The 2022 Dallas Cowboys draft class had a certain theme associated with it and that theme is toughness. After the Cowboys got bullied by the San Fransico 49ers in the wildcard round of the playoffs last season, a conscious decision was made by the front office to try to change the team’s culture and they hope that this draft class will spark the desired change within the locker room. Here is a recap of the complete draft class as well as all of the undrafted free agents signed by the club following the draft.
Dallas Cowboys 2022 Draft Class
- Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa
- Sam Williams, DE, Ole Miss
- Jalen Tolbert, WR, South Alabama
- Jake Ferguson, TE, Wisconson
- Jake Waletzko, OT, North Dakota
- Daron Bland, CB, Fresno State
- Damone Clark, LB, LSU
- John Ridgeway, DT, Arkansas
- Devin Harper, LB, Oklahoma State
Dallas Cowboys Undrafted Free Agents
- Markquese Bell, S, Florida A&M
- Markaviest Bryant, DE, Central Florida
- Malik Davis, RB, Florida
- Dontario Drummond, WR, Ole Miss
- James Empey, C, BYU
- Ty Fryfogle, WR, Indiana
- Jonathan Garibay, K, Texas Tech
- Aaron Hansford, LB, Texas A&M
- Peyton Hendershot, TE, Indiana
- Dennis Houston, WR, Western Illinois
- Storey Jackson, LB, Liberty
- Alex Lindstrom, C, Boston College
- Quandre Mosely, CB, Kentucky
- Jaquarii Robinson, WR, Wake Forest
- Aaron Shampklin, RB, Harvard
- Amon Simon, OT, Texas A&M-Commerce
- Mike Tafua, DE, Utah
- Isaac Taylor-Stuart, CB, Southern Cal
- Juanyeh Thomas, S, Georgia Tech
- La’Kendrick Van Zandt, S, TCU
To emphasis the toughness of this draft class, here are some quotes used to describe them courtesy of Dane Brugler of the Athletic in his annual comprehensive draft guide known simply as “The Beast“:
Embraces the bully role and finishes with an aggressive attitude
– on Tyler Smith
has gritty play personality and doesn’t make thing easy on blockers
– on Sam Williams
turns into a defensive back when necessary, so either he catches it or no one does
– on Jalen Tolbert
coaches say he isn’t afraid to address the team and be a vocal leader…He has the mentality needed for blocking duties
– on Jake Ferguson
smothers receivers on the outside and plays with the speed and physicality that pop on the screen
– on Daron Bland
always has the dirtiest jersey on the defense
– on Damone Clark
a state champion wrestler in high school and plays with the knock-back power to displace and overwhelm blockers.
– on John Ridgeway
shows the downhill speed and demeanor to be a nickel defender and special teams standout.
– on Devin Harper
He showed off his range and toughness vs. the run
– on Markquese Bell
fearless attacking downhill…aggressive demeanor desired at the position
– on Juanyeh Thomas
physical demeanor and looks to finish each rep
– on Alex Lindstrom
stout edge-setter who knocks tight ends into tomorrow … his gas tank is always full, giving relentless effort
– on Mike Tufua
So clearly the Cowboys were seeking out a certain type of demeanor and personality trait with this year’s draft class. They have also moved on from players who they may have felt did not have the right attitude or work ethic such as Amari Cooper, Connor Williams, and La’el Collins. They are trying to change the culture of a team that appeared soft in the loss against San Francisco. The question Cowboys fans will wonder is this: Is it the players on the the roster who are soft or does the inherent culture of the organization make them soft? In other words, is this young group of to the high profile celebrity life be that comes with being a member of the Dallas Cowboys? It is difficult to imagine, that even the most hardened of these rookies would be able to keep their edge after practicing indoors in bad weather, signing autographs for adoring fans, engaging in countless interviews, and walking onto the field on a red carpet. Cowboys fans only hope that with this great social experiment that is the 2022 Dallas Cowboys draft class, nature prevails over the influence of America’s Team.