Cowboys Fail to Draft Jerry Jones' Favorite Prospect in 2nd Round
By Cem Yolbulan
The Dallas Cowboys entered Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft hoping to land an elite running back. In fact, owner Jerry Jones didn't hide who he wanted among the rusher prospects when he singled out Texas standout Jonathon Brooks.
Well, publicly making your preference known came back to bite him on Friday night. Before it was the Cowboys' turn to pick at 56, the Carolina Panthers traded up to select Brooks, making him the first running back off the board.
Jerry Jones is the Reason the Cowboys Couldn't Land Their No. 1 RB Choice
#Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on RB Jonathon Brooks, who’s still on the board entering Day 2:
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) April 26, 2024
“He’s outstanding. He’s just outstanding. He’s a great football player, we’ve got him high, high, high, and he’s a good player.” pic.twitter.com/MXEEMYATAk
This is the latest in the long list of mistakes for Jerry Jones this offseason. Going public with your draft target on the day of the draft to later fail to get him is certainly embarrassing. It also doesn't make any strategic sense.
Everyone in the second round knew that the Cowboys were targeting Brooks. That takes away all the leverage in trade negotiations. No one is going to give you the best deal possible when they know who you are going for. Plus, teams like the Panthers who could have been eyeing the same player in the same round, knew where they needed to trade up to ensure they got Brooks.
Fortunately for the Cowboys, running backs are devalued these days and they will have a chance to draft one. However, they clearly failed to get their number one choice. And if Jerry Jones could have played his card close to his chest, the Cowboys could have easily landed the hometown hero Jonathon Brooks.
More Cowboys news and rumors:
feed