Getty Image / JOCE / Bauer-Griffin / GC
- Dallas Cowboys Owner, President, and GM Jerry Jones made headlines when he flashed the team’s NFL Draft sheet at reporters quickly
- Two clever internet detectives at The Athletic were actually able to use a grainy screengrab and decipher 34 of the 39 names on the Cowboys draft sheet to reveal the team’s strategy
- Read more NFL stories here
Dallas Cowboys Owner, President, and GM Jerry Jones has managed the team through a LOT of NFL Drafts. He’s owned the team for 33 years which means he’s personally overseen either 32 or 33 drafts in that time.
The Cowboys haven’t won a Super Bowl in 27 years so Jerry’s NFL Draft strategy and judgment could be questioned but I’ll leave that for the NFL Draft specialists. I’m here to talk about the moment with Jerry quickly flashed a piece of paper containing the Dallas Cowboys’ draft board at reporters.
It happened quickly and Jerry Jones got roasted by football fans for the move. But a grainy screenshot emerged from WFAA reporter Mike Leslie and that was then used by Jon Machota of The Athletic to decipher all but five names on the sheet. The names were for prospects with 1st and 2nd round grades, 14 First Round and 20 in the Second Round.
This Jerry Jones gaffe at the 2022 NFL Draft has turned into an incredible moment in Internet sleuthing. Here’s how it all went down.
Detectives Figured Out 34 Of 39 Names On The Cowboys’ Draft Sheet Jerry Jones Flashed At Reporters
Lol not for lack of trying… I legit went home and screencast our video of the presser from my laptop to my TV… this was all I got pic.twitter.com/rjVG093qAT
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) May 3, 2022
According to the report on The Athletic, these are 34 of those names that were on the Cowboys’ NFL Draft Board that Jerry Jones flashed at reporters.
1. Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon: 5th by the Giants.
2. Evan Neal, OT, Alabama: 7th by the Giants.
3. Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan: 2nd by the Lions.
4. Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State: 10 by the Jets.
5. Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati: th4 by the Jets.
6. Derek Stingley, CB, LSU: 3rd by the Texans.
7. Travon Walker, DE, Georgia: 1st by the Jaguars.
8. Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame: 14th by the Ravens.
9. Ikem Ekwonu, OT, North Carolina State: 6th by the Panthers.
10. Drake London, WR, USC: 8th by the Falcons.
11. Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia: 13th by the Eagles.
12. Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State: 9th by the Seahawks.
13. Lewis Cine, S, Georgia: 32nd by the Vikings.
14. Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama: 12th by the Lions.
List of Second Round Grades
15. Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State: 11th by the Saints.
16. Tyler Smith, OL, Tulsa: 24th by the Cowboys.
17. Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah: 27th by the Jaguars.
18. Daxton Hill, S, Michigan: 31st by the Bengals.
19. Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State: 36th by the Jets.
20. Kenyon Green, OG, Texas A&M: 15th by the Texans.
21. George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue: 30th by the Chiefs.
22. Zion Johnson, OG, Boston College: 17th by the Chargers.
23. Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas: 18th by the Titans.
24. Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington: 39th by the Bears.
25. Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa: 25th by the Ravens.
26. David Ojabo, DE, Michigan: 45th by the Ravens.
27. Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State: 16th by the Commanders.
28. Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State: 26th by the Jets.
29. Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida: 23rd by the Bills.
30. Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State: 38th by the Falcons.
31. Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington: 21st by the Chiefs.
32. Quay Walker, LB, Georgia: 22nd by the Packers.
33. Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia: 28th by the Packers.
34. Logan Hall, DE, Houston: 33rd by the Buccaneers.
NFL Fans React To Jerry’s Leak
Dallas Cowboys 🤝 Orlando Magic https://t.co/Wt8F7c3ziS pic.twitter.com/8D4i3O2JN6
— Bun (@bunrxm) May 4, 2022
Only 14 1st round grades. Smallest number in a while. With no elite QBs in this draft that makes sense.
— Rafael Vela (@dailygoonerraf) May 4, 2022
All I had at my disposal was what a lot of people on twitter were doing — length of the name, and length of the college… and that can get you to Thibodeaux, Hutchinson, Neal fairly easily… but damn, y'all did some work, getting 34 of 'em. That's insane.
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) May 4, 2022
Is it wrong that Dallas having Kyler Gordon at 24 made me feel a bit better about the Bears getting him at 39?
— RevDJEsq (@RevDJEsq) May 4, 2022
Evidence the Cowboys had Jermaine Johnson #28 on their board. Jets had him top 8 https://t.co/XsCnflfLQk
— Jack Lichtenstein (@jacklich10) May 4, 2022
Who Did Jerry Jones And The Dallas Cowboys Actually Pick In The Draft?
As you can plainly see above, the Dallas Cowboys drafted offensive lineman Tyler Smith with their 24th overall pick. Their NFL Draft sheet flashed by Jerry Jones shows that he was the team’s 16th overall rated player in the NFL Draft so if we believe the sheet, they got some value out of the pick. The Cowboys took Ole Miss DE Sam Williams with the 56th pick, and South Alabama WR Jalen Tolbert with the 88th pick.
Charean Williams at Pro Football Talk notes that Georgia safety Lewis Cine was the highest-rated available player on the team’s draft board when it was their turn to pick. But they passed on Cine and went with Tyler Smith instead. Part of me believes that if anyone asked Jerry why he’d give them a straight answer because he doesn’t seem to be playing 4D Chess at this point and is playing Checkers instead.