A safety the Cowboys should draft in the middle rounds

The Dallas Cowboys are most likely filling out their draft board as we speak. With the NFL draft about a month away, kicking off on Thursday, April 29, the Cowboys could decide to go many ways in the draft.

However, there seems to be a big need in the secondary for this team. More specifically, they could use some help at the safety position.

Last season, the Cowboys lost safety Jeff Heath who signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. As a result, Dallas tried to replace him with former Pro Bowl safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. Nonetheless, that signing didn’t quite work out as they cut Clinton-Dix before the season started.

Now, the Cowboys arguably find themselves in a position to try and improve their safety unit. Even though Dallas’ safeties Xavier Woods and Donovan Wilson had solid seasons, they still allowed many big plays.

Last year, the Cowboys ranked 26th in yards per completion allowed (11.1) and 21st in opponent’s yards per pass attempt (7.1). This safety duo of Woods and Wilson might not cut it for Dallas in the future even with their solid play last year.

Woods started 15 games last season and was second on the team in tackles (72). He’s also currently an unrestricted free agent.

Wilson had a breakout season as he started 10 games for the Cowboys in 2020. Additionally, he had two interceptions, three passes deflected, three forced fumbles, 3.5 sacks, and finished third on the team with 71 tackles.

Assuming that Dallas doesn’t draft a safety with the 10th overall pick, this likely leaves them in a spot to grab one in the middle rounds. With two third-round picks and two fourth-round picks, this might be the Cowboys’ moment to capitalize on improving that secondary.

What player best fits the Dallas Cowboys defense?

There are many options that the Cowboys can go if they want to improve their secondary. However, the one safety that Dallas should draft if possible is Andre Cisco.

After Cisco tore his ACL in just two games this past season, it appeared that his draft stock dropped as well. The former Syracuse Orange was once likely considered a late first-round pick. However, now he is expected to get drafted anywhere from round two to round four, according to walterfootball.com

Cisco could be considered a ball hawk in college which might possibly transfer over to the pros. In his freshman season, he added seven interceptions to go along with 60 tackles and nine passes deflected. Consequently, he was selected to the All-ACC first team and won the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Then, in his second season as a true sophomore, he snagged another five interceptions to go with 65 tackles. Although Cisco missed three games during the season, he was still able to get selected to the All-ACC second team.

The former Syracuse Orange finished his college career with 13 interceptions in 24 games and 136 tackles. With the projection of him going as late as the fourth round, this can be a player that possibly falls into Dallas’ lap.

Although Cisco is a little undersized at 6 feet, his speed arguably makes up for it. He has reportedly run a 4.33 40-yard dash in the past, according to profootballrumors.com. His speed would immediately be compared to San Francisco 49ers running back Raheem Mostert whose 40-yard dash clocked in at 4.32.

Now, if teams recognize just how good he can be. The Dallas Cowboys might want to take him late in round two or early in round three.

Even though Cisco is coming off a season-ending injury, Dallas likely won’t shy away from his potential. Don’t forget the Cowboys took a chance on linebacker Jaylon Smith after his gruesome ACL injury in the Fiesta Bowl in 2016.

Although he is projected as the fourth-best safety in the 2021 NFL Draft, according to cbssports.com, he has the potential to likely be the best in this class. The Cowboys should have no problems selecting him as his ball hawk skills would immediately help a team that only had 10 total interceptions in 2020.