The Dallas Cowboys were going to do whatever it took to leave round one with Caleb Downs.
For the first time, the NFL extended its content inside the war room of a select few of the NFL teams. They had cameras inside the draft rooms of the Cleveland Browns, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Las Vegas Raiders for a show called "The Pick Is In."
The content that surfaced from the show is incredible, as it showed how each team operated when they were on the clock.
It was fascinating to see and to watch, with one of the main takeaways being how hard the Cowboys were going to go after former Ohio State Buckeye Caleb Downs.
Ohio State fans know exactly why the Cowboys would want Downs. They may not have been as privy to how much they needed Downs to be on their roster.
The Cowboys' Achilles heel over the last half-decade has been their defense. Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense have been one of the best in the NFL for a long time, but they have nothing to show for it.
Year after year, the Cowboys have come up short thanks to having a bottom-tier defense in the league. Stephen Jones and the Cowboys front office were on a mission to change all of that.
The first time that Dallas appeared on the show was when the Browns came up on the clock at pick number six. They had poked around but did not have an overly serious offer on the table to jump up to pick number six.
Cleveland wanted to stay ahead of the New York Giants, who were also in the tackles market.
If at first you don't succeed, try again. When the Browns were up again at pick number nine, Jones was on the phone with Andrew Berry, trying to strike a deal. They offered a double first-round pick swap, and when that was declined, Jones threw in a fifth-round pick.
That also didn't move the needle for Cleveland. The Browns stayed at nine and picked while the Cowboys were left at 12.
That wouldn't last very long. The Miami Dolphins came up on the clock with pick number 11, and the Cowboys had a decision to make. They either stayed put at 12 and risked losing Downs, or came to a deal to ensure that they would get him.
They executed the ladder, and the front office couldn't have been more thrilled. Jerry Jone spoke after the pick and basically said they were fairly certain the Dolphins were not taking Downs, but they needed to ensure no one would jump Dallas to get him.
The Cowboys sent the 12th and two fifth round picks to move up and get Downs.
They got their guy, and they knew they were not leaving that first round with anyone other than former Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs.
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