Adrian Fedkiw
Blogging the Boys has done it again, somehow getting access to the Dallas Cowboys’ big board from draft day for the third time since 2010.
The most notable name on that board is Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, who ranked seventh. BTB analyzed the screen shot in the tweet below, which has since been deleted.
The next picture is the Cowboys’ list. Running back Ezekiel Elliott, who Dallas selected at No. 4, was the top ranked player on their board followed by Jalen Ramsey, Laremy Tunsil, Joey Bosa, Jaylon Smith, Myles Jack and Wentz. The only other Eagles draftee that was in the picture was third-round selection Isaac Seumalo, who was given a fourth-round grade.
And here’s the actual picture of their big board, which is mostly illegible.
Dallas was seemingly in a good position to select 36-year-old Tony Romo’s eventual successor until the Los Angeles Rams and Eagles moved up to No. 1 and 2, respectively, to take the top two quarterbacks in the draft. Jared Goff went to the Rams, but Wentz was ranked higher on the Cowboys’ board. Jason Garrett got a first-hand look at the North Dakota State product while coaching him at the Senior Bowl.
Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch was also fairly high on Dallas’ board, but he went to the Denver Broncos, who traded up to No. 26 to snatch him.
BTB did post the following disclaimer.
[Disclaimer] This is where we cover ourselves. We found this photo on the internet, tweeted out roughly two-and-a-half months after the draft was over. Also, the board is handwritten, if you notice that the board in 2013 that we leaked was decidedly not handwritten. The Cowboys were not working off this messy list as their official rankings during the draft. There must have been a much cleaner list somewhere, this looks like something that was copied over by an employee in the war room. But, when you follow the logic of the rankings, as you’ll see below, it makes sense that this could be the Cowboys rankings, re-written by someone after the draft was complete.
In the end, we can not definitively say this was the Cowboys draft board rankings, but if we had to bet money, we think it is. As you read on, you’ll see how these rankings actually fit almost perfectly with what the Cowboys did, and tried to do, in the draft. Of course, someone could be hoaxing us! [End Disclaimer]