Rookie battleground: Cowboys vs. Raiders breakdown for draft picks

Each week we dive into each team’s rookie class and compare how they stack up against each other. (Grades for each player are the overall offensive or defensive grade handed out by PFF.com) Dallas Cowboys Tyler Booker (OG) First Round Booker’s tape against Arizona looked like grown-up guard play in a chaotic night. The Cardinals threw their […]

Each week we dive into each team’s rookie class and compare how they stack up against each other. (Grades for each player are the overall offensive or defensive grade handed out by PFF.com)

Dallas Cowboys

Tyler Booker (OG)

First Round

Booker’s tape against Arizona looked like grown-up guard play in a chaotic night. The Cardinals threw their whole disguise package at Dallas and Booker mostly kept his assignment clean. While the Cowboys were chasing the game, the box score says it all with five sacks for 40 yards, but this wasn’t a meltdown for Booker so much as a long-yardage issues. On the ground, Dallas still clawed out 123 rushing yards on 21 attempts, that’s 5.9 yards-per-carry, with several of those coming behind the right-side. This shows Booker played well in both parts of the game.

Zooming out, the season snapshot says Booker is a steady riser. Booker’s pass blocking grades have been getting better with each game, and his game against the Cardinals saw his highest grade yet, at a whopping 86.0. His run-block work grades at the very the top among the rookies guards (79.0), and he’s improving week-by-week. So far this year, he’s been charged with just one sack on 288 pass-block snaps, that’s the third most among the rookie guards, and the only players to have allowed less sacks all have less pass-blocking snaps than Booker. This is exactly what you want from a first-year starter and his routine is stabilizing, the splash is beginning to show up, and the rookie rescue moments are all non-existent.

Now comes the next stage, Las Vegas. Maxx Crosby remains one of the league’s toughest solo assignments and is an every-down menace who wins with change of pace, a vise-grip, and a second effort that never dies. ESPN’s ranks him eighth in the league’s best edge win-rates at 18%, and the Raiders had a high of six sacks and 21-pressures against Tennessee.

Grade: 71.5

Donovan Ezeiraku (DE)

Second Round

Donovan Ezeiruaku’s Arizona tape looked like a rookie pass rusher playing with a veteran’s plan. He pressed the corner with his insanely hot motor, used a strong long-arm to straighten the tackle’s set, and snapped back inside when the feet over-committed. The payoff landed early with one clean sack in the first half and a handful of pocket pressures that forced Jacoby Brissett into hurried throws. The box score matched the eye test and Ezeiruaku finished with three tackles, five pressures and one sack in a game where Dallas was otherwise chasing Arizona’s rhythm.

Looking ahead to Las Vegas, the challenge is a split personality. If he draws Kolton Miller for long stretches, that’s a technician’s exam. Miller has been one of the league’s sturdier pass protectors, grading second among the leagues tackles in PFF’s pass-block metrics at 89.8. That means wins will come late and on second effort rather than with clean, instant edges from Ezeiruaku. On the other side, DJ Glaze has flashed but still gives rushers a window as he ranks 58th in pass blocking grade and has allowed five sacks. This makes Ezeiruaku’s long-arm-to-rip combo and inside counters especially enticing. The Raiders’ offense has struggled to sustain blocks, so disciplined rush lanes plus one or two timely counters can flip drives.

Grade: 79.6

Shemar James (LB)

Fifth Round

Shemar James had a rough night against Arizona, and most of it traced back to eyes and reads. Working primarily as the WILL, he let the Cardinals’ pull him out of his keys. He overran the front side and opened the cutback lanes he’s supposed to close. He sat in no-man’s land between receivers in coverage, gifting easy yards. Tackling magnified the misses. He made high strikes and took flat angles on the perimeter which turned routine stops into extra yards. Add in a couple of poor exchanges with Kenneth Murray on who was supposed to cover what, and you had the kind of miscommunication that turns a crease into a freeway. He ended the game with lowest run-defense grade among Cowboys defenders (29.9), and the lowest defensive grade (27.8).

After his last performance and going forward, his role is likely to contract. With Dallas acquiring veteran Logan Wilson at the deadline, the MIKE communication snaps should consolidate with a proven traffic cop, pushing James toward sub-packages while he works on his tackling form. With DeMarvion Overshown also returning at some point, expect the snap count to shrink, not his future. He now has time to work his his technique.

Grade: 35.5

Jay Toia (DT)

Seventh Round

Arizona was a rough fit for Jay Toia, and the snap count told the story with just 20 snaps. The Cardinals lived in an up tempo game, which forced lighter fronts and asked interior linemen to play on the move. That’s where Toia’s issues showed up and his pad level drifted high, his hands landed late, and double-teams turned his body just enough to create five-yard falls. He didn’t win the first six inches and the A-gap softened. Add one goal-line slant where he vacated and Arizona punched in behind the hole he left, and that’s the kind of tape that makes coaches shorten the rotation in a hurry.

Usage is now a math problem for Toia. With Quinnen Williams now in the room, and Osa Odighizuwa along with Kenny Clark taking the other roles, early downs skew to the guys who can both anchor and penetrate. Solomon Thomas is also playing extremely efficiently. That leaves Toia far down the roster, so expect to see him warming the bench a lot more for the foreseeable future.

Grade: 29.5

Trikweze Bridges (CB)

Seventh Round (Chargers)

Bridges played only seven snaps against the Cardinals and allowed both targets sent his way for receptions, with 35 receiving yards allowed against his name. Other than DaRon Bland, Bridges had the highest passer rating allowed on such a small snap count, showing the Cardinals were happy to target him when he was on the field.

After a string of rough outings with soft cushions, late transitions, and grabby saves, he’s likely headed for CB5 duty and special teams while the staff protects him with only spot, matchup-safe reps.

Grade: 36.4

Shavon Revel Jr. (CB)

Third Round

Currently on Non-Football injury list but is close to returning. Keep watch on his practice report this week.

Jaydon Blue (RB)

Fifth Round

Inactive

Grade: 50.0

Ajani Cornelius (OT)

Sixth Round

Inactive

Grade: N/A

Phil Mafah (RB)

Seventh Round

Inactive

Grade: N/A

Alijah Clark (DB)

UDFA

Inactive

Grade: 32.6

Las Vegas Raiders

Ashton Jeanty (RB)

First Round

Jeanty was the talk of the draft back in April, some even heralding him as the top prospect. His 547 rush yards ranks 18th among running backs this year, but his four rushing touchdowns has him ranked down in the 20’s. What’s also interesting is 3.8 yards per carry, that’s 37th, and he has two fumbles against his name, with one coming last week against the Denver Broncos. He has added over 130 yards receiving and three touchdowns through the air, but the ground game hasn’t popped the way his pedigree suggests. What’s gone wrong is mostly context, not talent. Early-season usage swings and a banged-up, inconsistent line have left him hit at the line far too often, dragging down his per-carry average even as he breaks tackles and flashes as a receiver. Until Vegas cleans up the blocking and gets healthier up front, Jeanty’s box score will look more gritty than explosive.

Grade: 68.0

Jack Bech (WR)

Second Round

Looking at receiving stats for Vegas is hard work, they rank 27th in passing yards per game, which means finding stats on their receivers even trickier. For Jack Bech, you have to go to the back page on the stat lineup and see he’s only been targeted 10 times for seven receptions and has yet to score. He ranks seventh on the team in receiving yards, not even breaking the 100-yard receiving yards total for the year.

With very little efficiency on offense this year and veterans getting what small lion share there is, that leaves Bech unable to get into a rhythm and get very few looks. He even registered on game with zero snaps, for the entire day, even though he was healthy and was ready to play. What this comes down to is he’s been sub-package receiver on an offense that’s struggle overall, you get a young wideout living on crumbs.

Grade: 57.1

Darien Porter (CB)

Third Round

Darien Porter’s rookie year has felt more learning curve than launch. The Raiders handed the third-rounder real snaps on the outside, but the tape keeps showing the same problems. There’s late transitions in off-coverage and his two missed tackles that turned simple stops into first downs. The Jaguars game is the best snap shot where he played significant snaps and was on the field for 80 plays. He was targeted quickly after he entered, and allowed five catches off six targets for 65 yards, and managed zero pass breakups.

Why the results have been sub-par so far is a cocktail of usage and technique. He’s seeing a lot of snaps in match ups where one false step opens a window, and opponents have smartly tested him with double-moves until the timing looks right.

Grade: 63.2

Dont’e Thornton Jr. (WR)

Fourth Round

It’s back to receiver and Thornton pretty much lives with the same issues as Bech. He has six receptions this year, which is less than Bech, but has more receiving yards. He also has yet to score and an insane statistic he carries, his passer rating of just 6.9, is the lowest among all wide receivers with a minimum of 20 targets.

Grade: 50.4

Tonka Hemingway (DT)

Fourth Round

Through most of the season, Hemingway’s role has been a slow burn and has been buried behind veteran tackles. Hemingway has been left to mop up in goal-line, heavy formations, and special teams. Plus there’s been a game-plan that’s shifted toward lighter movement fronts the last few weeks, and his snap count stayed narrow until injuries and rotation fatigue finally pushed him onto the field in Week 10. He played against Denver which was his first game since Week 5 and the game saw his struggles, especially against the run. It wasn’t a positive performance, but with so much time away from playing inside as a two-gap interior one-tech, it’s no wonder he had his struggles. Will he play this week against Dallas? That’s a tough question to answer.

Grade: 49.2