The Dallas Cowboys made sure not to reveal too much about the NFL Draft in the lead-up to Thursday night. If they wanted surprise on their side they had more than enough as fans were stunned when they selected Alabama guard Tyler Booker with the No. 12 pick.
A three-year starter for the Crimson Tide, Booker is the third first-round pick Dallas has spent on an offensive linemen in the last four years. The team's track record of selecting OL in round one is incredible, so odds are Booker will be just fine.
While it is hard to complain about taking no-nonsense tough guys in the trenches in the first round, Booker was definitely a reach based on the consensus rankings and that he doesn't play a premium five position. The grades probably won't look great for Dallas, but they can rebound on day two.
The Cowboys can go a number of directions at pick No. 44, but one player in particular sticks out as an obvious target: Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden.
Cowboys will definitely target Missouri WR Luther Burden in second round of NFL Draft
Burden feels like Dallas' last-best chance to get an impact wide receiver after they surprisingly passed on Texas star Matthew Golden, who went No. 23 overall to the Packers. Golden took a 30 visit at The Star and seemed to be a favorite of Jerry Jones.
Running back, cornerback and defensive tackle could all in play at No. 44, but receiver is still the biggest need on the roster.
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Burden might need to be schemed touches early in his career, but he is more than just a gadget player, which is essentially what he was reduced to in Missouri's offense last season. Compared to Deebo Samuel by various draft analysts, Burden is the best WR in the class at creating yards after the catch.
The former Tiger feasted on quick-hitters and crossing routes. He'll need to expand his route tree to become a more well-rounded target, but he can be an instant YAC monster with the potential to develop into a high-end WR2 if he upgrades his route-running.
Marshall EDGE Mike Green, Ohio State running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, and cornerbacks Trey Amos (Ole Miss), Will Johnson (Michigan) and Shavon Revel (East Carolina) are other potential Cowboys targets at the top of round two.
Each of them would be solid picks, but the WR options behind Burden do not inspire much confidence. He might be Dallas' last chance to find a legitimate starting receiver in this draft.