Dallas Cowboys: 3 sneaky needs in the 2019 NFL Draft
The Dallas Cowboys could elect to address some sneaky needs in the draft. Here are three positions they could select that might shock some fans.
The Dallas Cowboys currently only possess six selections in the upcoming 2019 NFL Draft after trading away their first and sixth-round selections in previous moves. But the Cowboys have also been busy in free agency, filling various needs and allowing the team to draft freely when their number is called.
The Cowboys’ needs heading into the draft are fairly clear. Running back, defensive tackle, tight end and safety are clear needs and Dallas is expected to fill them. But there are also a handful of sneaky needs that could shock fans if the team elects to address them in the draft.
Here are our three sneaky needs for the Dallas Cowboys in the 2019 NFL Draft …
Cornerback
When looking in the Cowboys’ secondary, safety figures to be the team’s top need. But Dallas may see things differently, looking down the road at the future of their cornerback position
Both Byron Jones and Anthony Brown are set to hit free agency after this season. And Jones is coming off hip surgery, so the Cowboys could feel forced to go ahead and reinvest in the position now.
Combined with whispers that Cowboys’ passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Kris Richard is quietly visiting cornerback prospects only adds to the possibility Dallas could look to address this position with one of their limited draft selections. If the right prospect falls, don’t be surprised to see the Cowboys pull the trigger on a young corner.
Offensive Tackle
Starting right tackle La’el Collins is an unrestricted free agent in 2020. And Collins could likely find a much bigger payday as a free agent than what he might get from the Cowboys, who have already heavily invested financially in three of their other starting offensive linemen.
The Cowboys signed veteran tackle Cameron Fleming to a two-year extension this offseason. And it’s easy to think they did so as insurance for Collins possibly leaving after this year. Moving 2018 second rounder Connor Williams from guard to tackle is a possibility. But Dallas could also opt to draft a rookie offensive tackle in order to groom them for the eventual starting role, allowing them to develop behind Collins and Fleming for a season or two.
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Kicker
NFL teams obviously don’t draft kickers very often. And when they do, there seems to be a rather high bust factor. And don’t forget that the Cowboys’ best kicker in franchise history, Dan Bailey, went undrafted out of Oklahoma State in 2011.
Still, taking a late-round flier on a kicker is not out of the realm of possibility. Especially considering the inconsistency we saw at times last season from the Cowboys’ current kicker, Brett Maher, who was ranked 25th in the NFL with a rating of 80.6 percent of field goals made. According to former NFL scout and football analyst for DallasCowboys.com Bryan Broaddus, the one name to watch is Oklahoma’s Austin Seibert.