Dallas Cowboys: 3 possible second round targets

As the Dallas Cowboys look into the second round, there are many options to help the Cowboys improve their roster heading into the 2019 season.

The Dallas Cowboys as we all know had much success in the 2018 season. After capturing the NFC East and winning a playoff game, the future looks bright.

The Cowboys have a promising young core that front office has put together through the draft in the past years. Let’s look at three potential draft picks to help expand on the success Dallas has had in the past few drafts.

Irv Smith Jr./Tight End/Alabama

After the lack of production for tight ends for the Cowboys in 2018, it would not be a surprise to hear the Irv Smith Jr,’s name called when the Cowboys announce their pick.

Smith stands at 6’4 241 pounds and is known for his ability to not only make plays on the ball but his blocking too. Many scouts say his best trait could be his run blocking ability which would fit perfectly in Dallas’ ground-and-pound offense. In his second year with the Crimson Tide, Smith caught 44 balls for 710 yards and seven touchdowns.

Although Irv Smith does not have elite speed like some of the younger tight ends of today’s game, he is known for his elite route-running ability. He creates a lot of separation coming off the line of scrimmage which finds him in open space more often than not.

Chauncey Gardner-Phillips/Safety/Florida

The University of Florida safety could be the missing piece to the Cowboys defense. Chauncey Gardner-Phillips (or CGP) is a speedy versatile safety who can cover a ton of ground and also play in the nickel cornerback position on slot receivers.

Over his three years with the Florida, Gardner-Phillips hauled in nine interceptions and took three of them back for a touchdown. Phillips does lack a lot of skill when it comes to the run game as tackling is not his strong suit but makes up for it in his coverage and ability to create turnovers.

Gardner-Phillips reminds me of cornerback Byron Jones when he came out in 2015. A raw but extremely athletic defensive back with the ability to play both safety and/or cornerback. With coaching from defensive coordinators Rod Marinelli and Kris Richard, CGP could take this defense to the next level.

Jerry Tillery/Defensive Tackle/Notre Dame

Jerry Tillery comes in at 6’6 306 and is known for his bull rush off the line of scrimmage. Tillery helped lead the Fighting Irish defense in pursuit to the College Football Playoff in the 2018 season. After recording seven sacks in his senior season, Tillery posses the rare combination of pass rusher and run stuffer as he had combined for 17.5 tackles for loss in his junior and senior season.

With that being said, Tillery is not a finished product. He tends to struggle to move laterally on a consistent basis and relies on his bull rush a little too often. If Jerry Tillery is drafted by the Cowboys in the second round, he will be apart of the rotation at first but scouts project him to one day be a solidified starter in the NFL.