Advertisement

sportsCowboys

Why the Dallas Cowboys should consider wide receiver for their first pick in the 2020 NFL draft

Whether at No. 17 or in a trade down, Dallas should dive headfirst into the deepest end of this draft pool.

In the three decades of Cowboys football under the stewardship of Jerry Jones, the club has featured one Hall of Fame coach (Jimmy Johnson) who prized speed above all else and one Hall of Fame coach (Bill Parcells) who favored size over other qualities. The 2020 draft will be a time for Jones to side with Johnson, but not for the normal reasons.

“It’s going to be one of the most interesting drafts ever just to see where you set up your headquarters,’’ Gil Brandt, another Hall of Famer, said on Dennis and Cowlishaw (103.3) this week. “You better scout the Internet access as far as speed is concerned.’’

The NFL’s biggest annual undertaking is less than two weeks away, and 32 team headquarters will be closed for the occasion. Clubs are having to spend hours figuring out where all its key personnel will be stationed on April 23 and analyzing the best methods for communicating quickly that night, even while still putting their draft boards in order.

And in the Cowboys’ case, yes, the sort of speed we are more accustomed to discussing will be of paramount interest. The club watched Byron Jones sign for ground-breaking money with Miami and has not replaced him with a potential starter, so the expectation is that a cornerback’s name will be called by Dallas in one of the first two rounds.

Cowboys

Be the smartest Cowboys fan. Get the latest news.

Or with:

If it’s my choice, I want that to be the second round unless the highly prized CJ Henderson of Florida is still available at 17. If the Cowboys like him as the draft’s second-best cornerback (behind Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah) as much as the draft gurus, sure, it makes sense to grab him and be thankful at 17.

Most folks expect him to be gone, however. I’m fine with Dallas searching for secondary help in the second and third rounds while diving headfirst into the deepest end of this draft pool in the first. And that’s the wide receivers group.

Advertisement

In his last mock draft, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. had seven wide receivers selected in the first round. His colleague, Todd McShay, had six in the first and six more going in the second with four of those being selected before the Cowboys jump back in at No. 51.

Despite the quality and the depth at the position, most don’t see the run on receivers starting until the New York Jets pick at 11. If either the Las Vegas Raiders or the San Francisco 49ers take something other than a receiver at 12 and 13, that could allow one of the supposed big three — Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs and Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb — to slide Dallas’ way.

Why is that something the Cowboys should consider?

Advertisement

Because in spite of the fact that their salary cap money tilts heavily in the direction of the offense, this unit — expected to carry the load in 2020 — was not as good as advertised in 2019. Much was made of the fact the Cowboys had the combination of a 4,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard rusher and two 1,000-yard receivers for the first time in its rich history. What did that amount to?

The Cowboys ranked sixth in the league in scoring, but when they fell apart in the season’s second half, particularly in their last six games going 2-4, they scored nine against New England, 15 against Buffalo and nine again in the decisive game at Philadelphia.

Never knowing exactly what the future holds and how long the team wants to keep Amari Cooper as one of the highest paid receivers in the league, a high quality rookie receiver to replace Randall Cobb (gone to Houston) makes plenty of sense.

Brandt pointed out that the drop from the top three to the next group of receivers that includes LSU’s Justin Jefferson might not be that steep. Could the Cowboys trade down from the 17th spot, grab a receiver later in the first round and add a late second or early third-round pick to help fill their defensive needs?

The answer is yes, and the team to watch is Seattle. Using the highly popular Jimmy Johnson Draft Points Chart (actually he asked Mike McCoy, Jones’ business partner in the early ’90s, to devise it), the Cowboys’ first-round selection at 17 is worth 950 points. Seattle’s first two picks (27 and 64) also equal 950. Would you trade down 10 spots to add a late second-round pick to the mix?

Would you trade down just five spots to Minnesota and add the Vikings’ third? That actually favors Minnesota just a bit on the value chart, but if the Cowboys think they can grab the player they want after holding their breath for five picks, it’s a risk worth taking.

It’s going to be fascinating, and it’s going to be more than a little different. As Brandt indicated, Cowboys fans are hoping the Joneses keep an eye on speed in this draft and it’s got nothing to do with 40-yard dash times.

Advertisement

Find more Cowboys stories from The Dallas Morning News here.