Did the Cowboys land the steal of the draft?

Did the Dallas Cowboys actually land the steal of the draft in the sixth round last weekend?

The Dallas Cowboys have been receiving a lot of flak recently for their election not to draft immediate impact players on the defensive side of the ball with their top two selections in last week’s NFL Draft. Instead, the Cowboys opted to select Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott and injured Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith with those picks.

The Cowboys then used the next four out of their five selections to add players to their defense. In the third round, Dallas added Nebraska defensive tackle Maliek Collins. In the fourth, the grabbed Oklahoma defensive end Charles Tapper. Both players are expected to provide depth to the Cowboys defensive line this season, and could become starters in a pinch.

But it was the two defensive players they landed in the sixth round who could have a bigger impact. That being Purdue cornerback Anthony Brown and Central Michigan safety Kavon Frazier. According to Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones, both players had fourth round grades on the team’s draft board.

But in Brown, the Cowboys not only found an exceptional athlete at a value pick, but they also addressed an area of need. Starting cornerback Morris Claiborne is on a one-year prove it deal after his first four season in Dallas have been full on poor play and injuries.

Veteran corner Brandon Carr just accepted a pay cut to remain on the team after years of inconsistent play. And cornerback Orlando Scandrick is returning from a devastating knee injury that robbed him of the entire 2015 regular season.

Brown is entering a great situation for him to excel in Dallas. And he has the abilities to take advantage of that opportunity.

"“…keep an eye on Anthony Brown at cornerback,”responded former scout and current analyst for DallasCowboys.com Bryan Broaddus when asked about rookies who could have the most impact. “This kid has a well-rounded game to him and I could see him getting plenty of opportunities to help in nickel and dime packages. He covers well, plus he is not afraid to stick his nose in the action when tackling.”"

The 5-11, 194 pound Brown is a scrappy cornerback who possesses 4.33 speed and quick feet to keep pace with opposing receivers. He’s a physical player who tends to get too handsy at times. Last season, Brown recorded a 60 total tackles, had six pass defends and four interceptions. Three of those takeaways came in one game against Nebraska.

But Brown also has a chance to be special on special teams. A Purdue assistant coach says they simply couldn’t block him on field goal tries in practice. His speed and tackling ability could make Brown into the Cowboys premier special teams ace as a rookie.

Bottom line is the Cowboys got themselves a very talented prospect in the sixth round that could have a big impact during his rookie campaign. And Brown has an opportunity to really grow into a major role on this Dallas defense. One day, we may all look back and see this underrated corner as the steal of this draft class.

Next: Can the Dallas Cowboys win the Super Bowl with offense?

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