The state of New York may claim ownership of the Dallas Cowboys.
The 2022 NFL Draft was a wild one: There were plenty of first-round trades, a Strange pick and an equally strange appearance of magician/illusionist Criss Angel.
Of course, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones couldn't be left out on the fun: During a post-Round 1 press conference, the Dallas owner had some fun with the media in defending his selection of offensive lineman Tyler Smith by showing them the top part of his draft board. (Stephen Jones didn't like it too much.)
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Twitter sleuths seem to have cracked the top of the Cowboys' prospect rankings,
Top of the Cowboys draft board deciphered as Cowboys Twitterverse comes through. pic.twitter.com/JyBYp7bWCJ
— OCC44 (@OCC44) May 3, 2022
The prospective list, as decoded by the internet:
| Ranking | Player | School | Position | Drafted by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kayvon Thibodeaux | Oregon | EDGE | Giants (No. 5) |
| 2 | Evan Neal | Alabama | OT | Giants (No. 7) |
| 3 | Aidan Hutchinson | Michigan | EDGE | Lions (No. 2) |
| 4 | Garrett Wilson | Ohio State | WR | Jets (No. 10) |
| 5 | Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner | Cincinnati | CB | Jets (No. 4) |
| 6 | Derek Stingley Jr. | LSU | CB | Texans (No. 3) |
| 7 | Travon Walker | Georgia | EDGE | Jaguars (No. 1) |
| 8 | Kyle Hamilton | Notre Dame | S | Ravens (No. 14) |
| 9 | Ikem Ekwonu | NC State | OT/G | Panthers (No. 6) |
| 10 | Drake London | USC | WR | Falcons (No. 8) |
| 11 | Jordan Davis | Georgia | DT | Eagles (No. 13) |
| 12 | Charles Cross | Mississippi State | OT | Seahawks (No. 9) |
| 13 | Lewis Cine | Georgia | S | Vikings (No. 32) |
| 14 | Jameson Williams | Alabama | WR | Lions (No. 12) |
| 15 | Chris Olave | Ohio State | WR | Saints (No. 11) |
| 16 | Tyler Smith | Utah | OT | Cowboys (No. 24) |
The Cowboys didn't pick until No. 24 and opted not to trade up, so they probably weren't expecting to get any of the players at the very top of their board. But the Giants and Jets still made away with four of the top five prospects on the Cowboys' board — and probably a lot of other teams' boards — so that has to sting just a bit.
It must hurt extra to have to face two of those guys twice a year when they face the Giants. To make matters a little worse, the Eagles made away with Jordan Davis, the Cowboys' 11th-ranked prospect on their board, leading to two NFC East teams landing three of the Cowboys' top prospects.
Smith was the last player ranked with a first-round grade if the board is to be believed, while some pegged guards Zion Johnson and Kenyon Green as first-round prospects before the Utah tackle.
Whatever the case may be, the Cowboys still got their guy. Well, at least one of them.