Most of us think the Cowboys will be taking two defensive players in the first-round of the NFL Draft...but what if they don't?
Such is the Dallas Cowboys' need to overhaul the woeful defense for new coordinator Christian Parker; most think it's a forgone conclusion that the franchise's first two-round picks will be used on defensive players.
That's a sound line of thought.
Dallas needs help on every level of the defense, despite the free agency additions, and such is the talent level for the Cowboys, starters and depth pieces have to be acquired in the draft.
But as many have mentioned so often in the past month, with all of the focus on defensive players, can the Cowboys overlook an offensive player in the first-round?
Dak Prescott and the offense were elite last season, and with the entire unit returning for 2026 (we hope George Pickens), there is every reason to believe Dallas will once again have one of the best offenses in football.
So that line of thought is sound. Go defense because the offense doesn't need any glaring fixes.
But ESPN's Todd Archer was asked if Dallas was definitely going defense in the draft.
“Definitely? With Jerry Jones? Nothing is definite,” Archer wrote. “The Cowboys know they must address the defense, and the best way to do that is with their two first-round picks. They must find a linebacker, cornerback and pass rusher in this draft. But the Cowboys had similar defensive needs in 2020 and ended up with receiver CeeDee Lamb in Round 1.
"He was a top-10-graded player on their board and too much of a "blinking light" to pass up at No. 17. That's the only scenario where the Cowboys go with an offensive player at either No. 12 or 20.”
As our Mike Fisher has often stated, going BPA (best player available) should be the approach in the draft.
If you don't need a safety but the next Darren Woodson is on the board and the best available player, you take him.
As Archer wrote, that happened with CeeDee Lamb, and that draft selection has worked out rather well. So while most think the Cowboys should go defense in the first-round, depending on how the draft board falls, don't discount an offensive player being taken.
Brian Schottenheimer stated the team can draft "pure," meaning BPA, so time will tell how the Cowboys approach what is a hugely important draft, particularly in the first-round.
Just don't put all your eggs in that defensive basket...yet.