What to believe about Dallas Cowboys draft plan? Stephen Jones says team has no musts
When it comes to the Dallas Cowboys plans for the NFL Draft, it’s always best to believe what you see rather than what year hear.
Because this is the misinformation season and the Cowboys operate from the bible of owner Jerry Jones and his first commandment at this time of year has always been, “just because I said it don’t make it so.”
So in keeping with that theme, vice president Stephen Jones proclaimed during the pre-draft press conference on Tuesday that the Cowboys are a team without any holes.
“I wouldn’t say we have any ‘musts’ left in terms of having to take a particular position at some point,” Stephen Jones said. “Obviously, you’d like to look up nine picks later and hope that you really helped yourself across the board in terms of not only improving yourself with front-line players but also depth and things of that nature. I don’t think we have any ‘musts’ going into the draft.”
Never mind that the Cowboys have not reached the Super Bowl since 1995 or that they ended the 2021 season with a disappointing home loss in the first round of the playoffs.
Never mind that the Cowboys don’t have a definitive starter at left guard after losing Connor Williams in free agency, have questions at receiver due to the trade of Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns and Michael Gallup’s uncertain status for the start of the season and yet to replace defensive end’s Randy Gregory’s skills and production as a pass rusher.
And considering they have made minimal moves in free agency, the Cowboys are heading into the 2022 NFL Draft, which begins Thursday and runs through Saturday, with a less-talented roster than they had a year ago.
Stephen Jones said the Cowboys will resume free agency after the draft and they will make more moves to improve the team at that time.
Until then, the only way for the Cowboys to get better in 2022 is with the nine picks they’ll make this draft, starting with the 24th selection in the first round.
The question is what will they do with those picks.
The needs for a receiver, offensive lineman and pass rusher are clear, no matter what Jones said.
And team used many of their pre-draft visits on players at those positions, but the options at the top of the draft are limited.
Stephen Jones said the draft class is thinner than normal at the top with only “about 14-16” players getting first-round grades on the Cowboys’ draft board.
That opens the door for a host of possibilities. The Cowboys could trade the 24th pick for the right player. They could trade back if all of their first-round options are gone. Or they could stand pat.
“I think it just depends,” Stephen Jones said. “That might have you looking at moving up, even more so than moving down if one of your guys you have in the first round is sitting there and you think, ‘Hey, that may be worth it to go get one.’ The flip side of that, if they’re gone and if you’re looking at four or five guys you value similarly at 24 there, then you might think about moving down. Or if there’s just one left and you’re up and it happened to go your way, then you pick away.”
Although there are fewer players with first-round grades, there are more draftable players than ever due to the super seniors who stayed an extra year because of COVID-19.
That means the draft will be deeper in the middle rounds, which is exactly what the Cowboys need — especially considering that six of their nine picks are between the third and fifth rounds.
So, clearly, the opportunities for improvements are there. And with that came the ultimate pre-draft promise from the elder Jones on the Cowboys’ expectations for the coming season.
“I think we can very easily be where we were last year talent-wise or be able to play at that kind of talent level,” Jerry Jones said. “I believe that’s going to be the case. I’m not willing to concede at all that by the time we get to the playoffs this coming year that we won’t be every bit the team that we had going into the playoffs last year.”
Yes, but even with all of that talent the team had in 2021, that group was not able to prevent the Cowboys’ Super Bowl drought from reaching 26 seasons.
