9 early contenders for Cowboys 2nd-round pick at LB, RB, CB
Minus the occasional home runs of Demarcus Lawrence and Trevon Diggs, the second-round picks of the Dallas Cowboys haven’t been ideal. Since Lawrence in 2014, the Cowboys have drafted Randy Gregory, Jaylon Smith, Chidobe Awuzie, Connor Williams, Trysten Hill, Trevon Diggs, Kelvin Joseph, Sam Williams, and Luke Schoonmaker. There were a few contributors, but only Diggs stands out as a true game-changer.
Williams and Schoonmaker are too early to call, but none of the others were selections the team would make in a redraft. This team has plenty of talent, but the 2023 draft class had nearly zero impact and the Cowboys need this draft to be different. More often than not Dallas nails their first rounder, but they need more out of the other Top 60 pick.
Even if Jerry Jones sincerely meant it when he said the team was all in and the team added free agents at defensive tackle, running back, linebacker, and cornerback, the team would still need significant contributors behind them for depth in 2024.
The case for linebacker
The Cowboys weakest position from last season needs an upgrade. Leighton Vander Esch was a solid player, but the team needs someone to impact the run defense more. That should be handled in free agency, but drafting a linebacker is also a necessity considering the uncertainty at the position. Vander Esch and Jayron Kearse are not likely to return, Markquese Bell could be moved back to safety with Dan Quinn’s departure, and DeMarvion Overshown is an unknown and coming off a major knee injury. The team lacks both impact players and depth.
Even if a big free agent is added, Overshown returns as a starter, and Damone Clark takes a giant leap, the team still has no back up plan for an injury.
Linebacker Payton Wilson, NC State 6-foot-4, 230 pounds
Wilson wouldn’t even be in consideration for Dallas if it wasn’t for his major injury concerns because he would never make it to them at 56. He is big, strong, fast, and has fantastic instincts for the position. Wilson is exactly what the Dallas defense needs to elevate to the next level.
He would help set up players like Clark and Bell to make plays and be an enormous impact in the run game while not being a detriment in coverage. Every team in the league will have an eye on the medicals of Wilson, and those results will decide if he is even available at 24, let alone 56.
Linebacker Cedric Gray, North Carolina 6-foot-2, 235 pounds
Cedric Gray will force many teams have the similar discussions to when Nick Bolton was being evaluated. He has functional athleticism and strength, but he isn’t a freak athlete. This led Bolton to fall to the end of the second-round even though he had tremendous production at Missouri. Gray is no different, a solid athlete that relied on his instincts to accumulate 365 tackles, 29 for a loss, 8.5 sacks, 13 pass breakups, five interceptions, five forced fumbles, and five fumble recoveries in three seasons at North Carolina. Gray is likely to go in the same range as Bolton which means he could certainly be availalble at pick No. 56.
Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson 6-foot, 230 pounds
Trotter, Jr. is the type of linebacker Quinn would have loved in his system. He is smaller, more athletic, and does his best work in coverage, blitzing, and running sideline-to-sideline. The problem with that is he could leave the same issues the team has had with Vander Esch, Clark, and Bell.
Trotter is a big hitter when he gets to the ball carrier, but he isn’t physical taking on blocks and often tries to maneuver around them to get to the ball carrier. Trotter will accumulate plenty of tackles and be good in coverage overall, but could have minimal impact in rush defense because he won’t make many plays behind the line of scrimmage.
The case for running back
The run-game struggles for the Cowboys could easily be explained away as an offensive line issue, or problems with play calling, but Dallas doesn’t have internal option moving forward at the position.
Could they bring back Tony Pollard and Rico Dowdle with an upgraded OL? Absolutely, but how long of an investment will either get after how they performed last season? The front office could bring in a veteran to upgrade the position in their eyes, but that player would likely be better splitting attempts with someone younger. The new analytics team in Dallas is likely telling the Jones’ that their best strategy is to go cheaper at the running back position, and to just draft the next guy for 2024.
Running back Jonathan Brooks, Texas 6-foot, 207 pounds
There are probably teams that would pass on Brooks in the second-round because he is coming off a major leg injury. The Cowboys are one of the teams that are not averse to taking a prospect with an injury risk. Brooks could be one of the best fits for Dallas in this draft class. He is a three-down back who fits the club’s size profile and that runs well inside or out. Brooks is a smart runner with limited collegiate snaps on his legs.
Running back Will Shipley, Clemson 5-foot-11, 198 pounds
Shipley has the tools to be the next Christian McCaffrey. That is high praise but there aren’t many prospect as good as Shipley is in the run game who also could play all three receiver positions.
He is a great inside rusher, can split out and make plays in the passing game, and even comes with the same durability concerns as McCaffrey. He needs to be better at bouncing the runs outside and he isn’t the best finisher, but overall, Shipley is a terrific back. If Dallas chooses to go with Shipley, then they might want a split backfield situation to keep him fresh all season like they did for Pollard before the 2023 season.
Running back Bucky Irving, Oregon 5-foot-10, 194 pounds
Irving is a smaller running back and with Deuce Vaughn on the roster, he might not be the guy for the Cowboys, but that could be a massive mistake. Irving is 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds, not 5-foot-5 and 176 pounds. He broke out as a receiving option this season with over 50 reception and more than 400 yards. Pollard and Irving are very similar backs, both with the ability to break any play for a TD. Irving knows how to take a hit and stay solid and upright, and he caused 61 missed tackles this season. If Dallas wants a cheaper Pollard replacement, Irving could be the pick. He will likely do better with an Ezekiel Elliott-type ahead of him to take the in-game beating of an every down running back.
The case for Cornerback
Dallas has the potential to have the best corner duo in football. Both Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland are All-Pros who create takeaways, but Diggs is coming in off of a major injury and the Cowboys have seen the impact of that on the play of the returning player.
Terence Steele, Michael Gallup, Donovan Wilson, and Pollard all had a drop in performance the season after their injuries.
Adding to the Diggs concerns, Jourdan Lewis and Stephon Gilmore are free agents, and the team has no proven depth behind them following the 2023 season. Dallas could bring one of those veterans back, but the team would be one injury from having an enormous problem. Getting a second-round corner who could play opposite Diggs or in the slot would be a huge boon for whomever their new defensive coordinator ends up being.
Cornerback Caelen Carson, Wake Forest 6-foot, 195 pounds
Cornerback Max Melton, Rutgers 6-foot, 190 pounds
Melton fits the requirements Dallas prefers at the corner position, and he knows how to use his frame and length in coverage. He has no issues with the physical or mental part of the game. He will play the run, has a ton of experience so he understands route concepts and is great spotting screens quickly. He is the type of player a coach loves because his physical and mental abilities match up with his willingness to go make plays.
Where he has issues is in the techniques of the position. Think of him like Tyler Smith, all the size and ability, but requiring a coach to show him how to do things the right way down in and down out. With the right teachings he could be a second-round steal for a team.
Cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri 5-foot-11, 179 pounds
Abrams-Draine is the prospect that doesn’t fit what the Cowboys typically want at the position but could be the perfect match for what they need to pair with Diggs and Bland. He isn’t quite 6-foot, he is only 180 pounds, and is a slot corner in the NFL.
What he lacks in size he makes up for in athleticism and playmaking ability. He is difficult to separate from because he understands that side of the ball so well. He is a former quarterback and wide receiver that knows what offenses are trying to do to him with their route concepts. His ability to break out of his backpedal on underneath routes quickly or pass off vertical routes is something that is hard to teach. Like Diggs, being a former receiver has led him to having elite ball production. Pairing those two with Bland could make this secondary the scariest defensive unit in the league.
You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or YouTube on the Across the Cowboys Podcast.
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