Dallas Cowboys biggest mistake in the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft wasn’t flashy for the Dallas Cowboys, but they certainly made strong picks throughout and added instant contributors on both sides of the ball early on. Although it’s way too early to decide whether or not teams made mistakes in the NFL Draft — these players haven’t even played yet — I think the Cowboys could have gone in a different direction on Day 2 than what they did to perhaps put together an even more impactful class of players.

In the third round, the Dallas Cowboys spent the 90th overall pick on linebacker DeMarvion Overshown out of Texas. Overshown is an interesting prospect as a former safety turned linebacker who should find a solid fit in Dan Quinn’s defense eventually. But was he the right pick in that spot? The Cowboys could have taken a calculated risk on Georgia tight end Darnell Washington, picking him roughly two rounds later than he was projected to go initially.

Dallas Cowboys made a mistake by passing on Darnell Washington

The first two rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft included Michigan Wolverines picked by the Dallas Cowboys. In round one, they took one of the top defensive linemen in a relatively weak class at the position when they selected Mazi Smith. In round two, the Cowboys seemingly “reached” on former Michigan tight end Luke Schoonmaker, a player considered among the top 10 at arguably the deepest position in the draft.

By the time the Cowboys were on the clock in round three, with the 90th overall pick, I think it’s safe to say that most people were shocked that former Georgia tight end Darnell Washington was still on the board. His situation was not unlike the situation former Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean experienced in the 2022 NFL Draft after being projected all offseason as a first-round player before landing in Philadelphia in round three.

Washington would come off the board three picks later at pick no. 93 overall (to the Pittsburgh Steelers).

There were reports during the 2023 NFL Draft that Darnell Washington — an absolute freak of an athlete for his size profile — fell in the draft due to medical concerns. He was healthy enough to score a 9.88 on the RAS scale at the NFL Scouting Combine, however…

The Dallas Cowboys had the chance to pair up a player like Luke Schoonmaker along with Darnell Washington and really fortify a position that is bland for them on the offensive side of the ball. They made the decision to acquire Brandin Cooks in a trade with the Houston Texans this offseason, adding some much-needed firepower to the receiver position, but Cooks’ arrival seemingly came at the expense of tight end Dalton Schultz.

Schultz, although unspectacular in terms of his physical abilities, provided the Dallas Cowboys and QB Dak Prescott with a very reliable target over the last handful of seasons. It’s not that the pick of Luke Schoonmaker was a bad one, but the Cowboys don’t necessarily have the depth or luxury at tigh end even with Schoonmaker in the fold to justify passing on a player like Darnell Washington for DeMarvion Overshown.

Washington is a rare athlete at the position, and he’s likely going to come in and help the Pittsburgh Steelers immediately. He was known at Georgia for basically being an extension of the offensive line, but then you see his 6-foot-7 frame get out in space as a receiver and he just engulfs defenders with his mammoth size.

Having both Washington and Schoonmaker would have given Dallas room for error with that first pick, and it’s not like they wouldn’t have been able to find similar players to Overshown later on in the NFL Draft. I think this will go down as a lot of teams’ biggest mistake in the 2023 NFL Draft.