3 worse-case scenarios for Cowboys in first round of 2023 draft

1. They feel the need to reach, again

We touched on one example of Dallas reaching earlier when Trysten Hill was brought up. That year, the Cowboys were without a Round 1 pick after trading for Amari Cooper and had to wait until pick No. 58 to make their first choice.

With several good safeties on the board, including Juan Thornhill, they decided to go after a defensive tackle which they perceived as a greater need. Hill, who wasn't even a starter as a senior, had plenty of physical gifts but apparently had a bad attitude and an even worse work ethic.

Just about everyone other than the Jones family and Rod Marinelli knew this was a mistake. And by the end of 2022, he was let go.

What makes this move feel worse is the fact they just did the same thing in 2017. Intent on taking a defensive end, they added Taco Charlton from Michigan. In taking Charlton, they skipped out on T.J. Watt, saying he didn't fit their system. Rather than realizing a system that cannot use an elite player is a crappy system, Dallas took the player who fit their "measurements" of an EDGE.

Charlton rewarded them with just four sacks in two seasons, and the majority were clean-up sacks where someone was trying to avoid DeMarcus Lawrence and Taco got a free play. He was released before the 2019 campaign, evidently making way for Hill — apparently only one huge draft mistake was allowed on the team at a time.

With all that being said, the Cowboys have to avoid allowing need to dictate their moves. There's a fear this could happen as they have their eyes on several guard prospects, including Steve Avila from TCU.

Perhaps Avila will be a starter one day but it's hard to say he's a sure thing and he's not widely considered a first-round talent. Dallas would be better waiting on the position since they can likely get similar skill in Round 2.