Because of their lack of external activity in free agency, the Dallas Cowboys have a lot of issues to address in the 2022 NFL Draft. The two most important positions, which Jerry Jones himself agreed with, are offensive line and defensive end. He admitted that to reporters and knows that it’s true. But can we trust Jones to do what he says he is going to do when Draft Day arrives?
Think about last year when the Cowboys were heading into the 2021 NFL Draft. The team had the 12th overall pick. The front office had suggested that they were heavily interested in a cornerback. This made sense given Trevon Diggs hadn’t had his breakout season yet and Chidobe Awuzie was headed to the Cincinnati Bengals. Dallas had allegedly had their eyes on cornerbacks Patrick Surtain II and Jaycee Horn.
Unfortunately, Suratin and Horn went 10th and 11th right ahead of Dallas. So, did they find the next great cornerback on the list? Not at all. They went with Micah Parsons to make a splash pick. Now, before I get hate mail. Yes. Them choosing Parsons clearly turned out to be the greatest decision they made ahead of the 2021 season. He was outstanding. But, the reality is they needed a cornerback. And, if Diggs wasn’t able to do what he did in 2021, the team would have been screwed in the secondary.
The biggest mistake the Cowboys could make this year is not selecting an offensive lineman with their 24th overall pick. With a pick that late in the first round it’s hard to say this or that person would be a good or bad choice. So much can happen before the Cowboys are on the board. However, two things are true. First, the reality of a Micah Parsons-level athlete dropping to 24th overall is incredibly unlikely. Second, with Connor Williams and La’el Collins gone, Dallas needs a solidified offensive line starter from this draft.
Will the Cowboys select an offensive lineman early in next month’s draft? Team owner Jerry Jones: “Famous last words: We’ll get one unless Lamb or Parsons is there.” pic.twitter.com/BKNZM1NNM0
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) March 28, 2022
The Dallas Cowboys will be in serious trouble if they don’t draft an offensive lineman (or maybe defensive end) with their only first-round pick in the draft
Jones tried to joke with reporters at the NFL’s annual meetings in Florida. He said that he knows they should select an offensive lineman. But he added that if a Parsons or CeeDee Lamb is available, that may go out the window. This just can’t happen. If the Cowboys had a top-10 pick, it would be slightly more acceptable for them to choose a top athlete who maybe isn’t filling an exact positional need, because that person is one of the top collegiate athletes of the year.
If the offensive line options that they have been eyeing at 24th overall (Kenyon Green, Zion Johnson, etc) are unavailable and the team chooses to wait, other acceptable positions to draft would be a defensive end or a tight end. These are positions that have serious depth issues. Wide receivers are needed, but the depth chart has some names thanks to guys like James Washington, Noah Brown, and Simi Fehoko.
Let’s also think about the Parsons thing. The Cowboys were so upset when they didn’t get Surtain or Horn. They would have chosen those two over Parsons. Yet, did either of those players dominate stats this year in any comparable way to Parsons? No. The reality is that lucking out as Dallas did with the Penn State product is just incredibly rare. You can’t assume that whoever you get in the draft will also be able to immediately become one of the greatest at their position. It’s just not common.
On another note, the Cowboys owner also tried to assure fans that all of the decisions they have made in this offseason so far are wonderful. Jerry and Stephen tried to say that losing Randy Gregory was worth it in order to keep and sign C-level players like Leighton Vander Esch, Dorance Armstrong, and Dante Fowler Jr. Jerry added that at this time last year, the team didn’t have Parsons and the roster got better.
While that is true, his next sentence wasn’t. “I like where we are right now (compared) to this time last year,” Jones said. How?! How is being without your WR1, impressive WR4, guard, right tackle, edge rusher, and more better than where you were? I’m not buying what Jerry is selling.
Mock drafts have suggested that the Cowboys should pick up guys like cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. if he falls to No. 24. This type of stuff can’t happen. While it would be lovely to have a great cornerback to work with Diggs, that is not a need. No matter how good Stingley Jr. is. Arkansas WR Treylon Burks also received Dallas’s first official pre-draft invite. While WR is certainly a need, it’s not a top priority.
If the Cowboys have any chance at salvaging the offseason, they need to stay focused in the draft. They must prioritize the holes on their roster.
