Where do the Dallas Cowboys need to improve their roster?

As the Dallas Cowboys head into their final two games of the 2015 NFL season I find myself in a conundrum about whether or not I am rooting for them to play for better draft position or try and win the last couple of games.

As a 4-10 team, the Cowboys are looking at a top draft pick in the upcoming 2016 NFL Draft. That means that Big D could be looking at their choice of the top college players in the nation and it leaves a lot of unanswered questions about how they plan on improving their roster.

More from The Landry Hat

We all know that owner/general manager Jerry Jones likes to make a splash in free agency but the better teams in the league are usually the ones that do an excellent job of drafting talented players to make up their roster.

With that in mind I began thinking about what positions needed to be improved the most for the Cowboys and which ones they should target with their first-round selection.

Personally, I would love to see them draft a young talented receiver to pair with Dez Bryant, because we saw firsthand the season that they had with Bryant injured and the rest of the receiving corps wasn’t up to the challenge of helping to replace his production on the field.

Ole Miss receiver Laquon Treadwell would be my personal pick, but only if the Cowboys were to trade back a little further in the first round.

I would also love to see Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott selected first-round, but again only if the Cowboys were selecting a little bit further back in the first-round because they traded down a few picks.

If Jerry Jones is running the draft room you can almost guarantee that he’ll be taking phone calls from other general managers around the league to see what he can get for a premium draft pick, so both Treadwell and Elliott could be potential trade down candidates.

Unfortunately, I think there are more pressing needs that absolutely need to be addressed either through free agency or the draft, and possibly both.

Take for instance the cornerback position.

Orlando Scandrick could possibly be the only quarterback on the roster when free agency begins and he is coming off a major injury.

Both Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr have been disappointing additions since joining the Cowboys and I think it’s unlikely we will see either one of them wearing a star on their helmet in 2016.

If the Cowboys stand pat in the 2016 NFL Draft, they could possibly have their choice of two very talented defensive backs in Jalen Ramsey (Florida State) and Vernon Hargreaves III (Florida). Both of these players will more than likely help solidify the backend of the Cowboys defense.

Another position of need is at linebacker.

Other than Sean Lee and Anthony Hitchens, there’s very little depth at the position and a lot of inexperience.

Damien Wilson and Mark Nzeocha will be entering their second year in the NFL and neither are ready to step into a starting role.

Rolando McClain could possibly be re-signed, but there are some talented linebackers that the Cowboys could possibly decide to draft instead.

Jaylon Smith (Notre Dame), Myles Jack (UCLA), and Leonard Floyd (Georgia) are all talented linebackers that could step in day one and improve the talent of the linebacker position.

In Rod Marinelli’s defense, linebackers are asked to be playmakers and all three of these potential draft considerations not only help the defense become more formidable but also had much needed depth.

The 4-3 defense that Marinelli prefers to operate requires a lot of bodies at the linebacker position that is why the Cowboys could decide to target these three players with their first-round selection.

I know a lot of fans will be crossing their fingers that the Cowboys could perhaps consider choosing one of the top quarterbacks with their first-round draft selection, but I just think there are more important positions to consider.

I personally would like to see them draft a developmental QB in the third or fourth round. A few names to consider would be Christian Hackenberg (Penn State) and Cardale Jones (Ohio State).

So, those of you hoping to see Paxton Lynch (Memphis), Jared Goff (California), and Connor Cook (Michigan State) are more than likely going to be disappointed.

As you can see there are a lot of different positions the Cowboys could target the first round, but hopefully they continue drafting players that can become cornerstones of the team for years to come much like they have with Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, Zack Martin, and last year’s selection Byron Jones.

All of these players will hopefully be key members of America’s Team for years to come and the addition of the 2016 draft selection could join a rather impressive group of young players.

Next: Kellen Moore's early struggles are a positive for the Cowboys

What particular players do you want to see the Cowboys target in the 2016 NFL Draft or which position do you think they should focus on the most?

Let me hear your opinions and thoughts in the comment section below.

Home/Cowboys News