Dallas Cowboys: DT Jihad Ward could make Dallas look brilliant

The Dallas Cowboys initially received scrutiny when they traded for defensive lineman Jihad Ward, but Ward’s play is starting to make Dallas brass look quite savvy.

Jihad Ward had been downright terrible with Oakland. That’s why the Dallas Cowboys were criticized when they traded a promising second year player (Ryan Switzer) for a likely-to-be-cut third year bust (Ward). But if the the Cowboys can turn that bust into an important contributor (or, gasp, more), they may come out of this transaction looking brilliant.

Defensive tackle Jihad Ward has not had the career many expected he’d have when he entered the league in 2016 as a second round pick. As a pro, Ward has been nothing short of a bust. His 46.0 score from Pro Football Focus last season was off-the charts bad. And that was actually an improvement on his 39.3 grade from the season before.

So it was awfully surprising when the Dallas Cowboys traded for him over draft weekend. But Dallas wasn’t just shooting in the dark. They knew Jihad Ward quite well and, needless to say, they had a positive impression of the young man.

Ward, the prospect

In Senior Bowl practices, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator, Rod Marinelli, worked hands-on with Ward. And for those of us watching those practices, Rod made big strides with him. The connection between the two even caused many of us to mock draft Ward to the Cowboys in 2016.

The Cowboys clearly made the move to acquire him based on that week in Mobile. Maybe they were wrong from the start on their evaluation of Ward. Maybe he does stink. But maybe he was misused in Oakland. Or maybe they just didn’t know how to develop his talent in the way Rod Marinelli once did.

It’s obviously too early to answer those questions right now, but if minicamps are any indication, the Dallas Cowboys may have come out the winners on this trade after all.

Ward has been explosive in camp. He looks like the player that once warranted a Day 2 selection and not the colossal bust that has previously been residing on the east side of the Bay. This recent play has caused many of us to look back at his draft profile, because at the age of only 24, Ward’s professional story has yet to be written.

Ward, the pro

All indications are the Dallas Cowboys will be using Jihad Ward as an interior defensive lineman. Depending on whether he plays the 1-tech or 3-tech will determine how much one-gap and two-gap he’ll be playing.

In Oakland, Ward failed largely because he was playing two-gap too often. It made his quickness irrelevant and seemed to un-inspire him. With the Cowboys, he’s guaranteed to play some amount of 1-gap attack whether he’s at the nose or the under tackle. The important thing is Rod Marinelli will be in position to get the very best of him.

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During his short time with the Dallas Cowboys, Jihad Ward has been flashing high-end skills that could make him an important part of the defensive line rotation. If Rod Marinelli can tap his potential, the Cowboys will come out of this all looking brilliant.