Dallas went into the 2019 NFL Draft with the fanbase expecting them to draft according to a particular strategy. Targeting safeties early in the draft would be priority number one, and by bringing in prospects like Taylor Rapp and Juan Thornhill as pre-draft visitors, this seemed to be the exact plan Dallas would put in place.
Instead, they went with UCF defensive tackle Trysten Hill 58th overall, and neglected to take a safety until the sixth round, where they drafted Texas A&M’s Donovan Wilson. Now the league really thinks the Cowboys have a safety problem, and Stephen Jones has spoke to the possibility of using a current area of depth on the roster to solve it.
Jones said that the Cowboys have been “getting a few calls” from teams around the league, particularly about player swaps that would bring the Cowboys a new safety. He also added that these teams recognize where the Cowboys are strongest, and would be looking to get a player from those deeper position groups.
“People needing things and knowing that we might need, thinking that we might need a safety, would we be willing to trade this player for that player.” – Stephen Jones
Likely, he is referencing the offensive and defensive lines. Dallas took yet another offensive lineman in the third round of this year’s draft, and now boasts one of the most potent position groups in all of football. Being that it seems most NFL teams are offensive line-needy, it makes sense they’d look to the Cowboys for trade options.
But just how desperate do the Cowboys perceive themselves to be at safety?
They signed veteran safety George Iloka during free agency, and have a lot of faith in now third year defensive back Xavier Woods to be the full time free safety. Jeff Heath has been around the team for quite some time, and though he’s done well in limited doses, he tends to get exposed when asked to contribute too much.
Then they drafted Donovan Wilson in the sixth round, and if Will McClay’s comments about him via The Draft Show mean anything, the Cowboys have faith he can develop into a starting caliber box safety for them in the future.
That future is not now, however, and it is likely far from now. Safety just might be the Cowboys weakest position group at the moment, but when you consider how well-rounded the rest of their roster is, that statement isn’t nearly as detrimental as it may sound. After all a group that includes Xavier Woods as a starter cannot really be considered a bad one, though the depth behind Woods is certainly questionable.
Very questionable. Iloka’s best days are probably behind him and Jeff Heath’s abilities leave much to be desired.
If I were running the Cowboys, Juan Thornhill would have likely been the pick 58th overall. If much of Cowboys Nation were running the Cowboys, that Thornhill pick would have been made as well. But they went with Hill, and now they must live with what they have at the safety position.
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Hill was the right pick, he would not have been there at 90 most likely. And you make the secondary better by making the pass rush better. I get that. Doesn’t change the fact they still could have upgraded in the 4th by trading up not back. CGJ (who they weren’t as high on), Khari Willis (who they were high on) and Hooker (who they liked) were all available at the top of the 4th. Instead Dallas wanted to draft backups and add picks instead of targeting potential starters. Fine with the Pollard pick but with the comp pick, they could have upgraded the team. PS, Wilson lacks the athleticism to be a starter and was poor in coverage in college.
they do, sorta, 38 is a problem….so long as he is not the starter than we will be ok.
i think Iioka is going to help us here with woods on the back end but ultimately i see MJ moving into the SS spot with woods as the FS.
unless they plan to let BJones go and MJ fills in there……
Most safeties today are converted big corners because the new rules make the big hit a penalty and safeties have to cover like corners against multi -reciver sets.Peop!e overlook the Boys drafted and signed some big corners that can be changed to safety.
Rod and Kris preferred hill over thornhill when it came time is the rumor. The 3 tech is most important position in the defense.
We DO need a S and have needed one for years. But I understand the thinking the Cowboys are using. They want to build their DL just like they’ve built their OL. And if Hill turns out to be a run stuffing game changer, then it will all work out ok. We have the pass rushers and we all know the games we were exposed in, especially the Rams game, was because the other teams ran on us at will. If we can consistently shut down the middle, then teams will have to pass. Hopefully our Secondary will be even better with a year of experience under their belts. I have been trying to figure out who MJ is that oneputter is referring to. I do agree Heath just makes too many mistakes. I also agree with Chuck Wright as far as Dallas should have tried to trade back up to get a better S. But maybe they know something we don’t. It wouldn’t be the first time. Back when Romo was an UDFA they thought they had a possible future starter and nobody else knew about him. Maybe they think they have a future starter at S on the roster. Or they just figured Hill was too great a player to pass up, no matter who was still available l
FA Tre Boston could be signed for a very “team-friendly” deal, no doubt in my mind