Dallas Cowboys Draft: Any premier pass rushers even left at 28?

Due to the Dallas Cowboys late first round selection, will there even be a premier pass rusher available when their number is called?

Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has gone on the record saying his team needs a War Daddy. As getting to opposing quarterbacks has been a lingering issue in Dallas, getting a premier pass rusher in house needs to be priority number one for the Cowboys this offseason.

But the question remains: How will the Cowboys go about finding one? As you know, there are three ways to do so. They include free agency, via a trade or through the NFL Draft. As the first two can be costly and very risky, the latter option seems to be the Cowboys preference.

Unfortunately, Dallas is a victim of their own success. Coming off a terrific season where they finished the year with a 13-3 record, the Cowboys’ first selection in the upcoming NFL Draft is not until the 28th overall pick. And one insider doesn’t believe there will be any premier pass rushers left at that point.

"“One of the biggest problems is that their biggest hole is at defensive end and every team needs pass rushers,” explained the Dallas Morning News’ Jon Matchoa on the SportsDayDFW’s Ballzy podcast recently. “It’s such a premium position that all the good ones — the premium-type elite guys — are gonna all be gone by 15.”.”"

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Here’s the thing about drafting pass rushers. They normally aren’t impact players immediately. They take time to develop. So it may be a couple years or more before you know if you even have a premier one.

For example, in 2015 only three rookie defenders posted more than 5.0 sacks in their first year. None of whom were selected in the first round. In fact, Atlanta Falcons’ pass rusher Vic Beasley recorded only 4.0 sacks during that year, his rookie season. In 2016, Beasley led the NFL in that category with 15.5 sacks.

In fact, the Cowboys drafted one of the best pass rushing rookie defenders in the NFL last season: Third round selection defensive tackle Maliek Collins out of Nebraska. Collins 5.0 sacks was the seventh highest among his peers. Yet, no one is calling him a premier.

Next: Dallas Cowboys All-Time Best Defensive Players By Position

The point is if the Dallas Cowboys are going to look to the draft to find their premier pass rusher, luck is not on their side. Possessing the 28th overall selection hurts their chances. And even if they do somehow find a draft steal or hidden gem, it will probably be at least a season or two before they start producing like one. Although the Cowboys don’t prefer it, Dallas may have to look to free agency or the trade market to find an instant War Daddy.

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