3 Cowboys whose stock is soaring after the NFL Draft
The Dallas Cowboys selected eight new players in the 2024 NFL Draft. With those picks, the team hopes they have found new players to fill holes left by departures during free agency. The Cowboys likely have a new starting left tackle, center, and rotational player for the defensive line. While these selections fit with the team's needs, other positions were not addressed in the draft.
Some players on the Cowboys might be fighting for roster spots, but some may be breathing a sigh of relief. Any time a team drafts a player at the same position as another veteran player, competition sets in. If a position is not addressed in the draft, the level of competition can remain almost the same. For a few players they have to believe their value increased heading into the offseason workouts.
1. S Markquese Bell
Dallas only drafted one defensive back this year, Caelen Carson from Wake Forest. Not much is expected from him in his rookie season due to the Cowboys already having Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland locked in as their starting corners. With no safety selected, Markquese Bell should see more action back at his natural position.
Although he played well as a hybrid linebacker in Dan Quinn's scheme last year, Bell has played safety for the majority of his football career. With Mike Zimmer coming in the expectation is Bell will take the role of the departed Jayron Kearse. The Cowboys starting safeties have remained the same for the past few seasons in Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson. That trend will likely continue but Bell going back to safety should make this defensive back room even deeper.
Bell shined back in the preseason in 2022, making the team as an undrafted free agent out of Florida A&M. The former Rattler stepped up big for the defense last year with injuries at linebacker. He racked up 94 tackles and forced two fumbles. With no change at the safety position other than Kearse not being brought back, Bell's value in the secondary has increased going into 2024.