Heading into last night’s NFL Draft, the sentiment around Cowboys Nation was a positive one.
Sitting with the 10th overall pick and multiple defensive playmakers looking to be on the board, it was easy to feel good about the Cowboys chances to snag a CB1 in round one. As the picks started falling ahead of Dallas, offense reigned supreme.
Quarterbacks, receivers, offensive linemen: the top offensive prospects in the class continued to get picked, leaving the Cowboys hoping they’d have their top pick at cornerback.
Then Jaycee Horn went two spots ahead of them, and things got a little tight. Horn had become a fan favorite during the draft process, impressing greatly during his Pro Day, proving to be an athletic marvel. He showed excellent man coverage ability in college, and has that “dog” mentality this defense so badly needs.
Patrick Surtain II would be a heck of a consolation prize, though. Surtain was CB1 for much of the year, and many Cowboys fans had him as their top choice ahead of the draft kicking off. Surtain was on the board when the Broncos came on the clock at nine, one spot ahead of America’s Team.
They’re going to take a quarterback, right?
Unfortunately, that was wrong. Denver snagged Surtain, and the Cowboys were left without a chance to take either of the draft’s top two cornerbacks. Two of the best players in the entire class, both at a severe position of need, and neither was available 10th overall.
Last year, the opposite happened for the Cowboys. Picking in the middle of round one, we had no idea who may or may not be available when the Cowboys came up to draft.
But luck was on their side.
Stud wide receiver CeeDee Lamb continued to fall and fall, despite wide receiver needy teams coming on the clock. Lamb fell right into their lap, and the Cowboys snagged arguably the best wide out in the class.
To me, last night’s first round was more about bad luck than bad process from the Cowboys. Likely their top two targets went right ahead of them, and instead of reaching for another player 10th overall, they traded back and acquired another top 100 pick.
Micah Parsons is a good football player, one that if it everything clicks, can be a perennial Pro Bowl player. You can argue about linebacker value all you want, but I do think the Cowboys defense got better last night.
Just not in the spots you’d most like to see it happen.
