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The Dallas Cowboys' 2016 NFL draft turned the franchise around as much as any in team history and was the most productive since the Jimmy Johnson glory days of the early 1990s.
Owner Jerry Jones, executive vice president Stephen Jones and their personnel struck gold with running back Ezekiel Elliott (No. 4 overall) and quarterback Dak Prescott (No. 135). They turned the Cowboys from a 4-12 squad in 2015, when franchise signal-caller Tony Romo missed 12 games because of injury, to a 13-3 team in 2016 that made the playoffs sans Romo.
It would be a major delayed reward if linebacker Jaylon Smith is able to recover from the nerve damage in his knee that caused him to miss his entire rookie campaign—he was a top-five player at his position before his injury.
Now, the next steps for the Cowboys are to decide Romo's fate, continue to maintain the league's best offensive line and take a serious look at a defense that was league-average last season—and suffered several defections in free agency. Dallas will need to replace cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne, safeties Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox and defensive lineman Terrell McClain.
The good news for the Jones Boys is the 2017 draft class is universally recognized as one of the deepest in the secondary over the last decade, and they can fill their need for linebackers and defensive linemen with quality players.
On offense, there's the obvious need to replace Romo with depth, and guard Ronald Leary's departure might sting if La'el Collins doesn't measure up for any reason.
The Cowboys are in decent shape to defend their NFC East title and advance further in the postseason, but this draft is just as crucial as the last one. Dallas can only hope it'll have the same hit rate at key positions.
Here are how the needs shake out per position and the players who might best fit those gaps.
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Owner Jerry Jones, executive vice president Stephen Jones and their personnel struck gold with running back Ezekiel Elliott (No. 4 overall) and quarterback Dak Prescott (No. 135). They turned the Cowboys from a 4-12 squad in 2015, when franchise signal-caller Tony Romo missed 12 games because of injury, to a 13-3 team in 2016 that made the playoffs sans Romo.
It would be a major delayed reward if linebacker Jaylon Smith is able to recover from the nerve damage in his knee that caused him to miss his entire rookie campaign—he was a top-five player at his position before his injury.
Now, the next steps for the Cowboys are to decide Romo's fate, continue to maintain the league's best offensive line and take a serious look at a defense that was league-average last season—and suffered several defections in free agency. Dallas will need to replace cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne, safeties Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox and defensive lineman Terrell McClain.
The good news for the Jones Boys is the 2017 draft class is universally recognized as one of the deepest in the secondary over the last decade, and they can fill their need for linebackers and defensive linemen with quality players.
On offense, there's the obvious need to replace Romo with depth, and guard Ronald Leary's departure might sting if La'el Collins doesn't measure up for any reason.
The Cowboys are in decent shape to defend their NFC East title and advance further in the postseason, but this draft is just as crucial as the last one. Dallas can only hope it'll have the same hit rate at key positions.
Here are how the needs shake out per position and the players who might best fit those gaps.
Begin Slideshow
Continue reading...