Dallas Cowboys 2022 NFL Draft: 5 Surprising Predictions

Prediction No. 4: DE is a target for the Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are very much in the market for a defensive end. Don’t let recent comments endorsing Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler fool you, Randy Gregory has not been replaced.

With all due respect those fine players, Armstrong is only here on a two-year deal and Fowler just one. And Fowler is on the books for very little guaranteed so if Dallas does bring in someone, he becomes insurance or even expendable.

DE is the deepest position group in the draft and the Dallas Cowboys would be foolish to ignore the position. Look for them to bring someone in.

Prediction No. 5: Dalton Schultz’s replacement will be found

The Dallas Cowboys loved Dalton Schultz so much they slapped the franchise tag on him this offseason. Players they’ve tagged before, like Dak Prescott, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Dez Bryant, all eventually turned that tag into ginormous multi-year deals. I don’t expect the same for Schultz.

For as well as Dalton played last season, he wasn’t as stunning as his raw numbers indicate. Schultz was a product of the system in many ways and feasted on the opportunities given to him. That’s not to say he isn’t a good TE1 in this league, it’s just to say he’s somewhat replaceable and the notoriously stingy Stephen Jones could save a bundle starting over at TE.

The middle rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft are loaded with viable TE prospects. The Cowboys personally kicked the tires on a few of them. Look for them to use a mid-rounder on a TE and that player to be Schultz’s replacement in 2023.

There’s also the very real possibility nothing happens that the Cowboys are expecting. Things can change fast and the Dallas Cowboys may have to roll with the punches. But we know the plan today and that’s important. Keep this all in mind when Dallas goes on the clock this weekend.