Written by: David Connors @connors_david
Dallas Cowboys 2018
Dallas is coming off a roller coaster 2018 starting out 3-5 before trading their 2019 1st round draft pick for incumbent WR Amari Cooper from the Oakland Raiders. Cooper's presence and the emergence of Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith led to a string of victories which propelled Dallas to playoffs, where they beat the Seahawks in the WildCard round and lost to the Rams in the Divisional round. If you want more detail, Blitzalytics’ Cowboys beat writer Greg Lehr does an incredible job in his Cowboys Draft Guide.
Offseason Acquisitions
Robert Quinn, Edge
Christian Covington, DT
Randall Cobb, WR
George Iloka, S
Kerry Hyder, DT
Shakir Soto, DT
Players Lost
Cole Beasley, WR
Geoff Swaim, TE
Damien Wilson, LB
Daniel Ross, DT
Terrence Williams, WR
Rod Smith, RB
David Irving, DT
Draft Picks
2nd Round #58
3rd Round #91
4th Round #129
4th Round #137 (Comp)
5th Round #166
7th Round #243
Team Needs: S, DT, OT, WR, Edge, TE, C/G
Player Fits
Early Round
(Dallas lacks a 1st round pick so this will be players considered with their 2nd rounder)
Dexter Lawrence, DT (Clemson)
Juan Thornhill, S (Stanford)
Darnell Savage, S (Maryland)
Taylor Rapp, S (Washington)
Dre'Mont Jones DT, (Ohio State)
David Howard, OT (Wisconsin)
Emmanuel Hall, WR (Missouri)
Christian Miller, Edge (Alabama)
Jachai Polite, Edge (Florida)
Mid Round
(3rd and 4th round targets)
Renell Wren, DT (Arizona State)
Daniel Wise, DT (Kansas)
Nate Davis, DT (Charlotte)
Zach Allen, Edge (Boston College)
Dawson Knox, TE (Ole Miss)
Foster Moreau,TE (LSU)
Bobby Evans, OT (Oklahoma)
Penny Hart, WR (Georgia State)
Anthony Nelson, Edge (Iowa)
Late Round
Gary Jennings, WR (WVU)
Lonnie Johnson, CB (Kentucky)
Isaiah Johnson, CB (Houston)
Demarcus Christmas, DT (FSU)
BJ Blunt, S (McNeese State)
Bryce Love, RB (Stanford)
Cece Jefferson, Edge (Florida)
Jojo McIntosh, S (Washington)
Miles Boykin, WR (Notre Dame)
Player Highlights
Dexter Lawrence, DT
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 342
Arms: 34 ¾”
Hands: 10 ½”
School: Clemson
Dexter Lawrence is a behemoth athlete at almost 350 pounds who showed exceptional potential when he broke out his freshman season. He racked up 8.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks from the interior position. Although the former ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year never came close to matching his numbers from freshman year, he still showed exceptional run stuffing ability his senior season with another 7 TFL. Lawrence’s accumulated stats suffered quite a bit because he only played 116 snaps on 3rd and 4th down; nevertheless, he still managed a 13.8% pressure rate which was good enough for 3rd-highest amongst defensive interior lineman in this draft class according to PFF. Lawrence could go as early as top 15 but could fall due to being part of a great defensive line class and being perceived mostly as a 2-down lineman. If he falls to the ’40s, do not be surprised if Dallas moves up to get him.
Taylor Rapp, S
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 208lbs
Arm: 30 ¾”
Hands: 9”
School: Washington
Taylor Rapp projects primarily as a box safety with incredible play recognition ability. This 3-year starter makes up what he lacks in athletic ability with positioning. He has shown great durability for his size and is not afraid to make a big hit. He is a solid special teams player but can get beat chasing running backs sideline to sideline. He also has a tendency to absorb too much of his own hits. Taylor Rapp may not be a home run draft selection, but he is a safe double off the wall.
Dre’Mont Jones, DT
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 281 lbs
Arms: 33 ¾”
Hands: 9 ⅝”
School: Ohio State
Dre’Mont was a production monster at Ohio State, coming on strong his senior season after Nick Bosa left the program. Jones is a 3-tech defensive tackle who can use his ability to penetrate to be a 3-down player. He used his quickness to come out of his stance and even has pursuit speed, which led to 13 TFL and 8.5 sacks his senior season. He has ridiculous arm length, which is in the 61st percentile of all DT according to mockdraftable.com, but his size is in the 26th percentile. He has the frame to add a little more muscle without taking too much from his athleticism. Jones is a perfect fit in a Rod Marinelli defense.
Daniel Wise, DT
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 281 lbs
Arms: 33”
Hands: 10”
School: Kansas
Daniel Wise really showed up at the East-West Shrine Bowl in Tampa this year. He has great quickness, which he showed off with a 4.37-sec 3-cone drill, good for placement in the 77th percentile of all defensive tackles according to mockdraftables.com. Wise needs to add on a few weaknesses, though. He can get bullied by athletic offensive lineman and struggled to shed blocks, but with his potential, he would be a great pick for Dallas in the 4th round.
Dawson Knox, TE
Height: 6’4 ⅜”
Weight: 254 lbs
Arms: 33 ½”
Hands: 9 ¾”
School: Ole Miss
It has been no secret Dallas is looking to add a tight end to the team with how many they have brought in for visits, and Dawson could be a steal for them. His lack of production could make him fall passed some of the big names like Irv Smith and Jace Sternberger, but I think he could be better. His tape showed incredible separation for the big guy, making his 15 catches in 2018 mind-blowing, and he backed it up with a 4.27-second 20-yard shuttle and 7 second 3-cone. Dawson also has an exceptional IQ, scoring a 38 on the Wonderlic. Tight ends usually take a year or two to transition to the NFL, and Dawson could learn from a future Hall of Famer in Dallas.
Bobby Evans, OT
Height: 6’4 ⅜”
Weight: 312 lbs
Arms: 34 ¾”
Hands: 10”
School: Oklahoma
When drafting offensive lineman in late day 2 and day 3, typically a team is looking for a trait or two that they can mold. Evans has great upper body strength, including unmatched core strength. He can handle bull rush and power. He uses his long arms, which are in the 77th percentile of all OT to test at the combine according to mockdraftable.com, to create early contact. His lower body technique needs a lot of work. Hip tightness and lack of flexibility hinder his kick-slide. That said, he can get best off the edge with speed. Most scouts agree his 2017 tape at RT is better than his 2018 tape at LT; therefore, he will probably be best suited for that spot. Bobby Evans has all the traits and nasty demeanor to be a fun project for Offensive Line Coach Marc Colombo to mold into a future RT to replace Collins when his contract is up.
Gary Jennings, WR
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 214 lbs
Arms: 32 ½”
Hands: 9 ⅝”
School: West Virginia University
The Dallas Cowboys have made it clear in their WR acquisitions that they want a lot of different players who can move all over the formation. Gary Jennings could be the piece they are missing. Jennings has the speed to get behind a defense and the versatility to do it from any part of the field. He does not shy away from contact. His route tree will need refinement; nevertheless, his top-end speed will give him an immediate role and Dak a different kind of weapon.
Lonnie Johnson, CB
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 213 lbs
Arms: 32 ⅝”
Hands: 9 ⅛”
School: Kentucky
Lonnie Johnson has all the physical traits Ballard looks for in his corners: long and physical with arms that go for days. He has great feet and can mirror his target. His backpedal is very smooth. He has limited straight-line speed, and his ball skills need work. He has all the traits to be a starting NFL corner in a zone defense like Ballard runs, but he must hone his ball skills and play recognition. He can be a perfect project piece to develop into a solid corner.
B.J. Blunt, S
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 203 lbs
School: McNeese State
BJ Blunt is a box safety with a great character. When at the East-West Shrine Game, he was pumping players on his team or the other team; it simply did not matter. He did not shy away from any drill including special teams. He could be a solid special team player with the drive to develop into a good rotational box safety.
Bryce Love, RB
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 200 lbs
Arms: 29 ⅜”
Hands: 9 ⅛”
School: Stanford
Stephen Jones said Dallas is looking for a Zeke-like backup RB, and Love could fill this role perfectly. He has incredible speed, setting world records in the 100 and 400-meter for 11-year-olds. Love is a smart athlete with a lot of upside as a runner, and his tape shows a solid pass catcher, even though it does not show up on his stat sheet. He is not a player you want get more than 10-12 touches a game; nevertheless, he has shown he can be both a pass catcher and between-the-tackles runner at Stanford, running for over 2000 yards in 2017. He is currently recovering from an ACL tear which should push him to the late rounds of this draft. This may set him back in the rookie offseason program, especially considering he was touted by some to be a top-3 RB prospect before the 2018 season.