Cowboys rank last among NFC East teams in 2023 draft capital
Cowboys fans still have close to a month to ruminate over how the front office will spend their seven picks in the 2023 draft. And while seven selections is a nice number, the simple truth is that not all draft picks are not equal.
Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson knew this all too well, and he helped develop a numerical chart that illustrates just how much more valuable the No. 1 pick is than No. 227… and even how pick values drop within each round. There’s a massive difference between the value of the first pick in the first round and, say, the 15th or eighth or even the third pick in the first round.
Johnson created his chart in the early ’90s while he was with the Cowboys, and every other team in the league eventually adopted some version of it. While analytics experts have refined the chart in the years since to make it more accurate according to historical trends, the numerical values that Johnson originally came up with (3,000 for the No. 1 pick and decreasing from there) still make for a useful tool when analyzing each team’s draft capital.
Good thing the Cowboys have been aggressive in improving their roster ahead of the draft this year, because the chart shows them bringing up the rear within their own division in terms of how much talent they can acquire with their current picks.
In fact, Dallas ranks 13th among NFC teams in draft capital; only the Rams, Vikings, and 49ers are scheduled to go into draft weekend with less buying power to work with.
Picks can still be traded, and the Cowboys can still improve their draft capital. But the numbers- and how they stack up against their divisional rivals’- show how imperative it is that the Dallas war room make smart choices with every single card they turn in.
Here’s how the NFC East squads shake out ahead of the 2023 draft, according to Drafttek and using Johnson’s point values.
9. Philadelphia Eagles - 2,331.0
Dec 18, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) drops back to pass against the Chicago Bears during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
Round 1 — Nos. 10, 30 overall
Round 2 — No. 62 overall
Round 3 — No. 94 overall
Round 7 — Nos. 219, 248 overall
The defending NFC champs look to go shopping with the most draft capital of any team in the East. They have just six picks the whole weekend, but the 10th overall selection, which they obtained last March in a multiple-pick swap with New Orleans, is monumental. That pick alone is worth 1,300 points on Johnson’s famed chart, more valuable than all seven of the Cowboys’ 2023 picks combined. And then they’ll still have another first-round choice to go, so the rich stand to get even richer.
16. Washington Commanders - 1,647.6
Nov 6, 2022; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne (94) runs out of the tunnel with teammates prior to their game against the Minnesota Vikings at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Round 1 — No. 16 overall
Round 2 — No. 47 overall
Round 3 — No. 97 overall
Round 4 — No. 118 overall
Round 5 — No. 150 overall
Round 6 — Nos. 193, 215 overall
Round 7 — No. 233 overall
The Commanders are sitting in the middle of the NFL pack when it comes to draft capital. With eight overall selections, they’ll be on the clock in every round of the draft, and twice in the sixth round.
21. New York Giants - 1,295.4
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – SEPTEMBER 09: Saquon Barkley #26 of the New York Giants looks on during warm ups before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at MetLife Stadium on September 9, 2018 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
Round 1 — No. 25 overall
Round 2 — No. 57 overall
Round 3 — No. 89 overall
Round 4 — No. 128 overall
Round 5 — Nos. 160, 172 overall
Round 6 — No. 209 overall
Round 7 — Nos. 240, 243, 254 overall
Big Blue has an impressive ten picks in the 2023 draft. But seven of them come on Day 3, when values drop significantly; their final four selections all have assigned values in the single digits.
22. Dallas Cowboys - 1,228.4
Nov 24, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) and the offense prepares to face the New York Giants during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The Cowboys currently have seven picks in the draft, one in each round. But the value of each of those picks is on the low side since they all come toward the end of each round.
The team gave up two 2023 selections in the Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore trades; those picks have values of 25.8 and 22.6, respectively. Even had Dallas not made those trades, the added value of the two additional picks would still have them ranked last among NFC East teams in terms of overall draft capital.
As it stands, the Cowboys got two proven starters who are both clear upgrades to their 2022 roster for the NFL equivalent of loose change found stuck between the couch cushions.
