The Dallas Cowboys were always going to be busy on Day 3 of the NFL Draft but they have kicked things into high gear after sitting on the sidelines the entire fourth round.
Despite fans wanting the team to trade up for a running back, Dallas waited until its first pick of round five to address the position, settling on Texas speedster Jaydon Blue.
Blue's foot speed and cutting ability is up there with any RB in this class. He specializes making defenders miss in the open field, but he is subtly tough between the tackles.
The Cowboys did not give fans nearly enough time to sink their teeth into the Blue pick as they unexpectedly traded up to draft Florida linebacker Shemar James.
Cowboys trade up in fifth round to draft Florida LB Shemar James
James is a work-in progress as a prospect, but the trade details look good for the Cowboys.
According to Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas gave up picks No. 174 and No. 211, both of which are of the compensatory variety. They swapped picks with Arizona in the fifth round, so Dallas next pick is No. 204 in the sixth round.
James is a former four-star recruit who rebuffed offers from other SEC powerhouses Alabama, Georgia and Auburn before committing to Florida. The former Gator grew up in a family of Dallas Cowboys fans, per Dane Brugler of The Athletic, so he shouldn't have any trouble warming up to the idea of playing for the most polarizing team in the league.
In three years at Florida, he compiled 165 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and five sacks. He projects as an off-ball linebacker who can be utilized in blitz packages, potentially in the DeMarvion Overshown role while Overshown puts the finishing touches on his knee rehab.
The Cowboys' linebacker room is far from robust, but between James, Overshown, Marist Liufau, Kenneth Murray and Damone Clark, it suddenly has a wealth of options. Who knows? Maybe an Eric Kendricks reunion will be a consideration after the draft to add a veteran presence.