Did the Dallas Cowboys find another starter in the sixth round?

After finding a starter in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, did the Dallas Cowboys find a similar late round gem this year?

The 2016 NFL Draft will likely be forever linked with the selections by the Dallas Cowboys. Names like AP Offensive Rookie of the Year quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott dominated headlines last season.

But Prescott and Elliott were only the shiniest prospects to come out of Dallas last season. That class also included other starters like defensive tackle Maliek Collins and cornerback Anthony Brown. And untapped rookies that were sidelined due to injury like linebacker Jaylon Smith and defensive end Charles Tapper could end up making that draft haul the greatest in franchise history.

Going into last month’s NFL Draft, the Cowboys could only dream of duplicating the success they found in 2016. And the early indications are they may have found someone special in the later rounds once again.

With their first of four sixth round picks last offseason, the Cowboys drafted Brown out of Purdue. The 22-year old ended up starting in nine games for Dallas during his rookie campaign due to a groin injury suffered by veteran cornerback Morris Claiborne. Brown recorded 55 total tackles, eight pass defends and one interception in his first season.

Now, in his second season, Brown seems to be a lock for a starting role in the Cowboy secondary this year. And his success allowed Dallas to move on from underperforming veterans like Claiborne and Brandon Carr.

But could the Cowboys have found yet another starter in the later rounds of the 2017 NFL Draft? According to one football expert, he believes Dallas might just have done so when they traded into the sixth round to grab Louisiana Tech safety Xavier Woods.

"“Another free safety/slot prospect, Woods showed great ball skills in both roles at Louisiana Tech, finishing with 14 interceptions and 10 pass breakups on 127 targets over the last three years,” wrote Steve Palazzolo on the football analytic website, Pro Football Focus. “Woods’ 85.0 PFF coverage grade ranked 16th among safeties last season, and he adds a movable piece to the Dallas secondary that received an impressive overhaul in the draft. We expected Woods to come off the board much earlier than the sixth round, so expect him to compete for immediate playing time for the Cowboys.”"

With the exodus of both safeties Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox via free agency, there were serious voids at the position earlier this offseason. The Cowboys hedged their bets prior to the draft by signing veteran safety Robert Blanton.

Now, Dallas may have just found another instant starter in Woods, who just like Brown before him, was selected in the sixth round. The rangy safety out of La Tech recorded 84 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, 3.0 sacks, six pass defends, five interceptions and one forced fumble during his senior year with the Bulldogs.

Going into training camp, it’s likely that the Cowboys have safeties Byron Jones and Jeff Heath penciled in as their starters.

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But don’t be surprised to see Woods play a big part in a rotation with the starters, similar to Wilcox’s role last season. And if the opportunity presents itself, the 2017 sixth round selection could end up joining Brown as a starter in the secondary before year’s end.