The 2023 Dallas Cowboys draft picks weren’t highly received when they started last season. Many of the team got benched their first season or suffered from injuries. However, with the Cowboys rid of many other talented players, it begs the question of whether these players will avoid the sophomore slump.
Here’s what each of the remaining 2023 draft picks need to do in order to exceed expectations
Expectations for the Dallas Cowboys Draft Picks from 2023
DT Mazi Smith – Hold His Own
The biggest challenge that Mazi Smith faces is his inability to hold his own. In order to truly be exceptional, it’ll be important for Smith to bring out the dog in him. He has to step into a very physical role, something he couldn’t quite do last year.
Compared to Osa Odighizuwa, he just wasn’t quite as effective. Part of that was due to his low weight, but the other part is just a lack of stepping into the role, which happens a lot to rookie players. With another year under his belt, there should be a huge step up in his play.
TE Luke Schoonmaker – Capitalize on the Reps
Schoonmaker caught about half of his targets last season. He was targeted 15 times and caught 8. He also didn’t have many yards after the catch, only 27 yards total. So the goal for him is to elongate plays.
Size-wise, he compares well to TE1, Jake Ferguson. What’ll be crucial for Schoonmaker is using that size to plow through defenders and gain more yards. With more reps more than likely coming his way this season, he has to capitalize on them in order to make a meaningful difference.
LB DeMarvion Overshown – Stay Healthy
Overshown went down with an injury to his ACL last year before his rookie season even began. It’ll be imperative for him to stay healthy and show what he can do in order to stay on the team for the following year.
He was on and off with being present during preseason and training camp. If he ends up struggling to stay healthy throughout this season as well, then his career in Dallas could come to a close.
Overshown’s other big goal will be to make plays on the field. Even if he does manage to stay healthy the entire season, he has to be the dynamic player the Cowboys were originally hoping for in order to make his presence known.
RB Deuce Vaughn – Maintain Shiftiness
Vaughn is one of the smallest running backs in the league. His goal will be to use that shiftiness to his advantage.
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One of the skills that makes Vaughn unique is his ability to find the hole and avoid a tackle. He’s small, which can definitely be a disadvantage. But his talent is something the Cowboys have been lacking with bulkier backs. He could have a very strong season, but that greatly depends on his ability to avoid the tackle.
WR Jalen Brooks – Be a Playmaker
One of the most interesting draft picks was Jalen Brooks. Adding Brooks to the roster was a necessity for a team that has been using CeeDee Lamb as much as possible.
What’ll be ample is diversifying the targets for the Cowboys. If it’s always expected for the team to go to Lamb that makes him a target for double and triple coverage. Brooks being able to divert that attention away from Lamb by being an exceptional player in his own right will be key for him breaking past a sophomore slump.
2023 Dallas Cowboys Draft Picks with Lots to Do
The Cowboys have the capacity, as always, to be a dynamic team. But a big part of that is capitalizing on their current 2024 draft picks, and utilizing their former picks as well. Building a youthful team is key to keeping relevance in the league, and the Cowboys could be on their way to doing that.
Main Photo Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
