Stephen Jones Details Cowboys' Draft Plans; Says CB, DL, WR Among Top Needs

Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones opened up about the team's draft plans during an interview with 105.3 The Fan (h/t Jon Machota of The Athletic), and defensive line, wide receiver and the secondary could be in play.  

"You're getting in a spot where we're gonna be looking at both the back end and front end on defense, and then obviously after losing [Randall] Cobb, certainly that's a position we'd be more than willing to look at too, the WR spot," he said. 

Cobb played for Dallas last season but signed with the Houston Texans this offseason.

While the loss of Cobb and the 828 receiving yards he posted in 2019 impacts the overall depth, the Cowboys are still better positioned than a number of teams at wide receiver. Both Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup topped 1,100 yards through the air last year and will be back for quarterback Dak Prescott.

What's more, the presence of running back Ezekiel Elliott in the backfield means opposing defenses often stack the box, which opens up routes downfield for both.

The front end of the defense could be an issue for the Cowboys since Robert Quinn, who led the team with 11.5 sacks in 2019, joined the Chicago Bears this offseason. The team did add Aldon Smith, but he hasn't played an NFL game since the 2015 season when he was on the Oakland Raiders and is still attempting to be reinstated from his indefinite suspension.

The secondary wasn't a glaring problem for the Cowboys last season as they finished 10th in passing yards allowed per game, but there can never be enough depth in today's pass-happy NFL given that three- and four-receiver sets are common.

Dallas was just 8-8 last year but won the NFC East in two of the prior three seasons and still has enough talent to compete for a playoff spot during head coach Mike McCarthy's first year on the sidelines.

If the front office can fill some of those needs in the draft, it will only bolster the team's chances.