Dallas Cowboys: The case for drafting a quarterback

We attempt to make the case that the Dallas Cowboys should consider drafting a quarterback in the 2018 NFL Draft and beyond.

I believe in the philosophy of drafting a quarterback every year. It’s not one shared by the Dallas Cowboys. But I think it should be.

Although the Cowboys believe they can find suitable quarterback prospects whenever there is a need, constantly developing a player at the team’s most valuable position is simply the smart play. At any point, your starter can go down. Without a viable backup, your season could be lost.

The Cowboys experienced this firsthand in 2015, when their lack of quarterback development caught up to them after losing starter Tony Romo. Dallas attempted to trade for a suitable replacement in quarterback Matt Cassel, but the Cowboys still finished the year with a disappointing 4-12 record.

The following offseason Dallas drafted quarterback Dak Prescott in the fourth round out of Mississippi State. Romo once again fell victim to an injury the following preseason, and the Cowboys were forced to turn to their rookie passer. The rest, as you know, is history. But now that they have a young, healthy quarterback under center, there is no reason to stop drafting quarterbacks.

And one NFL draft guru recently pointed out there are many intriguing prospects for the Cowboys to select from in the upcoming NFL drat.

"“If you look at the five potential first-rounders [Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield, Jackson], plus Mason Rudolph, Falk, White, Lauletta and Woodside, that’s 10 quarterbacks,” NFL Network’s Mike Mayok told ESPN.com. “In a typical draft, there are only about 11 to 12 quarterbacks that get drafted overall. So I think there is a little bit better quality in the top end, through three or four rounds, than we’re used to seeing.”"

The Cowboys stumbled on finding a quality quarterback prospect last offseason in Cooper Rush, who went undrafted out of Central Michigan. But this season, due to an excess of compensatory selections, Dallas will have a whopping 10 picks in the 2018 NFL Draft. I believe one of those selections should be used on a quarterback.

Next: The one position the Cowboys do not need to draft

Even if they never see the field for America’s Team, quality quarterbacks always have value in possible trades. Just look at the New England Patroits. Last season alone the Pats traded both of their backup quarterbacks, Jacoby Brissett and Jimmy Garoppolo. The latter for a 2018 second round pick.