Top 6 Best-Case Draft Picks for Dallas Cowboys in 2018 NFL Draft
The Dallas Cowboys are going to be in an interesting spot when the 2018 draft comes around.
Assuming they re-sign defensive end DeMarcus Lawerence and a handful of lesser free agents, the Cowboys won't have any glaring needs.
On offense, all 11 starters are expected to return, despite Jonathan Cooper being scheduled to hit free agency, although he will likely sign a short-term deal with the team. On defense, the Cowboys have a lot of young talent that remains under contract for the next several seasons.
For the first time in several seasons, the Cowboys will not likely be "forced" into selecting a player at a certain position or on one side of the ball. And with this being a deeper draft at quarterback and running back—two positions the Cowboys don't need—the team may be able to grab an elite prospect in the middle of the draft.
Heading into Week 17, the Cowboys hold the 19th overall selection in the first round, according to Tankathon. That is likely the lowest they can draft this season. However, with a loss in Week 17 to the Eagles in Philadelphia, they could move up to 15th overall. With nothing to play for, a loss would greatly benefit Dallas this week.
With all that in mind, here are six players to keep an eye on over the next several months as potential best-case scenario for the Cowboys.
Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia
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Linebacker Roquan Smith of Georgia would probably the dream selection for the Cowboys in the first round. That will be especially true if the team opts to not re-sign Anthony Hitchens in March.
With Sean Lee turning 32 before the start of the 2018 season and Jaylon Smith still recovering from his knee and foot injury, the Cowboys would be wise to bring in another starting-caliber linebacker if Hitchens is scooped up by another team.
Smith is the clear-cut, top linebacker in the 2018 draft class. He was an All-American in 2017 and even received three first-place votes for the Heisman Trophy this season.
In 13 games, the 20-year-old racked up 113 tackles and 5.5 sacks. He is Georgia's best defender and a big reason why they will be competing for a National Championship this season.
Smith is severely undersized—listed at 6'1", 225 pounds, according to the team's official website—but he is the prototypical weakside linebacker in today's NFL.
He is a tackling machine who possesses elite run-and-chase skills on the second level. He doesn't play like a sub-230-pound linebacker as he is one of the most physical players in the class.
If the Cowboys are lucky enough to select Smith, they could opt to rotate him in with Lee and Jaylon Smith in some fashion during his rookie season. They would also have the option to move Lee back to middle linebacker and allow Smith to be the weakside linebacker.
No matter how they would decide to split the snaps, their defense would instantly improve with the selection of Smith in the middle of the first round.
Quenton Nelson, OG, Notre Dame
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If the Cowboys decide to use a pick on offense, the absolute best-case scenario in the first round would be to select offensive guard Quenton Nelson from Notre Dame.
Jonathan Cooper has done an admirable job at the left guard spot this season, but he is scheduled to hit free agency in 2018 and could command a modest contract from another team this offseason.
Nelson is one of the top prospects in the entire class despite being a guard. He is a first-team All American selection for the 2017 season and should continue to rack up the postseason awards.
Nelson has elite size at 6'5", 330 pounds but plays light on his feet. He would be a perfect fit as a left guard in Dallas as he has the power to move defenders off of the line of scrimmage, but also the foot quickness and technique to play in a wide-zone rushing scheme. There are few flaws in his game, and he is one of the safer prospects in the draft class.
The Cowboys know their team is built around the offensive line and the running game. That was proved to be true again this week against the Seattle Seahawks as the team couldn't rely on their passing attack.
The Cowboys have invested three first-round picks on offensive linemen and the fourth-overall pick on a running back. They wouldn't hesitate selecting another offensive linemen if he was the best player on the board.
Nelson is too good to be available to the Cowboys, but the NFL doesn't value guards as much as they should. Just based on skill level, he should be a top-five pick. However, don't be surprised if he falls to the middle of the first round.
Drafting Nelson would be a slam-dunk if he were available to the Cowboys.
Vita Vea, NT, Washington
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One of the Cowboys' biggest needs heading into the offseason is at defensive tackle.
The team has gone through numerous defensive tackles over the past few seasons, but they haven't been able to find a true 1-technique who can occupy double teams and allow the linebackers to flow to the football.
It's been incredible how good the Cowboys' run defense has been despite not having such a player. Over the past two seasons, the team is allowing just 94 yards per game on the ground.
The Cowboys could solve that issue by selecting Vita Vea from Washington in the first round. Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli usually doesn't invest much in the 1-technique position as he typically will try to find someone later in the draft or in free agency to play that spot.
After looking at the team's current roster construction, though, finding an elite player here could dramatically change their defense.
Vea is bigger than Marinelli's traditional 1-technique (listed at 6'5", 340 pounds, according to NFLDraftScout), but his power and athleticism might change that stance on defensive tackles.
The 22-year-old is at his best when he's occupying blocks in the run game, but he plays with enough power in the passing game to walk interior offensive linemen back to the quarterback. He could also be a valuable piece in the Cowboys' "Deacon" defense which uses just three defensive linemen.
Ultimately, Marinelli will have to sign off on this selection, but adding Vea to the Cowboys' defensive line could be the piece that turns this group into an elite unit.
Drafting Vea would allow Maliek Collins to move back to his most natural spot as a penetrating 3-technique and for the team to use David Irving all over the defensive line.
Vea would be an outstanding pick for the Cowboys in the first round.
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Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
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As mentioned in the introduction, the Cowboys don't have many needs on offense, despite their poor performance in Week 16. All starters are scheduled to return, except for possibly Jonathan Cooper.
Their offense doesn't need much to get back to an elite level as they have shown they can do that when the unit is healthy. With the return of Ezekiel Elliott full time next season, the Cowboys' offense should be one of the best in the league again.
However, the one position the Cowboys could—and should—look to upgrade is at the receiver position. Dez Bryant is having a down season and their secondary receivers have all taken a major step backward. But all those issues could be solved if the Cowboys select the top receiver in the 2018 draft: Calvin Ridley.
Ridley is a 6'1" receiver who would be an ideal fit in the Cowboys' offense as a Z-receiver. He is a perfect complement to Bryant as he wins with quickness and route running.
The 23-year-old is able to run all the underneath routes as Bryant typically runs the deeper routes in this offense. He is the type of receiver this offense is missing and could dramatically help the development of Dak Prescott.
If the Cowboys did select Ridley in the first round, they could try to move Terrance Williams and his contract later in the draft. Dallas could opt to make a move such as the Houston Texans did with quarterback Brock Osweiler by sending the player and a pick to get the contract off the books.
Dallas would probably be able to move Williams for a fifth- or sixth-round pick. That would help save cap space and open up a roster spot for Ridley.
Harold Landry, DE, Boston College
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Two big questions surround the Dallas defense this offseason: How much do they trust their young secondary and what is the status of suspended defensive end Randy Gregory? The answers to both will help determine which direction the Cowboys go in the first round.
Let's start with the secondary. If the Cowboys believe in Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis and Anthony Brown as the future at cornerback, they likely won't need to invest a top-100 selection on a defensive back.
They have four safeties they like and rotate, but cornerback is the one spot they could continue to add numbers to. If they feel confident in their cornerbacks, that would allow them to use their first-round pick elsewhere.
That pick could be used at defensive end if Gregory isn't reinstated. He is the perfect fit as a right defensive end in Rod Marinelli's defense, but he's been suspended three different times in his short NFL career. There hasn't been much of an update on his status in the last few months, but it's fair to wonder if he will ever get back on to the field for the Cowboys.
If Gregory doesn't make it back and the Cowboys trust their secondary, it would allow them to potentially select another defensive end. Luckily for the team, this just so happens to be a deep edge-defender class. One of the top players the Cowboys could be interested in is Harold Landry from Boston College.
Landry is a carbon copy of Atlanta Falcons defensive end Vic Beasley, as both are long, undersized players who win with speed and their ability to dip around the edge.
Landry needs to get stronger and play with more power in the run game, but he's one of the best pure pass-rushers in the class. Adding him to DeMarcus Lawrence, David Irving, Tyrone Crawford and Taco Charlton would give the team incredible depth on the outside.
Look for Landry to dominate the pre-draft process and soar up draft boards. The 21-year-old is the perfect fit for the right defensive end spot in the Cowboys' defense and would be an ideal complement to Lawrence on the opposite side.
Arden Key, DE, LSU
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The Cowboys have a lot of quality defensive linemen on their roster. They even have an alpha dog in DeMarcus Lawrence, but they still lack that true right end.
As previously mentioned, Harold Landry could be an option at that spot if the Cowboys are looking for a speed rusher off of the edge. But if the team is willing to take a bigger risk in the first round, they could look at LSU's Arden Key in the middle of the first round.
Key has the potential to be the next great defensive end in the NFL.
According to the LSU official site, he's listed at 6'6", 265 pounds. In three seasons at LSU, he racked up 21 career sacks in the SEC and was one of the most talented pass-rushers the team has had. He is still growing into his body and should be an even better player at the next level as he gets into an NFL weight program.
However, the 21-year-old won't be selected in the top five due to numerous off-the-field issues. The biggest of which was a leave of absence Key took in January. He left the team due to "personal matters" but returned to LSU in June. He has also battled numerous injuries this season, including a shoulder issue that will keep him out of the team's bowl game.
Key has the potential to be the best edge-rusher in the draft class, but whether he lives up to that billing will depend on where he lands. With Rod Marinelli coaching him, the sky is the limit for this Tigers' pass-rusher.
Key will be one of the most polarizing players in this draft class, but he might just be the perfect fit in Dallas with Lawrence, David Irving and Taco Charlton.
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