2011 NFL Draft Results: Dallas Cowboys Come Up Short, Especially on Defense

The Dallas Cowboys' 2011 draft has been complete for over two days and almost no one is excited about the new crop of players except Jerry Jones and Jason Garrett. The Cowboys failed to address their most pressing need and instead added to positions that are already loaded with talent.

The Cowboys' first-round pick Tyron Smith was a quality pick. Smith was the best lineman in the draft and alleviated concerns before the draft by putting on weight and showing that he can still move around well. He'll be a young face to the tackle position and will eventually take over for Marc Colombo, if not this season.

Combine him with Doug Free on the left side and you have two young, talented bookends and a solid, experienced core on the inside.

After Smith, the Cowboys' draft gets confusing to say the least.

The Cowboys' second-round pick, LB Bruce Carter out of North Carolina, is coming off of a torn ACL; even more surprising are Carter's eating habits. In Carter's interview with Bruce Feldman last season, he admitted that he loves McDonald's:

"Almost every day. I usually get three double cheeseburgers, medium fries, large tea and a six-piece McNuggets. I don't think eating healthy as far as eating salads and that stuff really works for me."

Now, there's a good chance that Carter could have changed his eating habits since this interview; even if he hasn't, I'm not going to say that a cheeseburger makes him a bad draft pick, but LB is a position that the Cowboys could've addressed later.

With more pressing needs at corner and safety, the Cowboys could've drafted Miami's Brandon Harris or UCLA's Rahim Moore who were still on the board at that point and were both drafted soon after the Cowboys picked Carter.

The Cowboys again dismissed those positions in the third round when they drafted RB DeMarco Murray out of Oklahoma. Murray was a quality back in college and this most likely means that Marion Barber's days in Dallas are done whenever the collective bargaining agreement is settled.

However, this was once again not a pressing need for the Cowboys. With Felix Jones and Tashard Choice already penciled in as the starters and based on the limited number of reps that Choice got when he was the third back, it's likely that Murray won't get a ton of reps. The Cowboys could've gotten somebody later in the draft to work with for a year or two.

Guard David Arkin was drafted out of Missouri in the fourth round and with the Cowboys interior offensive line all over the age of 30, this could prove to be a quality pick in the future.

The Cowboys did draft a cornerback in the fifth round, selecting Josh Thomas out of Buffalo; and while Thomas lacks elite speed and isn't a ball hawk (just two interceptions in his career), he has good instincts and could contribute in the Cowboys sub-packages right away.

Still, with Terence Newman being 33, the Cowboys could've have picked a higher-rated cornerback, especially considering how many there were in this draft.

The Cowboys finished their draft with WR Dwayne Harris out of East Carolina (a small but quick, versatile receiver), fullback Shaun Chapas out of Georgia (who will challenge Chris Gronkowski for the starting spot) and guard Bill Nagy out of Wisconsin (a project at best).

The Cowboys made it clear in this draft that they think their defense will be much better under new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, which is most likely true, but only because the Cowboys defense was so bad at times last season.

Overall, the Cowboys were 23rd in total defense last season including 21st against the run and seventh against the pass (although they gave up 33 TDs, a league high) and gave up a franchise-record 436 points. 

The Cowboys now have to figure out what to do with their defensive line, as Marcus Spears is set to become a free agent and backups Jason Hatcher and Stephen Bowen could be unrestricted free agents under a new CBA. Adding to that is Gerald Sensabaugh, who's also a free agent and Alan Ball, who's being moved back to cornerback after an unsuccessful attempt at safety.

The Cowboys will be aggressive in free agency (whenever there is a free agency), but they can't fill every position. Getting two safeties and at least one defensive lineman who can start (if both Hatcher and Bowen start, it won't go well) will not only cost a lot of money, but might not happen as other teams will also be in the game for the same players.

The Cowboys' draft was average, but it could've been much better if the Cowboys focused on their needs. Now they'll field a great offense with a defense that will be questioned all preseason and will spend the regular season proving that Wade Phillips was the reason that the Cowboys defense fell apart, just one season after being the strength of the team.