How the Dallas Cowboys are helped by this year’s quarterback class
The Dallas Cowboys may not need a quarterback in the upcoming 2018 NFL Draft. But they should benefit from others teams who do.
With Dak Prescott under center, the Dallas Cowboys figure to have their franchise quarterback for the foreseeable future. Luckily for them, they were able to land Prescott in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. But that was a very rare case.
For most NFL teams, landing a possible franchise quarterback means using a first round selection to find one. And a majority of the time, the gamble doesn’t pay off in the way they hoped. And the upcoming 2018 NFL Draft is no exception.
As the timing of the annual college prospect selection event nears, it appears there could be as many as five quarterbacks taken in the first round. And as many as four in the top 11 picks! If you are a Cowboys fan, this is excellent news. Why? One Cowboys insider explains …
"“The last time four quarterbacks went in the top 19 picks was in 2011,” wrote ESPN’s Todd Archer. “The Cowboys are casting their lot with Dak Prescott, so a first-round quarterback would be a surprise, but with four quarterbacks gone by the time they pick, that would push players at positions of need — defensive tackle, linebacker, maybe wide receiver — down the board to them.”"
USC’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Wyoming’s Josh Allen, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield and Louisville’s Lamar Jackson are all college quarterbacks who could be selected before the Cowboys’ first pick, 19th overall, in the upcoming draft. And that could significantly increase the chances someone the Cowboys covet falls to them.
The Cowboys biggest draft needs figure to be defensive tackle, offensive guard and wide receiver. Dallas has an opportunity to land some of the top players at those positions. Of course, the biggest coup would be landing Alabama’s Calvin Ridley, who is considered by many to be the best wide receiver in this class, bar none.
Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft - Full first round
Other names to watch are Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea, Virginia Tech linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and Florida State strong safety Derwin James. They are all prospects the Dallas Cowboys would likely love to see fall to them when their number is called in the first round of the upcoming draft.