Ranking Dallas Cowboys' Biggest Needs in 2017 NFL Draft
The Cowboys have done little this offseason to improve their roster as numerous starters have left via free agency. Dallas has only made four signings since the start of the new league year; cornerback Nolan Carroll, defensive end Damontre Moore, defensive tackle Stephen Paea and offensive lineman Byron Bell.
As the Cowboys head into the draft, they have the same needs on their roster as they did when the league year opened. While there is not one specific need that will force their hand in the draft, there are a few spots that could use big upgrades if the team wants to compete for a Super Bowl in 2017.
Here are the Cowboys' biggest needs heading into the NFL draft.
No. 1: Cornerback
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The current state of the Cowboys' cornerback situation is concerning. The Cowboys have four cornerbacks on their roster, two of which are over the age of 30. The fourth is journeyman Leon McFadden.
Heading into the draft, the Cowboys' starters at cornerback will likely be Orlando Scandrick and Carroll. Both are over the age of 30 and neither played well in 2016. Both players finished outside the top-75 cornerbacks in the NFL1000.
Second-year player Anthony Brown will likely be the team's third defensive back if he doesn't beat out Caroll or Scandrick during training camp. While Brown played well as a rookie, he only finished 96th among cornerbacks in the NFL1000.
Then there's McFadden, who's not a player the Cowboys want on the initial 53-man roster. He's a much better fit as a player who can jump back and forth from the practice squad to the active roster if an injury occurs.
While cornerback is obviously a need for the Cowboys heading into the draft, they are in a good position, as this draft is loaded with talent in the secondary. The team can likely find a starter in the second and third rounds if the right one doesn't fall to them in the first round.
However, don't expect the team to wait that long. Dallas will consider adding a cornerback with their first pick, because right now, it's the team's biggest need.
No. 2: Edge Rusher
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It is no secret that the Cowboys have a need for a defensive end, specifically a pass-rusher.
In 2016, free-agent addition Benson Mayowa led the team in sacks with six. Over the course of the last four seasons, the Cowboys have failed to find a defensive end who could total double-digit sacks in a season. In fact, they haven't been able to find an end who has had more than eight sacks over that same time period.
The Cowboys have used at least eight of their 30 official visits on pass rushers, specifically, defensive ends. Of the eight that the team has brought in, at least six of them project to go within the top-50 picks in the draft. That list of eight doesn't even include Houston's Tyus Bowser, who visited the team in mid-April.
What is clear about their need at defensive end is that the team isn't interested in just adding numbers to the position. Instead, they are looking to draft one player at defensive end and then move on to another position.
The Cowboys have a lot of similar players across their defensive line, but they lack a true game-breaker off the edge. Adding more names to the mix from the middle or late rounds doesn't help improve the Cowboys' pass rush.
Of the players the Cowboys have worked out or met with, Wisconsin's T.J. Watt, Missouri's Charles Harris and UCLA's Takkarist McKinley make the most sense as all three would be able to help fill the void at right defensive end. Expect Dallas to draft a pass rusher no later than the second round in the 2017 NFL draft.
No. 3: Safety
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Over the course of the past three seasons, Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox have combined to play 5,745 snaps on defense for the team. But now both have left via free agency, and that leaves a massive hole open at one of the safety positions.
Behind starter Byron Jones, the cupboard is quite bare. The favorite to take the job is special teams ace Jeff Heath. Last week, we took a look at why Heath is a candidate for a breakout season in Dallas. He's got all the athleticism and instincts to be a big-time playmaker for the Cowboys in 2017.
Behind Jones and Heath is 2016 sixth-round pick Kavon Frazier. He's the prototypical strong safety in the NFL, but he was barely able to see the field as a rookie and only played 36 snaps on defense.
While Heath could breakout in 2017, the Cowboys' interest in the safeties in this draft class show that they aren't sold with Heath as a starter. Dallas has used at least seven of their 30 official visits on safeties, most of which will be taken in the first three rounds of the draft.
Dallas needs to add depth to the position, but it looks like the team wants to add another starter by using a top-100 pick on a safety. While it may not look like a need from the outside, the team clearly views it as one.
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No. 4: Right Tackle
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With Doug Free's retirement, the Cowboys are left with 2015 third-round pick Chaz Green to start at right tackle. When he was filling in for Tyron Smith at left tackle in 2016, Green played well. His talent has always been undeniable.
But much like his college career, Green has struggled to stay healthy. In his two-year NFL career, Green has appeared in only four of a possible 33 games. To make matters worse, Green needed back surgery at the end of the year, which puts him in jeopardy for OTAs.
As an insurance policy, the team signed former Carolina Panther and Tennesse Titan Byron Bell. However, Bell hasn't been the most durable player in his career either. He missed all of 2016 with an ankle injury, but he still provides depth at guard and tackle. He last played with the Titans in 2015, where he started every game.
The Cowboys will want to add competition and depth behind Green, but it will likely cost them a premium pick to do so. However, don't expect the Cowboys to add an offensive lineman high in next week's draft. The Cowboys didn't use a single pre-draft visit on an offensive lineman, and that shows the kind of faith they have in their current unit.
No. 5: Linebacker
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The Cowboys' linebacker situation is one of the more intriguing positions on their roster. The only known commodity is Sean Lee. When he's healthy, he's one of the top linebackers in the entire league. Everyone knows about his durability issues throughout his career, so it's vital that Dallas builds up this unit with proven players and depth.
But that's the problem. Outside of Lee, there is no one player that you can rely on to give the team quality snaps in 2017. Jaylon Smith was drafted to secure the middle for Dallas, but it sounds like he will have to do so using an AFO brace, something that's never been done before by an NFL linebacker.
Behind Smith are a bunch of young players who best project as backups in the NFL. Anthony Hitchens, Damien Wilson and Mark Nzeocha are all relatively young players, but none are viewed as the future at linebacker for Dallas.
Like pass rusher, the Cowboys' don't need another name to add to the group. Instead, if they select a linebacker, he needs to be able to start and play at a high level. If the Cowboys' don't draft one in the first two rounds, it's unlikely they will find one who will be an improvement over Hitchens and Wilson.
No. 6 Backup Quarterback
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With Tony Romo's retirement and Mark Sanchez's departure in free agency, the Cowboys only have two quarterbacks on their roster; starter Dak Prescott and backup Kellen Moore.
While Moore is the favorite to be Prescott's backup in 2017, the team would like to add competition for the spot, either during the draft or after the draft in free agency.
Dallas has done their work on some of the later round quarterbacks in this draft class. They have met with the following draft-eligible quarterbacks:
While it's not likely the Cowboys would spend a draft pick on any of these quarterbacks, it remains a need that the team should address one way or the other. It's likely Dallas will sign at least one of these quarterbacks after the draft to come in and compete for a spot at their rookie mini-camp.
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