Cowboys’ Will McClay on NFL Combine: ‘traits get you in trouble’

The Dallas Cowboys, like every other NFL team, was in attendance in Indianapolis this past week for the annual NFL scouting combine festivities. In what has been often referred to as “the Underwear Olympics”, the combine allows teams to accurately measure, interview, and drill willing participants. Since college programs can’t always be trusted to deliver accurate information, this process is extremely important to NFL teams as they gauge key traits.

Cowboys VP of Player Personnel, Will McClay, recent spoke with 105.3 The Fan to offer some insights into the draft process and how he deals with issues like traits, plainly stating, “traits get you in trouble.”

It’s easy to think of recent examples of traits getting the Cowboys in trouble. In 2017 they drafted Taco Charlton over T.J. Watt and traits were a big reason why. Even though Charlton was more projection than Watt, he had the more translatable size and skillset. A mistake was made.

In 2023 the Cowboys chased traits again, drafting someone from the top of Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List, Mazi Smith. His traits trumped the film and the Cowboys paid dearly for it. These hard lessons are likely what led to McClay adding, “traits are nothing if you don’t know what to do with them.”

McClay didn’t imply in any way traits weren’t important. He values testing as much anyone it seems. He simply added a caveat to things when he stated players needed to know what to do with their traits. In the case of Smith, he was a supremely unique blend of size, speed and athleticism who could never put things together.

Traits without supporting film don’t work, just like film without supporting traits doesn't work. For instance: a college pass rusher who wins off the line through speed moves around the edge is primarily dependent on speed and explosiveness. A 10-yard split in a 40-yard dash is pretty important for this player, as is broad jump, vertical jump and three cone drills. If the player struggles in these areas, his skills may not translate to the next level since speed and explosiveness are this prospect’s bread and butter. His film just showed him beating up on lesser talented players.

The takeaway is this: the NFL Combine is important because it shows traits, and traits are critical in determining translatability. But traits without film aren’t worth much because then it’s just speculation and speculation is dangerous.

It’s all about the total picture and the Cowboys’ Will McClay gets that.

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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys’ Will McClay on NFL Combine: ‘traits get you in trouble’