Dallas Cowboys 1998 Draft Recap

1. Greg Ellis, DE, North Carolina
1st Round (8 overall)
6-6, 261, 4.89

Bio: Ellis played both football and basketball in high school. Redshirted in 1993. Starter and All-ACC pick the next three seasons. Also made some All-America teams in '97 and was one of four finalists for the Lombardi trophy, although he was asked to do a lot more and saddled with some pass-coverage responsibilities as a senior (had numerous reads and on some plays had to peel off and go with the back). As a senior he had 87 tackles, 18 stops for losses and nine sacks. In '96, he had 62 stops, 18 tackles for loss and 12½ sacks, and, as a third-year sophomore, Ellis was in on 71 tackles, nine tackles for loss and seven sacks.

Positives: Good athlete. Looks like a defensive end, with a 6-6 frame, has long arms and a 35½ vertical jump. He was also a basketball player on the junior varsity squad at a powerful basketball school, which means he is a good athlete. Almost what the Cowboys would be looking for, he is a good person of fine character, and is a team leader. Always gives good effort. Can run and get up the field. Effective edge rusher who can counter back inside, something the Cowboys haven't had since the retirement of Charles Haley. He shows good pursuit and hustle in pursuit.

Negatives: He is not an overly physical player and he lacks killer instinct. Could add some strength and needs to work on bursting towards the runner. Gives too much ground at times and seems to play a little soft. Lacks a great burst of speed off the edge and does not have the great closing burst to the quarterback.

Summary: Needs to become a little nastier and stronger from a functional football standpoint but has a lot of talent and will compete and play hard. May have had his hands tied by the defense he was in in '97 and is the type of kid who will always try to carry out his assignments instead of free-wheeling and taking chances to make big plays.

2. Flozell Adams, OT, Michigan State
2nd Round (38 overall)
6-7, 334, 5.5

Bio: High-school weight man, wrestler and football player. Enrolled at Michigan State in 1993 and redshirted. Improved his stamina, conditioning and toughness in '95 under head coach Nick Saban and started 11 games at right tackle. Started every game at right tackle in '96 and was a second-team All-Big Ten pick. Moved to the OLT spot in '97 and struggled with both the position change and a high-ankle sprain that was so severe he wore an ankle cast to practice every day. Also hurt his shoulder vs. Northwestern. Nevertheless, Adams was an Associated Press All-American, a Walter Camp selection, a unanimous All-Big Ten choice and the coaches' Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year.

Positives: Tremendous size, huge wingspan (Adams' arms are almost 37 inches long) and big, strong hands. Shows good technique with footwork and using his hands making it difficult to go around him. Is very athletic for a man his size.  Is so fluid and flexible that he does things almost effortlessly at times. Strong and powerful. Shut out Illinois' Simeon Rice in a '95 game. Has done a great deal of growing up and maturing since he came to college. Has lost a tremendous amount of weight and was in the best shape of his life at the Senior Bowl.

Negatives: Reportedly has a 40 percent loss of hearing in his right ear and has a hard time hearing snap counts and audibles when lined up at left tackle in a noisy road stadium. Had a down senior year in which he was beaten a lot, but, in fairness to Adams, he was playing hurt and gutting it out. Is not a very instinctive or aware player. Inconsistent even when he is healthy. Has lapses. Did not play well vs. Big Ten sack leader Lemanzer Williams of Minnesota.

Summary: Could be either a Pro Bowl right tackle who plays at a very high level for many years or a top-round disappointment, depending upon how hard he works and how well he is coached. Physically, Adams is just what NFL teams want in a right tackle, but he was never consistent in college despite playing for a great, NFL-type coach in Nick Saban and a very good coaching staff.

4. Michael Myers, DL, Alabama
4th Round (100 overall)
6-2½, 285, 5.11

Bio: Came to Alabama from Hinds Community College (Miss.) in 1996 and started from Game Two on. Was a two-time junior-college All-American and an All-Southeastern Conference performer at Alabama in '96, when he also garnered first-team All-America honors from The Sporting News. Ended the '96 season with 62 tackles and a team-high 13 tackles for loss and eight sacks. Had five tackles and half a sack in the '97 opener vs. Houston and then was kicked off the football team because of his involvement with an agent. Myers allegedly accepted hotel expenses from one agent and money from another and then allegedly did not come clean when initially asked about the charges. Was invited to the Senior Bowl after the Alabama coaching staff gave Senior Bowl officials their blessings for the move.

Positives: Good athlete. Runs well. Exceptionally quick. Fine quickness off the mark. Can get into gaps quickly. Penetrates. Can be very disruptive to an offense. Will generally beat one blocker with his initial move. Can make the big play. Was helped by the Alabama coaches, who recommended that the Senior Bowl allow him to play in their game after the '97 season to give him another game under his belt.

Negatives: Played in only one game in '97 and played just a little over a year of major-college ball. Undersized. Short for end and small for tackle. Plays better inside than out on the edge but is light for a tackle. Can't anchor that well. Will struggle at times if he does not beat the blocker with his initial move. Has a tendency to play too upright at times. Had inconsistent production in '96 and really struggled against some big linemen at times. Also seemed to wear down when the opposition kept putting big bodies on him. May not be that smart and instinctive on the field and has shown some poor judgment off the field. Did not work out that well at the scouting combine.

Summary: The type of player who can be effective in the right type of defense if used correctly but would be a big mistake for teams that would ask him to play head up on the tackle and to guard two gaps. Needs to be used a lot like the Vikings use John Randle and the Buccaneers use Warren Sapp to realize his potential.

5A. Darren Hambrick, LB, South Carolina
5th Round (130 overall)
6-2, 217, 4.6

Bio: Track star in high school and a football All-American. High-jumped over 7-1½ and qualified for the Florida state meet in several events. Enrolled at the University of Florida in 1993 and, as an 18-year-old freshman, played in every game and started three at nickel backer. Had 46 tackles, a sack, two interceptions and two passes broken up. Started only once in '94 but played as much as the Gator starters and ended the year with 59 tackles, a sack and two picks. Sat out '95 after transferring. Started every game at South Carolina in '96 and was a second-team All-Southeastern Conference pick after accumulating 83 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks. Broke his left fibula in the '97 opener vs. Central Florida. Saw some action late in the year but was not 100 percent and was not a factor. Ended the season with just five tackles and did not work out at the scouting combine because of his injury.

Positives: Very emotional and fiery. Seems to fire up and lead the defense. Loves to play and is very aggressive. Excellent athletic ability, speed and range. Great jumper with fine body control and balance. Seems to have a knack for the blitz. Tremendous speed and range. Can really close on the ball. Can be an impact player if used correctly and moved around.

Negatives: Undersized with skinny legs. Lacks weight and bulk. Can't be asked to sit in there and take on blocks, or he will get destroyed. Must be moved around and played in the right type of scheme. Is coming off a leg injury and did not work at the combine. May project to strong safety and, because of injury, could not play that position in an all-star game, like Carnell Lake did at the Senior Bowl.

Summary: Top athlete who will help anyone on special teams but can start for only certain teams (such as the Oilers, Dolphins and Cowboys) at weak-side linebacker, unless you project him to strong safety.

5B. Oliver Ross, OL, Iowa State
5th Round (138 overall)
6-4½, 300, 5.2

Bio: An offensive tackle and defensive end in high school. Was a junior-college defensive end at Southwest Community College. Saw very limited action as a defensive lineman after coming to Iowa State in 1995. Redshirted in '96 while moving from the defensive line to the offensive line. Moved into the starting lineup in '97 and started at left tackle, where he replaced Tim Kohn, who was taken by the Raiders in the third round of last year's draft. Had the opportunity to play in the Blue-Gray game.

Positives: A big man with size and size potential. Moves well for an offensive lineman and is above average athletically for his position. Has the feet to play tackle and pulls well enough to play guard. Showed improvement in '97 and has an upside.

Negatives: Still is far from ready for prime time. Very rough around the edges. Gets fooled a lot and looks almost clueless at times against multiple defenses. Does not yet have a good feel for OL play. Lacks playing strength and does not anchor well.

Summary: An interesting, developmental-type player who has good physical tools and upside potential but is still a project.

6. Izell Reese, DB, Alabama-Birmingham
6th Round (188 overall)
6-2¼, 195, 4.54

Bio: Was not heavily recruited because of grade difficulties and needed to go to summer school after his senior year (1993) to graduate from high school. Walked on in the spring of '94, and, in the fall, started all but one game and had 50 tackles, four picks and 12 passes broken up. Was only a part-time starter in 1995 but still had 70 tackles and one pick. Started every game in '96 and '97. Had 69 tackles and an interception in '96 and 83 stops and two picks in '97. Returned his second interception in '97 85 yards for a score in the last game of the season vs. Arkansas State.

Positives: Excellent height. Tremendous jumping ability. Has a vertical jump of almost 40 inches (39.5) and broad jumps more than 11 feet. Good size and speed. Looks the part. Will support against the run. Quick to react once he sees what is happening and shows some range in coverage.

Negatives: On the stiff side. Somewhat tight in the hips and is stiff turning. Does not do well in man-on-man coverage. Is an inconsistent open-field tackler who misses too many tackles. Does not play the ball that well. Is not overly instinctive. Has some hesitation in his play until he sees a clear picture. On the fringe of too many plays.

Summary: Size-speed type who looks the part and does not always play like his workout numbers indicate he should. Will have to pick up his play if he wants to compete on the next level, but has the size and athletic ability you look for.

7A. Tarik Smith, RB, California
7th Round (223 overall)
5-10½, 199, 4.54

Bio: High-school All-American and a 23-foot-9 long-jumper in track and field. Played in one game in 1993 and then redshirted with a hamstring problem. Carried 35 times for 125 yards and one touchdown in '94 and 74-391-2 in '95. Got off to a great start in '96, gaining 400 yards and scoring four times on 56 carries in a little over two games, but then suffered a season-ending knee injury in Game Three vs. Nevada-Reno. Came back in '97 and carried 162-636-7 and had eight catches for 54 yards while sharing time.

Positives: Showed speed, run skills and athleticism in '96 before he hurt his knee. Was a very quick and nifty back with some burst and make-you-miss magic before his knee injury.

Negatives: Lacks size. Was not close to the same back in '97. Did not seem to be running very hard or recklessly. Lacked acceleration. Was too quick to bounce plays outside. Went down on the first hit too often.

Summary: Showed promise in '96 before he hurt his knee, but did not look as though he would have a chance to compete on the next level in '97.

7B. Antonio Fleming, OL, Georgia
7th Round (227 overall)
6-3, 310, 5.2

Bio: Played football and basketball in high school and was also a weight man on the track-and-field team. Was a tight end, defensive lineman and deep-snapper during his prep career. Redshirted in 1993. Started three games at guard in '94. Played in '95 and started every game in '96 and '97.

Positives: Good size. Runs pretty well. Can be a powerful one-on-one run-blocker.

Negatives: Struggles as a pass blocker. Does not seem to change direction very well. Average balance.

Summary: Needs to improve his pass protection if he is to play on the next level.

7C. Rodrick Monroe, TE, Cincinnati
7th Round (237 overall)
632½, 245, 4.8

Bio: Played basketball and one year of football in high school and was a sprinter on the track team. Went to McLennan Community College (Texas) to play basketball before transferring to Cincinnati, where he backed up Danny Fortson at power forward from 1995 to '97. Joined the football team in August '97 after completing his basketball career and wound up starting the last four games of the '97 season after Josh Anderson was injured. Caught two passes for 33 yards and one touchdown.

Positives: Good athlete. Has some natural snap to him. Has the temperament and body to become a good blocker in time. Appears to be able to catch the ball. Runs well. Strong upper body. Bench-presses almost 500 pounds. Has long, long arms.

Negatives: Very limited football background (just one year of high-school and one year of college football). Lacks technique, skills and playing time. Caught only two passes in '97 and was not that involved in the passing game.

Summary: Interesting developmental project with a great body. Has a chance if somebody will work with him for a couple of years.

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