The NFL Combine’s timing is ironic, as the draft is currently all the rage despite being two months away following last week's festivities, yet free agency is just two weeks out. What the Dallas Cowboys accomplish, or fail to accomplish, in the signing frenzy will tell us a lot about their draft strategy.
However, that might be set in stone after Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram unearthed that edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku underwent labrum surgery earlier this offseason, which is expected to sideline him for all of OTAs and mandatory minicamp.
You never want to hear that an ascending young player underwent surgery. The expectation is that Ezeiruaku will be healthy for the start of training camp. That's a major silver lining, but the Cowboys simply have to draft a pass rusher with one of their two first-round picks.
The Dallas Cowboys must draft an EDGE after Donovan Ezeiruaku surgery news
The EDGE room is alarmingly thin behind Ezeiruaku. Now that he's on the mend, new defensive coordinator Christian Parker will need bodies at the position simply to execute drills in the offseason program.
Reigning sack leader Jadeveon Clowney is an unrestricted free agent, and while Dallas made it clear in December that it wanted him back, his questionable fit in Parker’s scheme has the team singing a different tune with free agency on the horizon.
Joining Clowney on the UFA list are veteran Dante Fowler, former second-round pick Sam Williams, and Payton Turner, who didn't play a snap last season.
Ezeiruaku and James Houston are the only returning edge defenders. The Cowboys are converting linebacker Marist Liufau into a pass-rusher under Parker, but it's no guarantee that it pans out.
Even if they sign a potential starter in free agency, they'll still need to draft an EDGE early. Could they justify coming out of Round 1 with a combination of LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane and Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman? Potentially, but it'd be a much harder sell now.
The problem is there’s no guarantee the board breaks their way. If Arvell Reese, David Bailey, and Rueben Bain are all taken early, should Dallas force an EDGE at No. 12 just to fill a need? Are Cashius Howell, Akheem Mesidor, T.J. Parker, or Keldric Faulk truly top-12 talents? Or do the Cowboys roll the dice and hope that one of them lasts until No. 20?
These questions amplify the need to sign an impact pass rusher in free agency so that Dallas can take the best available defender with the 12th pick. At that point, it could draft one of the aforementioned prospects at No. 20 and feel great about it.
If that doesn't happen, the Cowboys could find themselves reaching for need over value, and that's where they've run into trouble before.