Dallas Cowboys Draft: 6 Important Takeaways from the NFL Draft
Why did the Cowboys draft Tony Pollard?:
You may remember the Cowboys got a new offensive coordinator who hails from the Scott Linehan and Chris Petersen coaching trees. In the past, I couldn’t imagine the Cowboys drafting someone like Pollard because their talents would go wasted…
But times have changed! With Moore‘s football intellect and coaching background, it’s pretty clear the young mind at the Star is attempting to modernize the offense. In order to complete such a task, one must gather talent accordingly. Pollard is one of those guys.
Pollard’s job at Memphis was very different from any other running back in this draft. Pollard lined up all over the field and either caught passes or ran jet sweeps and hand offs. If you want my full scouting report on Pollard you can check it out right here.
Seeing as it has only been a few days since the draft, I don’t have too much of an idea as to how the Cowboys will be using Pollard. However, it is important to note that the Cowboys felt they needed to draft Pollard with their third pick.
When asked about the Cowboys fourth round pick, Stephen Jones said some interesting things about the Memphis product.
I asked Stephen Jones if there was a debate abt taking Tony Pollard at 128, thinking maybe they liked Isaiah Johnson
— David Helman (@davidhelman_) April 28, 2019
He gave me more than I bargained for, outlining why they like Pollard, what they think he can do, and how they might use their RBs in 2019
They. Love. This. Guy. pic.twitter.com/qTp35QkNRr
Now there are some confusing things Jones said in the interview, but from a general perspective, it seems they really love Pollard’s ability to line up anywhere and be productive. Obviously, some questions will exist with a guy like Pollard, but his skill set will provide the Cowboys offense the creativity that’s been long overdue.
Who else was at play?:
After the Cowboys selected Tony Pollard, the Raider and Falcons selected Isaiah Johnson and John Kominsky respectively. Kominsky was a national visit for the Cowboys and the Cowboys had shown significant interest in Johnson with Richard attending his Pro Day and working him out privately.
Had one of these guys been available at 136, the Cowboys may not have felt compelled to trade back. As evident, Moore’s stance on Pollard had more weight than either defensive coach’s stance on Kominsky or Johnson. While these were guys they were considering drafting, it just wasn’t at 128.