The Dallas Cowboys hoped they would pass their NFL draft test. Here’s the report card

But in terms of quality, value and sticking to a plan for the 2020 NFL draft, some conclusions can be drawn immediately. And it must be said that Dallas Cowboys knocked it out of the park from beginning to end.

We know that they did not achieve all their objectives, and to some that would be bad.

But that way of thinking misses the larger point. The Cowboys weren’t so rigid in filling needs that they bypassed top value when it was staring them in the face. Or, in the words of team vice president Stephen Jones, had talent fall them with “a blinking light.”

That began with Oklahoma receiver CeeDee Lamb, who the team had rated as the sixth-best player in the draft, being selected with the 17th pick in the first round. And that carried through to the fifth round when the Cowboys were able to nab Utah defensive end Bradlee Anae at 179th overall, even though the consensus was that he has third-round talent.

In fact, all of the Cowboys’ selections were taken later than where the draft boards indicated they should have gone, and by a wide margin.

Now, there are reasons for the supposed falls, including injury concerns with regard to Wisconsin center Tyler Biadasz and a slow 40 time by Anae. But you can’t argue with where the Cowboys took them in terms of value.

Here is what ESPN analyst Louis Riddick had to say about Biadasz, who had offseason shoulder surgery and wasn’t able to participate at the combine.

“This is the perfect kind of guy for the Dallas Cowboys and what they want to do offensively, meaning they want to be run-centric with Ezekiel Elliott and they want everything to come off of that,” Riddick said. “He has the kind of physicality on the interior that Dallas likes to really establish. To get that in the fourth round? They may have found themselves a steal.”

The story was the same for seemingly all the draft picks.

So my early grade on the Cowboys draft is an A with a bullet ...

Here is a snippet of the national consensus on grades for the Cowboys:

Pro Football Focus — A+

“Cowboys are ripping the doorknob off this draft. Every pick they’ve made was much higher on the PFF Draft Board: 17 – CeeDee Lamb (PFF board: 6th), 51 – Trevon Diggs (31st), 82 – Neville Gallimore (51st).” – PFF Lead Draft Analyst Mike Renner on the Cowboys’ draft after Day 2

The Sporting News — A+

“How about that guy Jerry Jones? Drafting from a yacht, he had the Cowboys living the absolute high life finding extreme value throughout the draft, starting with Lamb at No. 17 overall. Jones was laser-focused on their biggest needs and didn’t let the best available player pass him up, either.”

Sports Illustrated — A+

“Trevon Diggs is a long-armed, physical corner and is stepping into a Mike Nolan-led scheme that, thanks to its expected emphasis on blitzing, will feature press-man on the outside. Dallas hit another home run in this draft, filling an important, specific need with a top-level talent at a later-than-expected draft slot.”

USA Today — A-

“They didn’t overthink it with WR CeeDee Lamb sitting there at No. 17. ... Lamb was too good to pass up and might’ve been wearing Eagles green otherwise. Down the board, Jerry Jones and Co. appeared to do a pretty good job of wedding value with need ... This team probably should be expected to win the NFC East.”

The Washington Post — B+

“Some were worried about what owner Jerry Jones would do with no one in the room to stop him, thinking of the time in 2014 that Jones supposedly had to be prevented from drafting quarterback Johnny Manziel over guard Zack Martin. The fears were unfounded. The Cowboys did well.”