Fact of the matter is there were 5-6 elite players in this draft that we all assumed we weren't going to have a shot at. We had to try to convince ourselves that we could get competent starters at 14 and 45 and it would be some consolation to not having one of the elites. We had to talk up DeCastro, Barron, Cox, etc. so we would feel okay with whatever happened at 14. We saw some depth in DL and OL positions and hoped we could get one of those depth guys that would work out at 45. We got attached to those guys who we had a realistic shot of getting.
The Cowboys exceeded our expectations. We got one of the elite players at a position we have had way too much trouble filling. Newman was the last CB taken this high, but he wasn't as highly touted as Claiborne. Claiborne represents the most talent we've had at CB in almost 20 years.
But because we're not getting two players, some are trying to discount the pick. It cost us too much. To have this mindset you have to assume that we would have hit at 14 and 45, and that those picks would have turned into DeMarcus Ware and Sean Lee and not Bobby Carpenter and Martellus Bennett/Anthony Fasano. Ware and Lee have been the exception for this team. This team usually sees underachievers at the mid to late first round and second round. Go back and take a look at our drafts. Our second round picks before Sean Lee were all decidedly terrible. You have to go back to 2002 to find a 2nd rounder who contributed for more than a couple of years, and that's just Gurode. Before that, you have to go back to Flozell Adams.
And our mid-to-late first rounders?
Dez (who was top 10 talent)
Felix
Jenkins
Spencer
Carpenter
Spears
Ekuban
Geesh.
Of course, lower picks always have a higher bust potential. Hopefully we took that shitty history of ours, and that higher chance for failure, out of the equation.