The Dallas Cowboys’ 2019 NFL season has been one of disappointment and inconsistency.
They are currently on pace to finish what should be the final season of the Jason Garrett era the way it started, with a 8-8 record. Sunday’s debacle proved that the Cowboys team is in desperate need of a few playmakers on both sides of the ball.
Offense
Tight End
Drops seem to have been the theme of the season, in fact Dallas’ top four receivers on the team have accounted for 24 total drops. It wasn’t just Amari Cooper who has been listed as the player who has led the league in drops since 2015. Cooper has the least amount of drops of the top four.
Michael Gallup (8), Randall Cobb (7) and Jason Witten (5) have been worse. The Cowboys need to find some reliability at the position.
For what feels like the fifth or sixth draft in a row the Cowboys need to find a tight end who can stretch the field. Hunter Bryant of Washington should be a player of interest.
The Cowboys do have Blake Jarwin but for whatever reason the Cowboys staff doesn’t seem to trust him in the passing game despite the fact that he averages more than a first down every two catches. He was targeted just once against Philadelphia which was a catch and first down.
Wide Receiver
Cobb is scheduled to be a free agent this coming season, as is Amari Cooper unless a deal is struck. It seems counter productive to give up a number one pick for him and then let him walk just 18 months later.
With the Cowboys projected to have a top 15 pick at the moment, wide receiver has to be on the table. Alabama has a couple guys who Dallas could target although Jerry Juedy is probably out of their range, Henry Ruggs III is a viable option and he could help this passing attack.
Another name to consider if Dallas wants to trade up to get a dynamic athlete along with Juedy would be Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb. The fact is that the Cowboys need receivers who not only can be counted on but that can be reliable to help this offense. All of these options could only improve a red zone offense that is ranked 17th in the NFL at 56.9%. For a team as talented as the Cowboys appear to be, that number is embarrassing.
Defense
Interior Defensive Line
Lack of a pass rush has seemed to be an issue. DeMarcus Lawrence is a top edge defender and many will point to his lack of sacks as a disappointment but across the board the pass rush is very inconsistent. The addition of Robert Quinn was a big boost but the interior linemen haven’t helped.
The Cowboys desperately need a monster in the middle as well as edge help. The defensive tackle position isn’t the sexy pick but it is an important one and the Dallas Cowboys have ignored that spot for far too long.
Auburn’s Derrick Brown feels like a pipedream for any Cowboys fan looking to add him to their wishlist, but another SEC defensive lineman to be had would be South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw.
He stands in at 6’6″ and can be a real menace on the interior of a defense. To be as big as he is, Kinlaw is quick off the snap. He will be a force at the NFL level. Very reminiscent of former Cowboys defensive tackle David Irving in that he can beat you with quickness or power.
Edge Defender
This season the Cowboys finally brought in an edge defender that could take some of the pressure off of Lawrence in Quinn. Now the former Tar Heel could be looking to go elsewhere as his deal expires at the end of the season.
Behind the duo they have Dorance Armstrong who has shown flashes but nothing substantial to believe he is any more than a rotational piece right now. Last year the Cowboys used a late rounder on Jalen Jelks who could add to that rotation but the team needs another edge rusher who can be an immediate impact player.
The Cowboys have shown an affinity for Boise State Broncos in the NFL and Curtis Weaver should be on their short list of pass rushers to compliment Lawrence on the weak side of the defense.
Weaver has 13.5 sacks this year and 19.5 tackles for loss, he has been disruptive this season. He is still a bit raw as he isn’t very refined as a pass rusher but he has all the tools to be disruptive at the next level. A guy who the Cowboys could definitely mold at the next level. The new staff will be key in his development.
Safety
Much like the tight end position, the safety position has been one that Cowboys media and fans alike can agree on in that the Cowboys desperately need help at safety. No safety for the Cowboys has been drafted before the fifth round. Xavier Woods (sixth round), Jeff Heath (UDFA), Kavon Frazier (sixth round) and Donovan Wilson (seventh round). To find an impact player the team needs to use premium draft capital.
The top names at safety in this draft will be Grant Delpit and Xavier McKinney but don’t forget about the man out west in Ashtyn Davis. The former track runner can be found flying all over the field delivering big hits and snagging the ball out of the air.
He has the ball skills to be a true center fielder for the defense. Davis isn’t a guy that will get you killed in coverage which is exactly what the Dallas defense has been longing for.
Cornerback
Of course you can’t leave out the cornerback position. The Cowboys have put ample draft capital into this spot over the years with Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis and Byron Jones.
Lewis has been a bulldog for the defense and Jones is the best cover guy in the defense but their play has left a lot to be desired. Jones could very well be gone with his contract expiring and that would mean the Cowboys would once again be in the market for a number one corner.
The top guys in this class are going to be Jeff Okudah and Trevon Diggs for good reason. A more under the radar guy has to be Jeff Gladney out of Texas Christian. In the Big 12 Conference you better be able to cover receivers and Gladney does just that. With his ball skills and coverage technique he is a rising star as the draft season approaches.
