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It’s no consolation the Herschel Walker trade, but Minnesota Vikings fans can find some solace in a recent draft blunder by the Dallas Cowboys .
Jerry Jones made a draft faux pas, flashing his draft board in a press conference after the first round and revealing a glowing observation surrounding Vikings’ first-round pick Lewis Cine — and Cowboys fans are furious.
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Cowboys Graded Cine the 13th Best Player in the Draft
The subjective divide between draft analysts and team draft boards was evident this year with first-round hype surrounding quarterbacks like Malik Willis and Desmond Ridder failing to materialize.
Most draft analysts graded Georgia safety Lewis Cine, whom the Vikings selected 32nd overall, as a fringe first- to second-round talent.
But according to the Dallas’ draft board, which was deciphered by internet sleuths and later publicized by The Athletic, Cine was the 13th best player in the draft.
While the Vikings’ trading down with consensus top safety in Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton still undrafted was met with scrutiny, Dallas’ grades for Cine and Hamilton were not far apart. The Cowboys graded Hamilton the 8th best player in the draft, per The Athletic.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah did not reveal where they graded Cine but said he was someone they targeted in the ‘teens. Considering Cine’s high marks on team draft boards, Minnesota’s trade down with the Detroit Lions looks even better than previously thought.
Meanwhile, Cowboys fans vented their frustration in their first-round draft pick after the Joneses let Cine slide further down the draft.
Cowboys Fans Reactions
In the first round, the Cowboys selected Tulsa offensive tackle Tyler Smith with the 23rd overall pick. Cine was still on the board along with several other highly touted prospects.
The Cowboys draft board revealed 14 first-round grades, including Cine at No. 13. Smith, who was 16th on Dallas’ board, received a second-round grade, which left Cowboys fans frustrated.
“… now I’m confused why the Cowboys didn’t just draft Lewis Cine,” one Twitter user replied to the leaked draft board.
Fans seemed to agree that the Joneses made the wrong move by not following their scouting department and taking the best player available.
“So the Cowboys didn’t go BPA then and drafted a 2nd round graded player at 24 instead of a first round graded player still available in Lewis Cine. I get that OT is more valuable than Safety but still,” one fan replied.
Another fan questioned whether what they witnessed on draft night was real.
Responding to which player they’d wish the Cowboys would have taken in the draft, one fan laid it all on the table for Dallas’ draft blunder.
“Lewis Cine- their scouts are very good. If the Cowboys had a 1st round grade on him and he was the last 1st round grade, that should have been their pick,” the fan responded. “But of course Stephen (Jones) screwed us by not filling any holes soooo…..”
Time will tell whether the Cowboys’ made the right decision, but their leaked board adds further validation that Minnesota’s selection of Cine was a steal.
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