Can the Dallas Cowboys Hit in Rounds 1, 2, & 3?
With the draft just over a week away, every NFL team is busy putting the finishing touches on their draft board and finalizing where they feel players should be ranked. The draft is the “life blood” of NFL teams, and this is where a solid foundation can be set for the future, or where mediocrity can continue. Much analysis has been performed in looking at recent Cowboy drafts, and grades earned have been mostly sub-par. This poor drafting done by has contributed mightily to the team being a .500 team since 2000.
Feb 21, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; North Carolina offensive lineman Jonathan Cooper speaks at a press conference during the 2013 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
While drafting by need is a bad way to select players when drafting, need also cannot be ignored as well when players have very similar grades. The team’s biggest player personnel weakness exists along the offensive line, and this draft has multiple candidates who should be available when the team is on the clock at #18. A second area the team will need to address will be the defensive line, and third will be safety. If the Cowboys can find good value selections and fill these areas of need, the team could show improvement in the near term.
I would like to see the Cowboys go offensive line in Rounds 1 & 2, but it really will depend on how the draft plays out and who falls to them. If the team has multiple guys it likes on the board at #18, and has the option to move back a few spots and pick up an extra 2nd or 3rd rounder, fans should be pleased as there are multiple holes to fill on this team. With the team giving away their 2nd rounder last year in the Mo Claiborne trade, it would be nice to see if the team could replace it with a move this year.
Here are some candidates the team will/ or should be most likely considering when on the clock in these three rounds:
Round 1
Chance Warmack OG Alabama
Jonathan Cooper OG UNC
Lane Johnson OT Oklahoma
Star Lotulelei DT Utah
Sheldon Richardson DT Missouri
Cordarrelle Patterson WR Tennessee
Sylvester Williams DT UNC
D.J. Fluker OT Alabama
Kenny Vaccaro S Texas
Round 2
Justin Pugh OT Syracuse
Larry Warford OG Kentucky
Eric Reid S LSU
Travis Frederick C Wisconsin
Barrett Jones OC Alabama
Kyle Long OT Oregon
Terron Armstead OT Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Kawann Short DT Purdue
Jamar Taylor CB Boise State
D.J. Hayden CB Houston
Matt Elam S Florida
Round 3
David Bakhtiari OT Colorado
Darius Slay CB/S Mississippi State
Shamarko Thomas S Syracuse
Bennie Logan DT LSU
Dallas Thomas OL Tennessee
Bacarri Rambo S Georgia
Tyrann Mathieu CB LSU
David Quessenberry OL San Jose State
Brandon Williams DT Missouri Southern
TJ McDonald S USC
Robert Lester S Alabama
The NFL Draft is the big unknown. It will be interesting to see how the other team’s selections or movement around the board affects the Cowboys. Like every year, players that are on high on mock drafts will fall, and some that are lower will rise. The Cowboys need to show patience, and let the draft come to them or even move back if they can attain another 2nd or 3rd rounder. Later on if the team needs to include a late round pick to possibly move up and get a player they are targeting, fans should be ok with it. However, I really want to see the team not trade out of rounds one through four as there is a lot of talent to choose from and the team needs to hit on each selection due to their salary cap concerns. Rounds five through seven is where the team has been horrible in recent history, so if moving a selection here can help them get someone they are targeting I’m fine with that. The team already has a list of guys they feel will go undrafted, and will be in touch with them as soon as the draft concludes to bring them into minicamp.