Dallas Cowboys finish NFL draft with value home runs, defensive help and a center
The Dallas Cowboys relied heavily on their draft board to hit home runs in terms of value on the first two days of the 2020 NFL draft and they stayed with the same formula to hit a grand slam with their picks on the final day of the draft on Saturday.
The Cowboys took Tulsa cornerback and Cleburne native Reggie Robinson II in the fourth round, with the 123rd overall pick. They then made a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles to get an additional fourth-round slot to nab Wisconsin center Tyler Biadasz with the 146th overall pick.
The Cowboys gave up one of their two fifth-round picks to the Eagles. They also gave up a fifth-round pick in next year’s draft.
The Cowboys finally addressed the need for a pass rusher with Utah defensive end Bradley Anae in the fifth round, No. 179 overall. Anae was rated as high as a third-rounder on some boards.
The Cowboys ended the day with by drafting James Madison quarterback Ben DiNucci with the 231st pick.
Considering what they did on the first two days — getting receiver CeeDee Lamb (first round), cornerback Trevon Diggs (second round) and defensive tackle Neville Gallimore (third round) — it’s hard for the Cowboys to be disappointed with their 2020 draft class as a whole.
Robinson, their first fourth-round selection, didn’t have a lot of contact with the Cowboys before the draft. He said the Browns, Panthers, Vikings and the Raiders showed the most interest in him, but he is happy to stay close to home.
“I was excited. I was shaking,” Robinson said when he got the call from the Cowboys. “I was just happy to stay close to home. I live in Cleburne, Texas. That’s not very far from here. It’s great.
“My dad, sister and mom are Steelers fans, and I’m a home-state person. I was actually a Saints fan growing up because I was born in Louisiana, but I had a bunch of Cowboys stuff growing up, so it’s pretty crazy.”
After drafting Diggs, the former Alabama star, the Cowboys decided to double dip at the position and fix the depth chart with another big, athletic cornerback. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Robinson had four interceptions last season to go along with four career blocked kicks. Robinson has also played safety in his career, so he has some versatility. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds.
But with Chido Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis in the final year of their contracts, the Cowboys have covered themselves for the now and the future with Robinson.
Robinson compares himself to aggresive NFL cornerbacks Xavier Rhodes and Richard Sherman, just faster. “I’m physical. I’m a hit-your-face type of corner,” Robinson said. “I like to press; that’s what I did most of my college career. I’m a press corner, I get in your face and I just harass you on the line of scrimmage.”
Biadasz clearly was a talent the team didn’t want to miss out on, prompting the trade with the Eagles. And the Cowboys kept it in the family as they potentially replaced the retired Travis Frederick with another center from Wisconsin. Joe Looney, Connor Williams and Connor McGovern will also compete for the job.
“I tried molding my game after him,” Biadasz said of Frederick. “I’m looking forward to continuing what he did at Dallas.”
Biadasz should follow in his fellow Badger Frederick’s footsteps nicely. He was a unanimous All-American in his final season with Wisconsin and won the Rimington Trophy — given to the country’s top center.
Anae, meanwhile, hopes to give the Cowboys a pass-rush option opposite left end DeMarcus Lawrence following Robert Quinn’s decision to sign with the Chicago Bears in free agency.
He blames his drop in the draft to a slow 40 time at the NFL scouting combine, but there is no arguing about his production. Anae is Utah’s all-time leader with 30 career sacks and 245 yards in tackles for a loss. Last season, he recorded 41 tackles, including 14 for a loss, with 13 sacks.
“The chance to come to Dallas is such a dream come true,” Anae said. “It’s very surreal. I can’t wait to work with DeMarcus and excel from there. The wait was a little longer than I expected, but I’m just stoked to be a part of the Cowboys franchise. I’m ready to go.”
DiNucci gives the Cowboys a potential development backup quarterback. He played three years at Pittsburgh before transferring to James Madison. He threw for 3,441 yards, 29 touchdowns with six interceptions in 16 games last season.
One fun fact: Coach Mike McCarthy’s brother was DiNucci’s eighth-grade basketball coach. Both are Pittsburgh natives.
This story was originally published April 25, 2020 at 12:40 PM.
