Dallas Cowboys Draft Analysis and What May Be To Come

Wow, that was an interesting draft; especially for the Dallas Cowboys.

Let's take a look:

Round One, Pick No. 24 (24) - Dez Bryant , WR, Oklahoma State - 6'2'' - 225 lbs

Round Two, Pick No. 23 (55) - Sean Lee , LB, Penn State - 6'2'' - 236 lbs

Round Four, Pick No. 28 (126) - Akwasi Owusu-Ansah , CB, Indiana (PA) - 6'0'' - 207 lbs

Round Six, Pick No. 10 (179) - Sam Young , OT, Notre Dame - 6'8'' - 316 lbs

Round Six, Pick No. 27 (196) - Jamar Wall , CB, Texas Tech - 5'10'' - 204 lbs

Round Seven, Pick No. 27 (234) - Sean Lissemore , DT, William & Mary - 6'4'' - 298 lbs

Dez Bryant as the first pick, at No. 24 overall, was probably the steal of the draft. And although I was not in support of the Boys' drafting a receiver, especially in the first round, I believe Bryant could be the additional game-changer we have been craving. With talent like that of Bryant, its hard to pass up: case in point, Randy Moss.

The second suprise came in the second round, with the pick of LB Sean Lee . At first glance, I disagreed with this pick. Yet, having seen Lee play on a few nationally broad-casted games of Penn State, I couldn't think of a better replacement for Keith Brooking (who's turning 35 in October) or Bradie "Mr. Unspectacular" James. Another well-plotted draft pick by the Dallas organization.

Akwasi Owusu-Ansah . Boy is that a mouthful. He was a prospect that the 'Boys brought into valley ranch a month ago for a workout. Apparently they kept their eye on him and he managed to fall to them in the fourth. I liked the tape I had seen of him, and frankly, I was surprised for a third time when he actually slid past other DB picks from other teams.

He is a big, physical corner, with good speed, ball-awareness, and play-making ability. He will be a solid addition in the nickel packages and a strong competitor for Orlando Scandrick in training camp.

The Cowboys finally picked a tackle in the sixth round, Sam Young . He has been labeled as "fast" and "quick" despite his large frame. NFL analysts say he has potential to be a quality right tackle. Expect him to be a nice project for Cowboys offensive line coach, Hudson Houck.

As for CB Jamar Wall , I see him as an immediate special teams contributor. Jerry may have seen something special in him because of his close proximity to Texas Tech, but you can never have too many corners.

Lastly is DT Sean Lissemore , an undersized defensive tackle who, like Young, has above average speed and quickness. My personal thought after hearing that, is to move him to an end position; possibly Marcus Spears spot? But in any case, he is definitely another project; although, he may have a chance to compete with Junior Siavii for the backup nose-tackle role.

Where's the safety?

If you're a 'Boys fan like myself, this 2010 draft class seems strong, yet it did not address the immediate needs of the team (i.e. safety and offensive line, particularly tackle).

But the more one analyzes the options for the Cowboys, the more they would see that the Boys' stayed calm and drafted by "best-player-available" rather than "team-need."

When the third day of the draft came to a conclusion, I pondered why Dallas did not seek out a replacement for OT Flozell Adams and S Ken Hamlin in this highly talented draft pool?

The answer is simple: free agency.

There are still some names (and no-names) out there for the taking. Now that the draft has come and past, the price tags for these free agents will be significantly lower. I know for a fact that Dallas has been quietly keeping an eye on Atogwe, whose free agency restriction end in early June. Personally, I fully expect Atogwe to be the next starting Cowboys FS.

If the Cowboys still wish to sign either a safety or offensive tackle, there are at least three free agents at each position worth serious consideration:

Safeties:

STL Rams RFA, Oshiomogho Atogwe , FS - 5'11'' - 205 lbs - 28 yo

IND Colts RFA, Antoine Bethea , FS - 5'11'' - 203 lbs - 25 yo

BAL Ravens RFA, Dawan Landry , SS - 6'0'' - 210 lbs - 27 yo

Offensive Tackles:

SD Chargers RFA, Marcus McNeill , LT - 6'7'' - 336 lbs - 26 yo

BAL Ravens RFA, Jared Gaither , LT - 6'9'' - 340 lbs - 24 yo

NO Saints RFA, Jammal Brown , LT - 6'6'' - 313 lbs - 29 yo

Once the beginning of June comes rolling around, don't be surprised if one, or two, of these players end up in Bid D.