A look at who the Dallas Cowboys picked in the 2023 NFL draft
Mazi Smith
Round 1 - Pick 26
A long night of anxious anticipation ended with the Cowboys selecting a player they had targeted throughout the evening.
Big, strong 6-foot-3, 323 pound defensive tackle Mazi Smith of Michigan can be a real difference maker on Dan Quinn's defense. One of the strongest, most athletic players in this entire draft class, the Cowboys think Smith is the missing link on a defense that ranked 22nd in the league stopping the run last season.
While many of the "draft experts" projected Smith to be a second round draft pick, he was graded a first rounder by the Cowboys and other teams. Dallas declined trade offers from other teams to move down from the No. 26 pick when they were on the clock.
Highly respected NFL talent evaluator Greg Cosell agreed with the Cowboys assessment of Smith on a recent episode of "Inside The Birds," a Philadelphia Eagles podcast.
"The guy's a freak," Cosell said. "He has a rare combination of size, mass, and athletic movement, almost twitchy for a defensive lineman. There's not another defensive line prospect in this class, including Jalen Carter (Georgia DT who was drafted 9th overall by Philadelphia), with the size, mass, live feet and short area quickness as Smith. He's a pretty rare prospect."
So, take it from a guy who makes his home in Philly, the Cowboys get an A grade for the selection of Mazi Smith in the first round.
Luke Schoonmaker
Round 2 - Pick 58
After drafting big, powerful Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith in the first round, the Cowboys picked another "Michigan Man" with the 58th overall pick in the second round: Tight end Luke Schoonmaker.
At 6-foot-5, 251 pounds, Schoonmaker is a versatile athlete, who is considered a strong blocker and caught 35 passes and scored three TDs last season, helping lead the Wolverines to the College Football Playoff. He put up good numbers at the Combine, running a 4.63 forty with a 10-7 broad jump and 6.87 cone drill, showing similar athleticism as the current tight ends on the Cowboys roster.
The 24-year old Schoonmaker spent five years at Michigan, starting the last two seasons, and is the same age as second year Cowboys TEs Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot. He is a year younger than Sean McEwen, who was Schoonmaker's teammate at Michigan in 2018-19.
Cowboys TE Coach Lunda Wells says Cowboys scouts ranked Schoonmaker as the top blocking tight end in the draft. He was instrumental at the point of attack in the Michigan run game.
The Cowboys likely had higher grades on a handful of other tight ends who were drafted earlier in the second round. Iowa's Sam LaPorta (No. 34 - Detroit), Notre Dame's Michael Mayer (No. 35 - Las Vegas), and Oregon State's Luke Musgrave (No. 42 - Green Bay) were selected early in the second round. Georgia's Darnell Washington, reportedly, is a medical concern due to a knee injury. So, the Cowboys feel fortunate that Schoonmaker was still on the board when they drafted at No. 57.
The Cowboys filled a need with this pick, passing on players at other positions, including Oklahoma WR Marvin Mims (Frisco Lone Star High School) and Arkansas LB Drew Sanders (Denton Ryan High School), who were both drafted by the Denver Broncos a few picks later at No. 63 and No. 67. TCU RB Kendre Miller was drafted by New Orleans early, in the third round at No. 71.
DeMarvion Overshown
Round 3 - No. 90
Jerry Jones had inside knowledge from deep within the Texas Longhorn locker room that helped persuade him to draft Texas LB DeMarvion Overshown in the third round Friday night.
The Cowboys owner's grandson, Texas wide reciever Paxton Anderson, was Overshown's locker mate in Austin, becoming close friends with the 1st Team All-Big 12 linebacker.
Overshown was an Under Armour All-American Safety at Class 3A Arp, a town of 892 residents located just southeast of Tyler. He converted to linebacker after two years at Texas and became a three-year starter.
At 6-foot-3, 229 points with 4.56 speed, Overshown has the traits that could translate into a productive NFL career. He should be a core special teams player right off the bat and can be used in defensive sub-packages in a variety of ways his rookie season, including as a pass rusher at times. He had 4 sacks and 10 tackles for loss last season.
The Cowboys had a need at linebacker after losing 10-game starter Anthony Barr and special teamer Luke Gifford in free agency, and the drafting of Overshown goes a long way toward upgrading the position.
Viliami "Junior" Fehoko
Round 4 - No. 129
It appears the Cowboys took the "Best Player Available" approach to their 4th round selection, taking versatile San Jose State Defensive Lineman Viliami "Junior" Fehoko with the 129th pick.
At 6 feet 3 inches tall and 276 pounds, Fehoko was the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, accumulating 69 tackles with 9 sacks and 19 tackles for loss.
A 4-year starter, Fehoko has an energetic play style that will fit very well in Dan Quinn's scheme. He can play all along the defensive line, lining up as a strong side base DE or moving inside as a 3-technique and inside pass rusher.
The second cousin of Tampa Bay Buccaneer Pro Bowl DT Vita Vea, Fehoko should become a regular contributor in the defensive line rotation and fills a need for the future as the Cowboys have five players on their defensive line who are in the last year of their contracts.
Fehoko's rugged, competitive play style will fit well with the likes of 1st round pick Mazi Smith, Osa Odighizuwa, Johnathan Hankins, Demarcus Lawrence and others in the D-Line rotation.
The Cowboys have surprised some with their decision to go with defensive players on three of their first four picks, but they seem to going with a philosophy of taking the best player available in this case. Clearly, they believe that many of the impact offensive players, particularly at wide receiver and running back, have already been taken.
The Cowboys have three more picks to go and keep an eye on pint-sized Kansas State RB Deuce Vaughn, the son of Cowboys Assistant Director of College Scouting Chris Vaughn in round five.
Asim Richards
Round 5 - No. 169
After drafting San Jose State Defensive Lineman Junior Fehoko in the fourth Round on Saturday, the Cowboys were digging for some diamonds in the rough later in the late rounds.
Still in need of a starting left offensive guard after Connor McGovern signed with the Buffalo Bills in free agency, Dallas added North Carolina OT Asim Richards to the mix in the 5th Round.
A 3-year starter at left tackle for Mack Brown's Tar Heels, Richards (6-4, 309) has position flexibility and figures to be worked at left guard early in his career. He has good length with prototype 34 inch arms which allows him to project as a possible swing tackle as well as an inside player.
Eric Scott, Jr.
Round 6 - No. 178
A short time later, the Cowboys traded for the first pick of the sixth round, swapping a 2024 fifth round pick to Kansas City. Dallas drafted Southern Miss CB Eric Scott Jr (6-1, 204), who has dynamic explosion measurables—16 bench reps, 39.5 vertical, and 11-1 broad jump—which rank in the upper echelon of cornerback prospects in this draft.
Scott is a press man corner who fits the profile of a Dan Quinn DB. The mere fact that Dallas dealt next year's fifth round pick to get Scott tells you how highly the Cowboys think of his potential.
Deuce Vaughn
Round 6 - No. 212
What a moment when the Cowboys were on the clock at Draft Pick #212 in the sixth round of the NFL Draft.
That's when Jerry Jones made the decision to draft pint-sized running back Deuce Vaughn of Kansas State. At 5 feet 5 inches tall and 179 pound, Vaughn is the son of Cowboys Assistant Director of College Scouting Chris Vaughn.
A two-time consensus All-American, the Round Rock native accounted for nearly 4900 yards and 43 touchdowns in college career.
In the Dallas Draft War Room, Jerry Jones handed Deuce's dad a handkerchief as he told Chris Vaughn that is son was about to become a Dallas Cowboy. You can't find a more respected or well-liked member of the Cowboys organization than Chris Vaughn. And now, his son is a Dallas Cowboy too—and deservedly so.
Jalen Brooks
Round 7 - No. 244
At six feet two inches tall and 202 pounds, Dallas' final pick was South Carolina receiver Jalen Brooks in the seventh round.