Dallas Cowboys 2020 NFL Draft: Potential positions of need

The Dallas Cowboys season isn’t over yet, but it isn’t looking good right now. So let’s look ahead to the 2020 NFL Draft and see what the team needs.

Right now the Dallas Cowboys are in the playoffs. And they would be drafting anywhere from the 21st pick or higher in the 2020 NFL Draft if they make a run in the postseason.

Now, if the Cowboys lose against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, they have the potential to draft anywhere between 16th and 18th in the draft’s first round. Either way, Dallas is going to need to fill their needs at some key positions next season on the back end of draft rounds.

So, let’s begin with the needs for the team on the offensive side of the ball. The glaring position of need is going to again be wide receiver. Even if potential free agent Amari Cooper wants to stay in Dallas, he hasn’t signed a contract yet. But Coop isn’t the only wideout that could be leaving the team this offseason.

Receivers Randall Cobb and Tavon Austin will both become free agents in 2020, leaving the Cowboys with Michael Gallup, Devin Smith, Noah Brown, and Cedrick Wilson on the depth chart for next season. The receiving class coming out for the draft is deep, so Dallas should be able to find a player that can help them.

Another position that the Cowboys must finally address in the upcoming draft is at tight end. Last season many thought that Dallas would take a tight end in a draft and load the depth chart with more talent. Well, once again they were wrong.

Instead of drafting a tight end, they re-signed Jason Witten. Now with both Witten (unrestricted free agent) and fellow tight end Blake Jarwin (restricted free agent) both possibly leaving in 2020, the Cowboys will only have second-year tight end Dalton Schultz under contract.

Unfortunately for the Cowboys the draft class at the tight end position isn’t as strong as it was last season. So they may have to pick on early if they want a player that can help them immediately.

Now on to the defensive side of the football. The defense has the potential to look completely different next season with five starters set to become unrestricted free agents this offseason and another nine players in back up roles becoming unrestricted free agents as well.

Of all of these players the secondary is going to take the biggest hit with cornerbacks Byron Jones, Anthony Brown, and safety Jeff Heath all hitting the open market. All three have played well for the Cowboys but there isn’t enough money to go around to re-sign everyone.

So look for the Dallas Cowboys front office to bargain shop in the cornerback free agent market and take a safety in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The next position of need is actually two positions, defensive end and defensive tackle. With Maliek Collins, Michael Bennett, Kerry Hyder, Christian Covington, and Robert Quinn set to become free agents the Cowboys are going to need to re-stock along their defensive line.

Lucky for the Cowboys, there is a lot of talent in this defensive class at these positions so they have the potential to grab a good player. They will also bargain shop for free agents again like they did this season.

Now a lot of these players could come back, it all depends on who the head coach will be next season and how much money the Dallas Cowboys will have left if they pay both quarterback Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper. Only time will tell but either way all of these positions will need to be addressed this offseason.