This was the first draft of Mike McCarthy’s tenure.
He had no complaints with how it unfolded.
A Cowboys team determined to upgrade the defensive side of the ball heading into the first evening of the draft changed directions when Oklahoma receiver CeeDee Lamb was unexpectedly available at No. 17.
“When I saw my phone ringing, it honestly surprised me,’’ Lamb said at the time.
Surprising? The club conducted 26 virtual interviews in the days and weeks leading up to 2020 draft. Lamb wasn’t among them. The last time club officials spoke to the talented receiver was two months earlier during the scouting combine.
Club officials ran countless mocks in an effort to get ready for the decisions they could face when on the clock. None of those trial runs had Lamb available at No. 17.
The Cowboys followed by taking corner Trevon Diggs in the second round. The two are foundational pieces for this franchise going forward.
All told, there were seven players drafted in this class. Three went on to make Pro Bowl appearances to help set the tone for McCarthy’s tenure.
Players drafted
Round Player Position Spot taken 1 CeeDee Lamb WR 17 2 Trevon Diggs CB 51 3 Neville Gallimore DT 82 4 Reggie Robinson CB 123 4 Tyler Biadasz C 146 5 Bradlee Anae DE 179 7 Ben DiNucci QB 231
Hits
Dallas had 19 players with first-round grades on its board. Lamb was sixth.
Club officials projected the likely debate would come down to Clemson cornerback A.J. Terrell and LSU defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson at No. 17. It was considered a toss-up. But Terrell went immediately before to Atlanta. That left Chaisson and Lamb.
The choice was easy.
“We didn’t think he’d be there,’’ owner Jerry Jones conceded that night. “As late as today, we went over different machinations we might end up with, and Mike at one time alluded to the fact that if someone like that (Lamb) is there, tear this plan up. If he falls, then I want to recast my vote.’’
Lamb has improved his reception, yardage and touchdown totals in each of his four seasons. He has 395 catches for 5,145 yards with 32 touchdowns since entering the league.
Diggs was under consideration for the Cowboys in the first round if the club had made a trade to move back and acquire additional picks. When he was still on the board in the second round Dallas pounced.
“I was star-struck because that’s Jerry Jones,’’ Diggs said upon receiving the call from the Cowboys. “Words can’t explain it. My heart dropped.
“The first round didn’t go how I wanted it to, but I still ended up where I wanted to go.’’
Diggs had 11 interceptions in his second season with the Cowboys to equal a number that hadn’t been reached in the NFL in 40 years.
Lamb and Diggs have five Pro Bowl appearances between them at this early stage of their career. Center Tyler Biadasz, who was taken in the fourth round, made his first Pro Bowl appearance this past season.
Misses
The Cowboys had high hopes for third-round pick Neville Gallimore. But after nine starts his rookie season, the defensive tackle tailed off with just five starts over his final three seasons in Dallas. He’s now in Miami.
Fourth-round pick Reggie Robinson was a corner from Tulsa the club moved to safety. It didn’t work. He was released after playing just five games in two seasons for the club.
Dallas used a seventh-round pick on quarterback Ben DiNucci to see if they could develop him into a solid backup for Dak Prescott. He was unable to beat out Cooper Rush and moved on.
Bottom line
Lamb and Diggs are the only members of that class still on the roster since Biadasz left in free agency. It doesn’t matter.
When you come out of one draft with two players who rank among the best at their positions, two stars on opposite sides of the ball who play significant roles in the club’s future, it was a highly productive draft.
Catch David Moore on Cowboys Happy Hour on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310 and 96.7 FM) on Wednesday night at 7 o’clock in April.
