Dallas Cowboys 1997 Draft Recap

Bio: Just about everyone's high-school All-American (Parade, USA Today, etc.), as a tight end. Was named Gatorade state Player of the Year. Also stood out as a defensive end in football, a center in basketball and a weight man in track and field. Redshirted at LSU in 1992 after fracturing his ankle in fall practice. Caught eight passes for 59 yards in '93 while playing behind eventual third-round draft pick Harold Bishop in 1993. All-Southeastern Conference tight end in '94, when he caught 21-263 and two touchdowns. Injured his knee in the '95 opener but came back in the fifth game of the year and finished the season with 12 catches for 120 yards. LSU's top pass catcher and an All-SEC pick in '96, when he caught 30-439-3.

Positives: Huge target with great height, which is enhanced by his 34½-inch sleeve length and 11½-inch hands. Can be open even when he is covered because he is such a huge target for the quarterback to shoot for and has such a long reach. Shows some ability to adjust and extend for the ball. Very good hands and can make the exceptional catch. Can be a dominating blocker when he uses his size to move people. Can also be very hard to tackle after the catch because of his size. Can look very fluid and athletic for a big man when his back feels good.

Negatives: Has had some injury problems and will look a little stiff and less athletic when his back is acting up. Is not that quick, fast or agile as a receiver. Will drop some very catchable passes. Lacks great suddenness and quickness. Will struggle to get separation from man-on-man coverage. Inconsistent blocker who has breakdowns on pass protection. On the narrow-built side if you want to project him inside to tackle.

Summary: Has great size and flashes dominating ability, but his inconsistency is troubling, and some of his traits remind scouts of Jet TE Kyle Brady, who has yet to set the NFL on its ear. Has off-and-on back problems, which have a lot to say about which David LaFleur you will see on a given day.

Bio: Southern Conference Freshman of the Year in '93, Division I-AA All-American in '94, '95 and '96. Won Buck Buchanan award as the top defensive football player in Division I-AA in '95 and '96. Had 155 stops, 22 for loss and eight sacks in '94; 165 stops, 13 for loss, 14 QB pressures, seven forced fumbles and two interceptions in 13 games (including playoffs) in '95; and 166 tackles, 11 for loss, four sacks an interception and three passes broken up in 11 regular-season games in '96.

Positives: Terrific football player who dominated on his level. Very quick and active. Flies to the ball. Explosive hitter. Good instincts. Terrific range. Hustles and plays hard. Has very long arms for his size and the upper-body and lower-body development of a larger man. Plays bigger than his size. Stood out on special teams in all-star games.

Negatives: More productive closer to the line of scrimmage, so he may not be a top safety candidate. Could be too small to play linebacker in the NFL unless he is the "Will" backer in a Jimmy Johnson-type scheme and is covered up and allowed to run to the ball.

Summary: Terrific college player who has a major size problem to overcome on the next level. Needs to go to a team that plays the right scheme and will make moves to accommodate him. Could be the Zach Thomas of the outside linebackers if he gets into the right situation. Has great speed and play-making ability. Could be a standout if used correctly or just a good special-team player.

Bio: Redshirted in 1992. Started at right tackle and won honors the past four years. Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year in '92. Second-team All-WAC in '94, when he was responsible for giving up only one sack in 12 games. Unanimous All-WAC pick in '95 and '96, when he also made a couple of major All-America teams.

Positives: Very hard worker who has been extremely durable throughout his college career. Four-year starter who never missed a start because of injury. Intense competitor who pays attention to detail. Comes off the ball hard and will work to finish his blocks. Very hard worker in the weightroom who is always well-prepared and ready to play.

Negatives: Average feet. At times will leave his feet behind when blocking, causing him to get off-balance. On the stiff side. Struggles to handle speed off the corner. Average quickness to slide. Struggles vs. speed and does not adjust back well on counter moves. Speed rushers ran by him in all-star competition drills. Limited-area player who may have to be a guard on the next level.

Summary: Does not look pretty and will never be a great pulling guard, but he is more efficient and effective than you would think in a limited area and has such good intangibles and work ethic that he may be able to overcome his physical limitations.

Bio: Redshirted in 1993. Started two games in '94 and played extensively in the nickel defense. Had 60 tackles, seven passes broken up and four interceptions, which he returned for 157 yards and a score. Missed time in '95 with an injured right hand that required surgery after he tore a tendon in his middle finger. Wore a club-like device on his hand after the surgery, which allowed him to start in 10-of-12 games. Had 72-6-5, returning the interceptions for 128 yards and a score. Had 73-15-2 and one touchdown in '96.

Positives: Top competitor. Very instinctive and feisty player who will challenge the receiver. Shows a tremendous feel for man-on-man coverage. Excellent on underneath coverage. Knows when to jump routes. Plays the ball very well. Does not waste steps or motion. Very efficient in his movements. Good tackler for a cornerback and plays bigger than his size. Plays with a lot of intensity.

Negatives: Is not very tall. Does not have a sprinter's speed or deep catch-up acceleration. Better hitter than tackler and does not wrap up.

Summary: Wheaton has great instincts and intangibles that allow him to play bigger than his size and faster than his time. Looks and moves around a lot like former Charger CB Gill Byrd, who was too slow to be as good as he was but still had limitations. Wheaton is a better college football player than former teammate Alex Molden was, but he is not as big, fast or athletically gifted as Molden, the Saints' first-round pick in '96, and will be downgraded by people who put a lot of stock in workout numbers. However, more importantly, he may get outsized and outrun too often to be a premier corner on the next level.

Bio: Played both ways at Midwood High School in Brooklyn, then attended prep school at Milford Academy before going to Syracuse in 1993. Played in 11 games, started one and lettered as a freshman, when he was in on 13 stops and had one sack. Had 17 tackles and a sack in '94. Started eight times in '95 and had 42 stops and 31/2 sacks. Second-team All-Big East in '96, when he started every game and was in on 45 tackles, including nine for loss, and four sacks. Flashed dominating ability during some Senior Bowl practices and showed he could play with the best in Mobile, when he really got jacked up. Did not run at the combine. Like most Syracuse players, Anderson probably knows Syracuse has a very, very fast running surface.

Positives: Great size. Huge wingspan. Tough to throw over or around. Good speed and athletic ability for his size. Has all the physical tools to project to OT. Flashes dominating ability. Can control the line of scrimmage when he stays low and keeps his pads down. Can get low enough to play inside when he plays low and bends his knees. Has a real upside and can be a lot better than he is if somebody can teach him how hard he has to play on the next level.

Negatives: Does not know what it takes to play football on the next level. Thinks he is going hard and giving his all when there really is a lot more he can give. May not have the makeup to be a top defensive lineman. Is not alley-cat mean and does not have the junkyard-dog attitude you look for. Tends to play high and soft. Slow to redirect at times. Does not find the ball quickly. Tends to play much too upright. Looks almost stiff at times and shows very little quickness when playing from an upright position.

Summary: If his toughness, down-in and down-out tenacity, effort and production ever matched his size and ability, this player would really be something, but he may be a perennial tease. Also could be an OT projection.

Bio: Four-sport (track, football, baseball and basketball) player in high school. Terrific baseball player. Was drafted in the second round out of high school by the San Francisco Giants. Has played both baseball and football at James Madison and was selected by the Kansas City Royals in 1996 upon re-entering the draft. In football, Brooks lettered as a freshman in '93, when he caught four passes for 92 yards. Caught 26-552 and five touchdowns in '94, when he averaged 21.2 yards per catch. Snatched 32-542-6 in '95 and a career-best 56-828-14 in '96.

Positives: Outstanding all-around athlete who hit over .300 with pretty good power in college baseball in '94. Has the Herman Moore-type dimensions everyone is looking for in receivers now, plus a 38-5 vertical jump. Good hands and long arms. Smooth runner with deceptive speed. Will glide behind defenders and make big plays. Shows a second gear at times. Twenty-five percent of his catches in '96 were for touchdowns.

Negatives: Long-strider who lacks quickness off the line and is not real quick getting into and out of his breaks. Does not always seem to be busting his hump. Seems to take some downs off when he does not expect the ball. Is not the blocker he should be.

Summary: Has size and ability but can't keep gliding along. Must turn it up a notch for the next level.

Bio: Only played two years in college because of academics. Was ineligible in both 1993 and '96. Started the last eight games in '94 and carried 25 times for 149 yards and no touchdowns and caught seven passes for 70 yards. Started 9-of-12 games in '95, carrying 18-108-0 and catching 16-128-2.

Positives: Very strong, tough and physical runner and blocker. Has excellent power and balance. Can catch the ball.

Negatives: Limited experience. Has a tendency to get out of shape. May lack some discipline. Does not always make good decisions when blocking or use proper technique. Did not play football in '96.

Summary: Looked like he had a chance to develop into a solid complementary fullback in '95 and then had his career short-circuited by academics.

Bio: High-school sprint champion and long-jumper, but remember the state we are talking about is Wyoming, not Florida or Texas. Backup free safety in 1993 as a true freshman and was in on 10 stops. Started at free safety in '94 and had 65 tackles and his first interception in 12 games. Moved to cornerback in '95 and had 70 tackles, 14 passes broken up and thee interceptions. All-Western Athletic Conference defensive back in '96, when he was in on 83 stops, broke up eight passes and picked off one.

Positives: Durable and versatile three-year starter who has played both cornerback and free safety. Above-average athlete. Flashes cover skills. Jumps well. Played on most special teams.

Negatives: Does not run or cover well enough to be a top cornerback and is smaller and less physical than you would like a safety to be. Uses a side-saddle technique much of the time and will let too many receivers get deep on him.

Summary: More of a long shot than a sure shot but could make it somewhere as a backup and special-team player.

Bio: A 4 year starter in the defensive backfield at Fresno State. Played free safety as a junior and set the school single season mark for tackles with 198. As a senior, moved to strong safety and was 3rd on the team in tackles with 87 (51 solo) and earned 1st team WAC all-Pacific division. Finished his collegiate career with 468 tackles.

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