Should the Dallas Cowboys trade up in the first round?

With possible trades on the horizon, Will the Dallas Cowboys look to improve their position prior to the upcoming 2017 NFL Draft?

The Dallas Cowboys have a lot of options in terms of what they can do in the 2017 NFL Draft. Currently they hold the 28th overall selection but could move forward if they get an opportunity. If Dallas does trade up they would need to likely give away several picks and or a player but it could be worth it depending on who they select.

There are plenty of teams in the NFL Draft that could be motivated to trade with Dallas and a lot of that speculation could come to a head at this years scouting combine. The Cowboys do have several players that teams could find interesting enough to trade for. The most likely player to be moved is obviously veteran quarterback, Tony Romo.

Dallas will need to think long and hard about how exactly they want to approach rebuilding their secondary. Both starting cornerbacks and the teams starting strong safety will hit the open market unless the team can re-sign them prior to the beginning of free agency.

The Cowboys have already starting the rebuilding process of their defensive backfield by drafting starting free safety Byron Jones and cornerback Anthony Brown. This year the NFL draft has a strong cornerback class and if the Cowboys play their cards right they could come away with a much stronger secondary.

Currently the highest ranked defensive backs predominantly are taken within the first 10 picks. Ohio State’s Malik Hooker and Marshon Lattimore and LSU safety Jamal Adams are the best defensive backs in the draft so trading up for them could be advantageous for Dallas.

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Safety is such a rare position to be solidified in and the Cowboys could have a starter for years to come if they find a way to land Adams. Cornerback is a bit more flexible as there are several players who are looking to be terrific NFL players. Including Lattimore, Florida’s Teez Tabor, Quincy Wilson, along with Alabama’s Marlon Humphrey, Washington’s Sidney Jones, and LSU’s Tre’Davious White should all be selected in the first round.

Trading up for any of these corners would alleviate a serious need in the secondary and if the Cowboys re-sign Barry Church they could be looking to do just that. Some of these players could be available when the Cowboys are on the clock but if the team does not want to take that risk they could jump ahead of the pack in order to find a defensive game changer.

There are a ton of pass rushers available throughout the draft so the team could wait until the second or/and the third round. Trading up realistically would only make sense if they could land the best best rusher and overall prospect, Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett. The Browns could easily be looking to sell the first overall pick depending on what they get in return.

What the Cowboys would have to give up is relatively unknown but it would likely cost a couple of picks and potentially Romo. The Tennessee Titans have two picks in the first round and could be open to trading at least one of them. If the Cowboys cannot trade up to the first overall pick they could attempt to land the 5th or 18th overall pick.

There are a couple of wild cards that the Cowboys could want as they look to build up both sides of the ball. Safety/linebacker Jabrill Peppers could potentially fall to the team if not into the Cowboys range and he could be a game changer for this defense. His versatility could land him a starting role in several facets of the Cowboys defense.

The Cowboys could also feel compelled to select the best tight end in the draft in Alabama’s O.J. Howard. Dallas needs a replacement for veteran tight end Jason Witten and Howard would be a great option for the young offense. Howard could easily be the next premiere tight end in the NFL so the Cowboys may reach for him.

If Dallas does stay put at 28, they should have a spectrum of players to select from and should be able to land a decent, quality player. There is just more of a risk in terms of top players falling off their draft board thus making their position less flexible.

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That is why it is somewhat key to trade Romo because it will likely end up with the Cowboys getting some extra picks and/or moving up in the draft. Dallas’s draft position will become much clearer after the scouting combine.

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