Dallas Cowboys: 3 surprising draft needs in 2019

The Dallas Cowboys are ready to win now. But to continue their recent success, here are three surprising draft needs that must be addressed in 2019.

In a league that has been molded and designed to keep competitive balance, it is becoming harder to produce a winning product year-in and year-out.  With injuries and unforeseeable circumstances possible at any given moment, drafting is the key to sustaining success. Especially for the Dallas Cowboys.

Vice president of player personnel Will McClay and the rest of the Cowboys’ front office has done a very good job at acquiring sustainable talent across the board for the last few years. And that will have to continue. Going into 2020, the Cowboys currently have only 29 players under contract. And only nine current starters (not including Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, and DeMarcus Lawrence).

Sure the Cowboys would like to re-sign all of the talent they have on their team but it’s unlikely they’ll be able to. Here are some position groups Dallas may decide to address in the 2019 draft that may catch you by surprise.

Offensive Tackle

La’el Collins is in his last season of his two-year extension he signed in 2017.. Though inconsistent at times he has been a very solid player for the team.

With uncertainty of retaining Collins’ services for the 2020 season and Tyron Smith’s lingering back issues, it would be wise for the Cowboys to draft an offensive tackle. Drafting a tackle this year would be very valuable in the sense if they were to move on from Collins they aren’t just throwing a rookie tackle to the wolves in Year One.

Linebacker

With Sean Lee seemingly on his way out of the door due to a lengthy injury history and Jaylon Smith going into his last year under contract, the Cowboys are left with only one starting caliber linebacker under contract in 2020. The Cowboys have next-to-no depth at the position looking down the road.

This isn’t the best class if you need a starter right away, but it is filled with athletic linebackers that, with some coaching, could serve a big role on the team in the future. Look for the Cowboys to add some depth to this group in the later rounds.

Defensive End

There’s no doubt the Cowboys want to lock up the book-end leader on the defensive line, DeMarcus Lawrence, this offseason. On the other side of the line, it isn’t as clear what the future holds. With Randy Gregory being suspended indefinitely and Taco Charlton being a healthy scratch at times last year, it is unknown exactly what the Cowboys have at the right defensive end position moving forward.

The Dallas Cowboys could ultimately spend their first pick of the draft, 58th overall in the second round, on a defensive end if they don’t address the position in free agency. Or if someone special falls in their lap.