DALLAS COWBOYS FINAL NFL DRAFT GRADES 2024: THE COWBOYS ADDRESS THE TRENCHES WITH TYLER GUYTON, MARSHAWN KNEELAND, COOPER BEEBE, AND MORE
Despite finishing the 2023 NFL regular season tied for the best record in the NFC, the Dallas Cowboys postseason sojourn was short-lived. An offseason of inactivity emphasized the 2024 NFL Draft, but did they maximize their draft capital in Detroit?
The Cowboys’ draft grades explain how Dallas’ 2024 NFL Draft unfolded.
Dallas Cowboys NFL Draft Grades
Round 1, Pick 29: Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
After losing Tyron Smith in the offseason, the Cowboys had to address the offensive line in the 2024 NFL Draft.
That could have taken the form of pushing Tyler Smith out to tackle and selecting one of the versatile interior offensive linemen from this class. However, the franchise traded out of the 24 spot, which would have been a little bit of a reach for any of the remaining offensive line prospects, and waited until the 29th pick to land rising Oklahoma Sooner Tyler Guyton.
It’s a savvy move that gives the team some extra capital and a mammoth offensive tackle to become the long-term left tackle.
Guyton is a 6’8”, 327-pound behemoth with exceptional for-size athleticism, already impressive technical acumen, and whose best football is likely ahead of him with high development potential.
Grade: B+
Round 2, Pick 56: Marshawn Kneeland, EDGE, Western Michigan
Although he ranks as the 77th overall player on the PFN Big Board, the selection of Marshawn Kneeland shouldn’t necessarily be deemed as a reach by the Cowboys.
The Western Michigan defensive end is a player on an upward trajectory, who started receiving some first-round buzz following an impressive performance at the Senior Bowl.
Kneeland uses a combination of power and 34” arms to pulverize opposing offensive linemen. He has extreme disruptive potential for a Cowboys team looking to add a nasty edge. They don’t get much nastier than the former Bronco.
Grade: B+
Round 3, Pick 73: Cooper Beebe, OG, Kansas State
A versatile offensive lineman who has seen time all across the trenches during his time with Kansas State, Cooper Beebe heads to Dallas after dominating defensive linemen in the Big 12.
He’s a 6’3”, 322-pound ball of fury and power, and he plays the game with the vicious intensity that you expect to find on the interior.
It isn’t often that an offensive lineman is considered for Offensive Player of the Week honors, but some of his performances for the Wildcats warranted that level of honor.
With the selection of Guyton in Round 1 pointing to keeping Smith at left guard, Beebe could be groomed as the long-term answer at center for the Cowboys.
Grade: B+
Round 3, Pick 87: Marist Liufau, LB, Notre Dame
Despite adding Eric Kendricks this offseason, linebacker was a clear position of need heading into the 2024 NFL Draft, and relatively high up the list of needs, too.
On the surface, the selection of Marist Liufau could command one of the worst grades we’ve seen so far, given his ranking of 205th on the PFN Big Board and with some of the consensus top LB prospects still available.
MORE: Top 50 Best Available Prospects Remaining
That said, I was in Dublin, Ireland, when Notre Dame obliterated the Navy Midshipmen, and Liufau’s hard-hitting could be felt up in the press box.
He’s a highly intelligent linebacker with a nose for the ball and the physicality to punish running backs and receivers who dare to sneak out underneath.
His hot motor will energize the Cowboys’ defense.
Grade: B-
Round 5, Pick 174: Caelen Carson, CB, Wake Forest
While we didn’t have cornerback listed as a priority need for the Cowboys, there was a clear expectation that they could bolster their roster at the position. They do so with one of the best available prospects left on the Pro Football Network Big Board.
Wake Forest CB Caelen Carson is ranked 62nd overall on our board, and brings his physicality and impact-making force as a man-coverage corner to the Cowboys. He’ll require some technical development, but he’s shown he can be a coachable player.
Grade: A
Round 6, Pick 216: Ryan Flournoy, WR, Southeast Missouri State
The Cowboys were in the market for a wide receiver in this class, and they waited until late in Round 6 to snag a small-school pass catcher with big-time playmaking ability.
Ryan Flournoy is one of the most physical receivers in this 2024 NFL Draft class, playing with a chip on his shoulder and fire in his heart. He was incredibly productive for SEMO, and has some alluring athletic attributes.
Grade: B+
Round 7, Pick 233: Nathan Thomas, OT, Louisiana
The Cowboys double-dip at the offensive tackle position, picking up a prospect who had earned some early Day 3 chatter from multiple draft analysts.
While he didn’t command that level of capital from the PFN Big Board, Nathan Thomas is a heavy-hitting juggernaut who can comfortably get out to the second level in the ground game with his above-average athletic makeup.
Grade: B
Round 7, Pick 244: Justin Rogers, DT, Auburn
The Cowboys tick off their final need on our pre-draft list by taking Justin Rogers in the seventh round. The 6’2”, 330 pound-former Tiger is your quintessential nose tackle, with a bulky frame that is difficult to move.
There’s a nasty aggressiveness and power to his game at times, and you wouldn’t want to be a running back heading his way. However, he’s role limited with average length and a similar level of athleticism.
Grade: C+
Dallas Cowboys 2024 NFL Draft Summary
It might not have been the sexiest draft class of all time, but the Cowboys came away from the 2024 draft having built a very clear identity for the franchise going forward.
Bullyball is coming to the Cowboys, with some big nasty beasts being selected on both sides of the ball. Tyler Guyton has long-term left tackle potential and Cooper Beebe is a beast on the interior, giving Dallas some flexibility as to how they construct their best five offensive linemen going forward.
KEEP READING: 2024 NFL Draft Complete Results, Recap, Order, and All 257 Picks
Marist Liufau is a seek-and-destroy heavy-hitter from the linebacker position, and even wide receiver Ryan Flournoy has physicality as the hallmark of his game.
If you were looking to pick fault, you could argue that there were better nose tackle options available to complete the class in Round 7, but it was good work from a Cowboys front office who were feeling the heat following an offseason of relative inactivity.
Overall Grade: B+
Looking for everything you need surrounding the 2024 NFL Draft? Make sure to check out the latest draft results, overall team grades, and updated best remaining players available at every position!
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