Best Draft-Day Contingency Plans for the Dallas Cowboys

The NFL draft is unpredictable, which causes teams to devise contingency plans. Look no further than this past year's draft for the Dallas Cowboys as a perfect example.

When the Pittsburgh Steelers were on the clock with the pick prior to the Cowboys, they were prepared to select Ryan Shazier. They were even on the phone with Shazier's agent Jimmy Sexton and telling him they were going to pick his client. However, the Steelers selected Shazier, which forced the Cowboys to go to their contingency plan. 

The Cowboys selected Zack Martin with the 16th overall pick, and he just finished a fantastic rookie campaign, which ended with an All-Pro selection. Not bad for a contingency plan, right?

This will be the case again this year; at some point in the draft, the Cowboys will have to shift gears and implement Plan B. 

With that in mind, let's take a look at some contingencies the Cowboys may have in this year's draft. 

1. Trey Flowers

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The Cowboys' No. 1 priority in the draft will likely be improving the pass rush by way of defensive end. However, what happens if all the worthy defensive ends are off the board when the Cowboys are on the clock at No. 27? They will be forced to either trade down or select a player for another position. 

Luckily for the Cowboys, they should still have the opportunity to improve the defensive end position in the second round with Arkansas defensive end Trey Flowers. 

While he doesn't have the speed that you look for (4.93 40-yard dash), Flowers has the power, core strength and use of hands to be a terror off the edge against the run and pass for years to come. He is basically UCLA's Owamagbe Odighizuwa without the athleticism. 

Flowers is the best player in this draft class at setting the edge in the run game and plays with great leverage and strength on every single play. While he doesn't win with speed, he can win with pacing. He gets opposing tackles to play to his pace, and when he kicks it up a notch he can win to the inside or outside. 

If the Cowboys don't get a defensive end in Round 1, Flowers would be a great contingency plan for Round 2. 

2. Michael Bennett

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Continuing the scenario from the previous slide, if there are no defensive ends worthy of a selection at pick No. 27, who do the Cowboys pick?

A great option would be Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Bennett. One of the most valuable positions in defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli's defense is the under tackle, or 3-technique, position. Furthermore, the Cowboys have a starter there already in Tyrone Crawford, who is one of the most underrated players in the NFL, but with the way Dallas rotates its defensive linemen, the backup needs to have starter quality. 

Bennett is exactly that as he plays with a ton of quickness and a fantastic ability to win early in the play. He is the type of penetrating one-gap defensive tackle that Marinelli values in his defense. 

Furthermore, Bennett will make a huge impact as a pass-rusher as well, as he has a variety of pass-rush moves in his arsenal that he uses to beat offensive linemen. 

Bennett may not play at a huge position of need for the Cowboys, but his skill set will help fill the holes on the defense. 

3. Josh Robinson

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If DeMarco Murray leaves during free agency, the Cowboys will have to select a running back in the draft. The sweet spot to draft a running back in this draft appears to be in the second round. Nevertheless, what if the Cowboys don't value any of the running backs left when they are on the clock at pick No. 60?

A good option for Dallas could be to wait until the fourth or fifth round to help fill the running back hole and select Mississippi State running back Josh Robinson. 

If you're looking for power in a running back, Robinson is your guy, as he is the most powerful back in this draft class. He has tremendous leg drive, core strength and balance to take on, bounce off and run over defenders on a consistent basis. 

The reason that Robinson would be available in the fourth or fifth round is because he doesn't have the speed or agility that you look for in a running back. He is a linear player who does well coming downhill. 

He could be a great complementary back to Joseph Randle and Ryan Williams or Lance Dunbar. Robinson would slide into the goal-line, short-yardage back who comes in to give the No. 1 running back a breather. 

Robinson isn't exactly what the Cowboys are looking for in a running back, but in the fourth or fifth round, he would be a heck of a consolation prize. 

4. Paul Dawson

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Just a couple of weeks ago, TCU linebacker Paul Dawson would have likely been a Plan-A type of player for many teams. However, a 4.93 40-yard dash and a terrible combine later, Dawson may not be selected in the first three rounds. 

If the Cowboys don't re-sign Rolando McClain, or even if they do, and none of their primary targets are available in the third round, Dawson would be a fantastic choice. 

Even though his talent points to an early second-round player, team's aren't going to select a linebacker with as terrible of an athletic profile as Dawson has. 

Nevertheless, his on-field talent is so great that the Cowboys should overlook the combine results and select him in Round 3 if they have the opportunity. 

Dawson plays with exceptional instincts with a fantastic ability to slip around blocks in the running game. With Sean Lee and McClain's injury history, Dawson would be a great reserve who could fill in and still allow Dallas' defense to perform at an optimal level. 

5. Steven Nelson

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A sneaky need for the Cowboys on defense is the cornerback position. Brandon Carr may get released if he doesn't restructure his contract; Sterling Moore may not return, and no one knows what to expect from Morris Claiborne.

Dallas basically has one really good cornerback in Orlando Scandrick and a young cornerback in Tyler Patmon who deserves to be developed. 

If the Cowboys were unable to target a cornerback in the first two rounds, Oregon State's Steven Nelson would be a great contingency plan. 

Nelson is a tough cornerback who competes on every single play. He has a great feel for zone coverage to go with the physical presence to play press-man coverage. He's willing to come up in run support and always seems to make plays on the ball. 

While Nelson is just average athletically, he makes up for it with instincts and technique. He is not as fluid as Marcus Peters or as fast as Trae Waynes, but he competes harder and plays smarter than both of them. 

Nelson would be a great third cornerback for Dallas and eventually develop into a starter opposite of Scandrick once he learns to make the transition from college to the pros.