator, he will want the running backs and offensive line on the same page. Mafah plays as if he is in sync with the offensive line and everything happening in front of him, which could help him find a spot on this roster and likely push fullback Hunter Luepke out of Dallas.

7th round – Tommy Akingbesota (DT from Maryland)

Much like Toia, Akingbesota could find himself in the rotation for the Cowboys, or at the very least be on the practice squad. The Cowboys needed depth at this position, and Akingbesota will have the opportunity to prove himself with not many established stars ahead of him.

It’s no surprise that the Dallas Cowboys have a highly regarded draft class. It’s always in hindsight, and there are so many factors to see if a class pans out or not. We’ll be watching over the next few years, but the hope is this will be among the greatest classes in franchise history, like the 2016 class with Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott.

How do you think the Cowboys’ rookies will do this year and in years to come?