As is the case for most teams, the way the roster evolves due to free agency greatly affects their drafting approach each year. The Dallas Cowboys are no exception, especially given the recent news that they will be moving on from star wide receiver Amari Cooper.
Wide receiver was already seen as an area of need for Dallas, but considering Cooper’s departure and Michael Gallup’s injury history, drafting one still makes sense for Jerry Jones. Another area that needs addressing will be the defensive line, and luckily for the Cowboys, there are plenty of elite prospects to be had. It’s also important to make sure Jayron Kearse stays on the team, and maybe another safety measure is added in the middle or late rounds.
Taking all of that into consideration, let’s look at a plausible scenario for the Cowboys following this past week’s NFL Combine.
Round 1, Pick 24 – Perrion Winfrey, DL, Oklahoma
The Cowboys need help along with their defensive line’s interior and adding Perrion Winfrey would give them a versatile player who fits just about any scheme. That versatility isn’t all hype either, he turned it into production on the field. He amassed five and a half sacks last year and tacked on 11 tackles for a loss, displaying an ability to consistently penetrate an offensive backfield.
Funny enough, Winfrey’s bravado was evident at the Combine. When he was asked about what he felt would be his best NFL fit schematically, he didn’t mince words.
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Winfrey already sounds like a Cowboy with that confidence. At six-foot-four and 290 pounds, Winfrey is a physical specimen who has a decent arm span of 35 and a quarter inches. Even though his 40-time was 4.89 seconds, his speed on film more than makes up for that.
While his abilities as a pass rusher are what you would call “raw,” the upside is there, especially once the Cowboys can settle him into a particular role. As it stands, Winfrey can play inside or as an end, but as he said so himself, Winfrey feels the 3-technique is his strong suite. Regardless, the Cowboys could do themselves a favor by giving Dan Quinn an impressive prospect such as Winfrey to mold into a Pro Bowl-caliber lineman.
Round 2, Pick 56 – Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan
The Cowboys need speed, and that’s exactly what they’ll be getting with Moore. The Western Michigan standout had one of the most impressive combine outings in the wide receiver class. A 40-yard dash time of 4.41 combined with a vertical jump of 34.5 inches was topped by having the biggest hands at the event with a 10 and a quarter inch measurement.
The Cowboys would not only be getting speed and impressive separation with Moore, but those hands of his make Moore a reliable option down the field as he only had six career drops in college. He’s not what you would call a prototypical “burner.” Rather, the Cowboys would make the most of Moore’s abilities by putting him in one-on-one situations where he’ll fight and create separation, leading to gains in bunches.
Considering he’d be a second-round choice, Moore would fit nicely as a second, preferably third, option with the Cowboys. If Dallas wants to make the most of his big play ability, they can put him outside wide and allow him to use his speed and agility to go up and get those tough contested catches.
