There has long been a tug of war between drafting for need and drafting the best player available, but where do the Cowboys sit?
NFL teams often battle with how they approach the draft, and the Dallas Cowboys are no different.
We've often discussed BPA (best player available) and BAA (best available athlete) as avenues the Cowboys should consider when building their draft board.
Also, we have seen what happens when teams draft for need when they don't have to.
We saw that with Mazi Smith.
The Cowboys desperately needed a defensive tackle to anchor the defensive line, and took Smith in the hopes that he would develop into the player they needed.
But to do it, some would say they reached, taking him with the 26th pick in the 2023 draft.
Now, Mazi is on another team as it didn't work out.
So that is a big pitfall of drafting for need and saying, regardless, when it is our turn to pick, we need a certain position.
But what about the Cowboys this year with Brian Schottenheimer running the show?
What will be their draft plan?
"You got to go best player available," Schottenheimer said. "That's part of the deal. You look at a guy like CeeDee Lamb, you're not thinking you need a receiver. He's sitting there. If you pass on him and you watch him to go on, have a great career, you can't do that.
"So, our job is to develop the guys that are on the roster. We look forward to adding pieces through free agency, but also the draft. But my opinion, I know Jerry and Stephen [Jones] feel the same way with Will [McClay], you got to pick best player available."
That's music to our ears.
We've heard our own Mike Fisher several times state that if the next Darren Woodson is there at No. 12, you take the next Darren Woodson.
It doesn't matter the positional value; some teams don't like taking running backs high or corners. If the next Bijan Robinson or Patrick Surtain II is sitting there, you select them.
The Cowboys clearly have needs at linebacker, safety, corner, and pass rusher, but one thing the franchise won't do is back itself into a corner when it comes to who they will select.
Say if Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is sitting there at No. 12, will Dallas pass?
If he's the best player available on the draft board, it shouldn't.
Best player available is the right way to go, and thankfully, Schotty is vowing that is the way Dallas will go.