Cowboys drafting for defense in the first round makes sense

What position should the Dallas Cowboys target on defense?

Again, the Cowboys could go plenty of ways in the draft, especially on defense. There’s arguably not a position on their defense that doesn’t need help. However, the two biggest needs for this team appear to be cornerback and safety.

Dallas’ secondary in 2020 was possibly one of the worst in the NFL. This unit ranked bottom seven in many categories including opponent third-down conversation per game (6.1), opponent’s third-down conversion percentage per game (46.89 percent), and opponent’s average team passer rating (100.4).

As a result, the Cowboys should tighten up their secondary by selecting one of the best cornerbacks in the draft. Two popular names that could be selected by the Cowboys are cornerbacks Caleb Farley of Virginia Tech and Patrick Surtain II of Alabama. Both cornerbacks would likely have a direct impact on the roster.

Furthermore, the Cowboys would be able to pair one of these cornerbacks with second-year starter Trevon Diggs. These two young corners could improve alongside each other with reasonable contracts since they will both be on rookie deals.

With cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis set to hit free agency, the Cowboys might just move on from them completely. Awuzie is expected to receive a four-year, $34.05 million contract this offseason, according to spotrac.com.  This is money that the Cowboys likely don’t have.

It appears that Dallas has plenty of options to go in this year’s draft. However, being able to select a cornerback seems like the best solution for a Cowboys’ team that needs desperate help in the secondary.