The Dallas Cowboys started the 2024 NFL Draft with a brilliant move. Originally on the clock at No. 24 overall, they dropped down to the 29th spot and added pick No. 73 in the process. The Cowboys were thin in the middle rounds, making this a win.
Dallas then knocked the pick out of the park when they took Tyler Guyton from Oklahoma. Guyton would have been a good selection at No. 24 but the Cowboys added him later and got another Round 3 pick in the process.
Now with three picks on Day 2, let's look at three players who might be replaced by one of these selections.
3. Brock Hoffman, Center
Dallas decided not to re-sign Tyler Biadasz this offseason as their former starting center signed with the Washington Commanders. With him out, the Cowboys' next man up was Brock Hoffman who was an undrafted free agent out of Virginia Tech in 2022.
Hoffman started two games in 2023 and wasn't a liability, but also isn't the long-term answer. He was also never meant to be.
The Cowboys met with several centers including Zach Frazier and Sedrick Van Pran. They could attempt to use the 56th pick on Frazier, the West Virginia product who is a plug-and-play starter. Or maybe, the smarter play would be to add a skill player in Round 2 and target Van Pran with the 73rd pick. Van Pran was vocal about how well his meeting went with Dallas and played in a pro-style offense at Georgia.
If they were able to pull that off, that means they would have turned the 24th pick into a starting left tackle and center. Not a bad haul.
2. Jalen Tolbert, Wide Receiver
The Cowboys have their top two receivers in CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks — although they might have to pay Lamb a whole lot more now thanks to the Eagles. Lamb was sensational in 2023 with 135 receptions for 1,749 yards with 12 touchdowns.
Cooks, who has topped 1,00 yards in six of his 10 seasons, had 657 yards and right touchdowns on 54 receptions. He started slow as Dak Prescott was force-feeding Michael Gallup early in the year. Once Gallup had his snaps reduced, Cooks took off — and Jalen Tolbert got his shot.
Tolbert, who had two catches for 12 yards as a rookie, hauled in 22 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns. It was enough to give Dallas hope that he could develop into a decent WR3 but not enough to keep them from selecting a potential replacement.
Dallas could look for someone such as Xavier Legette from South Carolina or Malachi Corley from Western Kentucky who are both dangerous after the catch. They could also consider Xavier Worthy, who broke the 40-yard dash record when he ran a 4.21 at the NFL Combine.
The good news for Tolbert is that he could still get his job back in 2025 even if he were to lose it to a rookie this year. Cooks will be a free agent after this season and with the frugal approach this front office has adopted as of late, it's almost a guarantee he will be gone.
1. Rico Dowdle, Running Back
Like Brock Hoffman, this one might not be completely fair since Rico Dowdle was never supposed to be the starting running back. A former undrafted free agent out of South Carolina, Dowdle entered the 2023 season with just 24 rushing yards on his resume but won the RB2 job behind Tony Pollard.
Dowdle, who hadn't recorded a rushing attempt since 2020, had 361 yards rushing and 144 receiving with four touchdowns. He averaged 4.1 yards per attempt but his impact was greater than those numbers showed. Dowdle offered them a spark when Pollard struggled and deserved to be brought back this year.
With Pollard out, Dowdle is part of a running back committee featuring Royce Freeman, Malik Davis, and Deuce Vaughn. That's why they've been in communication with Ezekiel Elliott on a possible reunion — and have been linked to several prospects in this class.
Dallas should be looking to add a running back in either Round 2 or Round 3 with Jonathon Brooks from Texas, Trey Benson from Florida State, and Jaylen Wright from Tennessee all potential targets.