3 moves the Cowboys can make to salvage their offseason

2. Draft Immediate Impact Starters

With so much currently up in the air about the 2022-2023 Cowboys team, if there is one thing you can be pretty sure of,  it’s that they aren’t going to make any big, splashy moves in free agency. Traditionally speaking, big-name free agents like linebacker Bobby Wagner or defensive back Tyrann Mathieu have a better chance of wearing a star on their helmet for the Philadelphia Stars of the USFL than they do for America’s Team.

For years now, the core offseason philosophy in Dallas has been to build through the draft, re-sign their own players, and find bargain bin deals on the open market. Going after big ticket-free agents just hasn’t been their MO in a long time. So, the best way the Cowboys can inject their team with some premium talent will be through the draft.

Dallas has put itself in a position where they suddenly have quite a few needs and need someone who can play right away as opposed to a project player. In every draft, the goal should be to draft the best player available and given all of their needs (many self-imposed), that should open them up to improve at a number of positions. While I don’t think that this is a great draft, I do think they will be able to find quality players when it’s their turn to pick, regardless of where they end up selecting.

Wide receiver, linebacker, offensive line, and defensive line are all positions that the Cowboys should consider taking within the first two days of the draft.

Jerry Jones loves Arkansas, and he’s never shied away from declaring his love for his alma mater. So much so, that I was pretty taken aback when I realized that since Jerry purchased the team the Cowboys have only drafted one former Razorback, running back Felix Jones, in the first round back in 2008.

I could see that changing if wide receiver Treylon Burks is available. Burks is a big receiver who could step up and play outside, taking over many of Amari Cooper’s targets right away. He’s also a superb athlete who would give offensive coordinator Kellen Moore a lot of options when it comes to deciding the best ways to deploy him on offense.  However, this is a good year to need a receiver, and there should also be some solid players the Cowboys could take on day two if they chose to.

There are plenty of offensive linemen who could give the Cowboys an immediate upgrade

Perhaps the most likely option this year is that Dallas uses their pick to address the issues on their offensive line. One name to watch will be Texas A&M’s Kenyon Green. At the NFL level, he likely projects best as a guard, but he also played some tackle for the Aggies in 2021. In fact, last season Green started at least one game at both guard and both tackle positions. That positional flexibility is huge for a team that’s consistently faced injuries up front.

Green is a powerful blocker who can bulldoze lanes wide open in the run game and offers strong pass protection as well. If he’s still available when the Cowboys pick, Green has the potential to be an immediate impact starter at multiple positions along the offensive line.

Boston College’s Zion Johnson and Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum could also be great picks at 24 when Dallas makes their selection. Johnson is a very good guard who could step in and play competently right away. Like Green, he also played a bit of tackle in college and offers versatility if it’s really needed. Meanwhile, Linderbaum is the clear-cut best center in the draft and he’d give the Cowboys an immediate upgrade over Tyler Biadasz who had an up and down sophomore season.