Draft: How the strongest position groups fit the Dallas Cowboys needs
By Reid Hanson
The Dallas Cowboys have needs, my friends. In case you haven’t been following along this winter, the offseason has not been kind to the Dallas roster. Some of it was inevitable attrition. Some was self-inflicted (see also: Stephen Jones).
But however you slice it, the Dallas Cowboys are in dire need of roster help and since free agency did little to help, the task falls in the hands of the 2022 NFL Draft to fix. But with so many needs and a limited supply of draft picks, can the draft satisfy the needs?
Pro Football Focus recently dove into the 2022 NFL Draft class and did some depth assessment. They looked at which position groups had the most top-100 depth and ranked the groups accordingly.
So today we look if the needs of the Dallas Cowboys match the depth in the 2022 NFL Draft
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IOL
The Dallas Cowboys top need they need to address is left guard. After letting Connor Williams leave in free agency and dispatching a potential replacement in La’el Collins, the left guard spot is barren in Dallas. Some will point to fourth year guard Connor McGovern but that experiment tried and failed. If he’s the starting LG in 2022, the season is lost.
So how is the depth at IOL (interior offensive line)this year?
Meh.
It’s not bad, per say, but it could be better. PFF ranked the IOL depth at 6th (out of 11 position groups). With 10 top-100 players in the rankings, Dallas can get a starter on Day 1 or Day 2 of the draft.
DE
After losing Randy Gregory in free agency, the Cowboys re-signed Dorance Armstrong and brought in Dante Fowler. Neither considered front-line starters. Based on the contracts, the Cowboys are clearly keeping their options open at DE and if a starter is available in the draft, they are positioned to pounce.
The good news is PFF has DE as the deepest position in the draft.
WR
The Dallas Cowboys covered the losses of Cedrick Wilson and Amari Cooper with James Washington. While I believe Wash has been underutilized in his NFL career, I’m not sure he’s better than Ced, let alone Coop.
Finding a WR capable of contributing immediately is imperative for Dallas. Can they find one outside of the first round?
PFF ranks the WR position as the third deepest, so the answer is yes. There are multiple starting WRs that will be available on Day 2 of the draft. This works out wonderfully for the Cowboys.
OT
This position need isn’t getting enough buzz right now. With La’el Collins gone and swing tackle Terence Steele in the starting lineup, the Cowboys are without the depth they once boasted. Even if Josh Ball develops, they need to invest early in an OT or else they could find themselves irresponsibly reliant on Tyron Smith.
PFF ranks the top-100 depth of the OT position fourth on their list, with 13 top-100 players there for the taking.
Other needs: LB, TE, and DT are all legitimate needs as well. But Dallas has a history of finding solutions at those positions outside of the top-100. TE specifically has an extremely deep TE class that extends beyond the top-100 and I fully expect the Cowboys to utilize that depth.
Must Read. Dante Fowler's contract offers clues to his future in Dallas. light
Next. Cowboys complete mock draft: post free agency edition. dark
At the end of the day, the Cowboys are quite fortunate to have good depth at their top positions of need. If they hit IOL in the first round, they should be able to fill 2/3 of their next-biggest holes in the following rounds.
- Published on 04/01/2022 at 11:01 AM
- Last updated at 03/31/2022 at 12:29 PM