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The Cowboys rebuilt an entire position group in one draft, could they look to double-dip again this year?
Depending on what subject you’re referring to, double-dipping can be viewed as an unforgivable sin but not in the draft world. Last season, the Cowboys didn’t only double-dip but they seemingly took one tortilla chip and dipped it in the salsa four times. Okay, enough with the silly analogies, the Cowboys selected a defensive back in rounds two, three, and two more in round six of the 2017 NFL Draft. Now, last year, they let some veterans walk in free agency so they were always going attack the defensive back position with aggression.
Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, and Xavier Woods combined for over 1600 snaps, 119 tackles, 20 passes defensed, three picks, and a forced fumble. Not too shabby for a group of rookies, with the exception of Marquez White who spent 2017 on practice squad.
With how successful they were at double-dipping last season, it makes you wonder if a position will offer that opportunity again in 2018. Last season was a great opportunity for the Cowboys because the defensive back class was loaded. In essence, the first thing you must determine is where this draft class offers up it’s best depth.
When examining this class, the positions that stretch the furthest are running back, wide receiver, interior offensive line, and interior defensive line. Some folks have mentioned tight end and safety as being solid too, but we’re sticking with the above four.
You can eliminate running back as a place to double-dip because the Cowboys have an All-Pro entrenched as the starter in Ezekiel Elliott and his backup is going to be Rod Smith. This is not to say the Cowboys won’t draft a running back but it’s not likely happening until the fourth round or later.
Another interesting nugget that got the brain turning gears was looking back at what the Cowboys did last season in the first round. If you remember, they selected Taco Charlton because they weren’t necessarily thrilled about the pass rushers that would be there on the second day. Some pundits were upset that they didn’t take T.J. Watt but he fell below their thresholds for the position. Others were more perturbed by them passing on cornerback Kevin King but remember the Cowboys believed the depth was better at cornerback and addressed it with their next two picks.
Does that suggest that the Cowboys will likely look for a position of need such as safety, right defensive end, or even linebacker at 19th overall seeing as those positions don’t stretch as far? It’s quite possible but then again picking at 19 is a world of difference than picking at 28. Just a little food for thought there that we’re going to use in a few scenarios. Let’s play with the depth in this draft at those three positions and see which double-dipping scenarios we can drum up:
Scenario 1 (Interior O-Line):
Cowboys go with Alabama safety, Ronnie Harrison in the first round to shore up the secondary and get themselves a physical safety presence.
Pick 50 (2nd Round): James Daniels, C/G, Iowa (Brugler: 42nd) - The Cowboys can plug Daniels in right away at guard but his more natural fit will be center. Either way, the Cowboys have a starting left guard that has position flexibility should he ever be needed.
Pick 171 (5th Round Comp): Cole Madison, G/T, Washington State (Brugler: 171st) - The Cowboys already had an informal meeting with Madison at the Senior Bowl. He’s a mauler but is also very athletic and the Cowboys could see value for him as a backup to guard and tackle with the upside to start fairly early into his career.
Scenario 2 (Interior D-Line):
Cowboys decide to add a speed rusher in the mold that Rod Marinelli covets going with the athletic-freak Marcus Davenport from UTSA.
Pick 81 (3rd Round): Deadrin Senat, DT, South Florida (Brugler: 96th) - He’s just one of my favorite prospects in this draft as he has the motor and relentless power that shows how explosive he can be at the position. He’s an overachiever that has different gears to his game and isn’t your run of the mill run-stuffer. Senat is one of this draft’s best kept secrets with sky-high potential.
Pick 137 (4th Round Comp): Poona Ford, DT, Texas (Brugler: 160th) - Another pet cat that would be a solid addition to the Cowboys defense. The first step in recovery is admitting you have a problem and the Cowboys have one with their inability to see how invaluable good one-technique tackles can be. Ford is the type of guy that can truly play both positions well. He’s a bit undersized but his explosiveness off the snap helps him rush the passer. He also does a great job of using his length and balance to stuff the run.
Scenario 3 (Wide Receiver):
Cowboys see quarterbacks push a great player to them at 19, the linebacker, Tremaine Edmunds from Virginia Tech.
Pick 50 (2nd Round): Anthony Miller, WR, Memphis (Brugler: 60th)- The second round is going to be the sweetest spot for receivers this year and Miller is the best out of all the seniors. He’s got everything the Cowboys need: good length, soft hands, a large catch radius, athleticism, and excellent vision. Miller also makes those “how-did-he-catch-that” type of plays routinely with his balance and phenomenal footwork.
Pick 193 (6th Round): Daurice Fountain, WR, Northern Iowa (Brugler: 196th)- Fountain was a Combine snub that we’ve talked about before. He’s a small-school guy that isn’t going to get the love he may deserve but check out his production despite poor quarterback play. Fountain has good long speed and reliable hands but is an accomplished route runner as well. He’s got a great knack for finding weaknesses in the defense and exploiting them. He’s going to check many boxes with length, size, speed, durability, timing, route savvy among the top traits he possesses.
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