2012 NFL Draft: 5 Reasons the Dallas Cowboys Must Draft a CB in Round 1

The Dallas Cowboys hired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan to shake things up on a daily basis at Valley Ranch. The only thing he shook up last year was his gut and his mouth on the way to a middle-of-the-pack defensive effort and another disappointing season that ended without a playoff appearance.

The 'Boys finished 23rd in in total yards allowed per game, 17th in total interceptions and average points per game, and had the eighth highest amount of plays over 20 yards. To be blunt, that's just not going to get it done.

One way to attack the problem is to draft a cornerback in the first round of this year's 2012 edition of the NFL draft. Die-hard 'Boys fans won't disagree with a potential upgrade to the secondary, but just in case, here are five reasons why they must address their cornerback issue with their 14th overall pick in the draft.

Terence Newman's Days in Dallas Are Done

On paper, the 53 tackles, four interceptions and eight passes defensed don't seem like numbers of a guy you're clamoring to get off your roster.

But for those of us who watched Terence Newman play so poorly against Calvin Johnson, Hakeem Nicks and DeSean Jackson, the same old excuses of injuries and loyalty are enough to consider him a lock to become a salary cap casualty before training camp.

If that wasn't enough, his $6 million salary could be used to lock up two or three younger, faster and cheaper corners, although his $2 million signing bonus will still count against the cap.

Newman won't suit up for the Cowboys in 2012. He leaves a hole in the starting lineup the team hasn't had to fill since 2003, but they should be thankful they can release him and only lose $2 million against the cap.

Mike Jenkins Is Injury Prone

I'll be honest, I value toughness of a less-skilled player more than that of a weaker, more talented player. But when an injury-prone player chooses to ignore warning signs and hurt his team with mediocre play, I draw the line.

That's how I feel about Mike Jenkins. His competitiveness and desire to be the best corner in the league are at the top of the chart. But he has struggled with concussions and shoulder problems for the past two seasons, and if he can't stay on the field, he's just another roster spot.

Jenkins had surgery on his injured left shoulder, and is expected to miss four to six months. If he continues to spend time on the training table, Dallas needs another option to fill in, hopefully one other than Alan Ball or Frank Walker.

Pass Defense Needs Fixing

By getting rid of dead weight secondary coach Dave Campo and adding ex-Cleveland Browns secondary coach Jerome Henderson, the Cowboys aren't concerned with communication on the field anymore, therefore ending another excuse for the postgame press conferences.

By adding another Rob Ryan guy that knows the terminology and what Ryan expects of his coaching staff, they've taken steps in the right direction to becoming a top tier defense again.

Another step in that direction would to be to fix to the cornerback problem they've created for themselves by flip-flopping positions (Ball) and overplaying and paying guys past their prime (Newman).

With a full offseason and training camp slate to teach a draft pick the system, a playmaker in the secondary would do wonders for Ryan and his staff.

Dallas Needs Competition at the Position

Head Coach Jason Garrett has certainly changed the culture from the Wade Phillips tenure in his year and change adventure as the coach of "America's team."

Practice is more intense, pads are worn more frequently during the week leading up to Sunday and his philosophy of creating competition at each position are all reasons why this team is heading in the right direction.

Orlando Scandrick has a new five-year, $22 million contract extension. Jenkins is slated to start opposite Scandrick, assuming Dallas does the right thing and gets rid of Newman.

That being said, does anyone really believe Ball and Walker are going to push for a starting spot? Dallas needs the talent of an Alfonzo Dennard, Janoris Jenkins or Dre Kirkpatrick to not only add skill to the secondary, but also light a fire under the complacency of the starting corners on a team not very good against the pass.

Draft Is Full of Talented CBs

It's unlikely Jerry Jones would trade up for Morris Claiborne. But after the LSU corner/kick returner goes off the board, Dallas will likely have the pick of the litter in terms of filling their need for secondary help.

Dennard from Nebraska, Jenkins formerly from Florida but now North Alabama, Kirkpatrick from Alabama, and Stephon Gilmore from South Carolina have all been linked to the Cowboys on draft boards in recent weeks.

If Jones plays his cards right, he could pull a classic Jerry move and trade down a few spots to add additional picks and take the corner he really wants at somewhere between 16-20.

Either way, unless a majority of those guys leave the board before Dallas selects at 14, they have leverage to either take who they think is the best fit on their roster, or add some more draft picks and patiently wait on a guy they like, but don't deem worthy of that high of a selection.

Prediction for the Pick

With the 14th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys select...Dre Kirkpatrick, defensive back, University of Alabama.

If he is still there, the Cowboys should pull the trigger on this guy. While he's listed at 6'2" and 190 pounds, he has the potential to play corner or safety and return kicks in the NFL.

His size and speed would make him an instant candidate to not only challenge for the nickel slot in passing situations, but also take snaps away from Jenkins and Scandrick if he comes in and goes to work.

If he goes off the board before 14, I'd look for them to trade down and look at either Stephon Gilmore or maybe Texas A&M's Coreyll Judie in the second round.