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In a redo, the Cowboys get a lineman but it’s not either of the two they ended up with.
The 2014 NFL Draft is rather infamous for the Dallas Cowboys as snap reactions were focused more on who the Cowboys didn’t take in the first round. We have since learned that some of the tall tales we heard about Jerry Jones affection for Johnny Manziel were overstated. We’ve also learned that the Cowboys landed two of the best players of the draft in the first two rounds.
The Dallas Cowboys just handsomely rewarded their first-round pick Zack Martin to the tune of $90+ million over the life of the extension. By all means, the three-time First Team All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler has earned every red cent of it. Technically speaking, they rewarded their second-round pick in 2014, DeMarcus Lawrence, too after his 14.5 sacks in 2017. Sure, it’s a franchise tag but it pays over $17 million this season.
Well, the people at DraftWire decided to do a 2014 NFL Draft do-over and in it, the Cowboys didn’t even sniff either of the guys they ended up with. Martin was taken sixth overall by the Falcons and Lawrence was off the board at 13th overall to the Rams as Aaron Donald went first overall to the Texans. So, who did the Cowboys get at 16? Was it Ryan Shazier? Nope, he still went to the Steelers. Please tell me it wasn’t Johnny Football? Nope, it was a lineman...offensive guard Trai Turner.
16. Dallas Cowboys - Trai Turner, OG, LSU
With Martin off the board, the Cowboys turn their attention to another interior blocker who has outplayed expectations. A third-round pick out of LSU, all Turner has done since entering the league is make three Pro Bowls, start 54 of 58 games, and earn a handsome four-year extension last offseason that pays him more than $10 per year. Not a bad consolation prize for a team that relies on their ground attack.
That’s not a terrible selection as Turner has been a pretty good player and was an original 30-visit for the Cowboys. However, with who was still on the board, the Cowboys might have gone in another direction. Here are a few guys that may have taken the Cowboys away from Turner, who they had a third-round grade on:
S Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix - The Packers safety ends up with Jets at 18th overall in this exercise but it’s hard to see the Cowboys passing on this extraordinary versatile talent. Dix has 14 interceptions and 33 pass breakups in four seasons with the Pack. He would most certainly be helpful right now as the Cowboys sort out their safety position.
WR Brandin Cooks - The receiver stays with the Saints here at 20 but the Cowboys would most certainly give him consideration. He had 20 touchdowns in three seasons with the Saints and has been traded not once but twice. Each time, Cooks has been traded for a first round pick. He’s extremely explosive and the Cowboys would surely have been interested.
DE/ OLB Anthony Barr - We know how interested the Cowboys were in Barr and even though he hasn’t reached his full potential in Minnesota, it’s hard to see the Cowboys passing on him. He was widely considered a Top-10 talent and was way off the board nine spots before Dallas.
OG Gabe Jackson - If the Cowboys were taking third-round offensive linemen, why not Jackson? He was another pre-draft visit for the Cowboys and has started 59 games for the Raiders. He’s since re-signed and will be making $10M+ per season but went 28th to the Panthers in this redo. Sure, he doesn’t have the Pro Bowls that Turner has but that’s just NFL bias against the Raiders, right?
All joking aside, the DraftWire crew probably were on the right track with the pick of Trai Turner. After all, the Cowboys took a third-round center the year before without blinking, why would they be afraid here?
What say you about the 2014 redo, would you have gone with somebody different at 16th overall?
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