Any experienced football fan knows that once April rolls around, the NFL Draft is happening in the blink of an eye.
For the Dallas Cowboys, that means the most important moment of their offseason is barreling toward them in a hurry.
An uneventful free agency period has left the roster weakened.
Dallas knows they have to nail their few draft picks if they want to have a contending roster in 2024.
With how close the draft is and how important it will be to the Cowboys' success next season, you can bet they are hard at work crafting their strategy for prospects, trade-back opportunities, and more.
Another perk that comes with early April is the draft information that starts to leak out.
Rather than speculating on who the Cowboys might like, we can see it with their top-30 player visits.
This also goes for which positions they may target, as their visits always show lots of names at the spots they are most looking to improve.
So what exactly do we know about the Cowboys 2024 NFL Draft plan?
Running Back is a top focus
Right now, we know 24 of the 30 players the Cowboys will bring in for visits.
Of those 24 prospects, 8 of them are at the running back position.
That is the most of any position group for Dallas, and the list features names at the top of the RB charts all the way down to the 6th-7th round projected guys.
This points to a clear focus from the Cowboys to make sure they have options at running back no matter how the board falls.
While Dallas is making it a point to have options, even far down the board, their top two targets are clear.
Florida State's Trey Benson and Texas's Jonathan Brooks seem to be the apple of the Cowboys' eye.
The team has met with them both at length and has openly discussed them as prospects.
Add #FSU RB Trey Benson to the list of big-time prospects visiting the #Cowboys today and tomorrow. https://t.co/5ViZyZqqRs
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 3, 2024
It may be tough for either one of them to get to the Cowboys' second-round pick, however.
This is precisely why Dallas is bringing in running backs who aren't expected to be drafted until the middle or late rounds.
If top options like Benson and Brooks are gone in the second round, they can fall back on guys like Wisconsin's Braelon Allen and Oregon's Bucky Irving later.
All four of those guys will come in for visits, and at least four more running backs who are projected to go late are visiting as well.
It is also possible that Dallas will add even more running backs to their top-30 visits list.
As I mentioned, we only know 24 of the 30 names.
With how heavily the Cowboys are focusing on running backs it is a safe bet to say at least one more of the final six visits will be at running back.
Bringing in a new RB1 is a key part of the Dallas draft plan.
Offensive Line in the 1st-Round
Dallas is building their running back visits with players from all round ranges, but they are doing the exact opposite when it comes to the offensive line.
Of the six offensive linemen we know the Cowboys are bringing in for visits, five of them are projected in the first round.
Dallas is showing their cards heavily here.
Barring something unforeseen, the Cowboys will likely draft a first-round offensive lineman.
People within the #Cowboys organization “love” Oregon C Jackson Powers-Johnson, per @defytalkcowboys pic.twitter.com/5Zft4wPKwO
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) April 5, 2024
30-visits are nothing to scoff at when it comes to Dallas; they always target the guys they bring in.
Players like Markquese Bell, DaRon Bland, Sam Williams, Malik Davis, and DeMarvion Overshown were all top-30 visits, and that's just in the last two drafts.
The fact that the Cowboys are bringing in so many offensive linemen, and they are almost entirely projected to go in the first round, makes it very likely they take one.
Aside from the visits, we have also heard directly from the Cowboys front office of their first-round interest on the offensive line,
Stephen Jones said that there is a “good chance we take an offensive lineman pretty high in this draft“.
The front office telling the entire league their draft strategy isn't the best thing.
But at least it gives us fans some further insight into their plans.
If the board falls how Dallas wants it, the offensive line will be their target in the first round.
Wide Receiver is not a focus
While the Cowboys leaked top-30 visit list shows us their interest in running backs and offensive linemen, it shows the opposite when it comes to wide receivers.
Right now, Dallas is visiting with just one receiver in this year's draft.
Western Kentucky's Malachi Corley, a second-round prospect, is the lone wideout visiting with the Cowboys.
Malachi Corley would be a dream fit for the Cowboys in Round 2. https://t.co/VUcFotwJyY
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) April 3, 2024
With Dallas's heavy focus on some of their other top needs, it seems like they are comfortable using former 3rd-round pick, Jalen Tolbert, as their WR3 in 2024.
That spells trouble for the Cowboys offense, because we have seen that show before.
Dallas has frequently given Quarterback Dak Prescott a “wide receiver by committee” offense, and it has never worked out.
While the Houston Texans add All-Pro Stefon Diggs for their franchise QB, the other Texas team is sitting back and letting Tolbert, a player with two career touchdowns, start on an “all-in” offense.
The truth is, Dallas might not have a choice but to let wide receiver remain a major weakness.
Their free agency disaster left countless holes on the roster, and with limited draft capital, it seems they are focusing elsewhere this time around.
The Cowboys' draft strategy is centered around offensive linemen, running backs, and linebackers.
Wide receiver and other key needs seem to be getting left in the dust by the front office.
