Jones quips about the Cowboys' defensive struggles, promising significant improvement as the franchise eyes key draft decisions to bolster the unit.
The Dallas Cowboys' draft strategy will be fascinating to watch play out.
With the franchise having a host of defensive needs and two first-round picks, the consensus is that both should be used on defense.
Of course, we here believe the Cowboys have to go BPA (best player available), and even coach Brian Schottenheimer stated he wants to draft "natural and pure.''
We have also thrown around the idea that if the next CeeDee Lamb or Bijan Robinson is sitting there at No. 12, the Cowboys will have a decision to make.
Still go defense, or grab the best player available.
Where is owner Jerry Jones' head at in this regard?
He's got jokes.
On offense: "If we can pick up and sustain the level we were at last year ...''
On special teams: "We have no reason to think we can't be as good as we were last year on special teams.''
On defense: "We've addressed our defense significantly ... With all of that in mind, when you are almost dead-last, you can anticipate improvement, you can anticipate improvement, and pretty good odds you'll do that.''
And he was smilin' when he said that.
What's all of that mean for the next moves?
Well, how the franchise navigates that first round is going to be must-watch television.
But the Cowboys will still have six more draft selections to fill holes on Schottenheimer's roster.
There is no second-round pick, but Dallas has a third-, fourth-, and three fifth-round picks, along with a seventh-round pick. Some of those are compensation selections.
So is it feasible to use all eight selections on defense?
Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano thinks so.
"For years in Green Bay, Rashan Gary showed that he’s more of a No. 2 edge rusher," Manzano wrote. "The Cowboys can’t afford to rely on Gary being their top option at the position. It will be critical for the team to use one of its two first-round picks on an impactful edge rusher.
"However, there are needs throughout the defense. Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea for Dallas to use all of its draft picks on defensive players."
Now, the Cowboys can't, and they likely won't, go into April's draft thinking defense no matter what. Because if they do that, and Jeremiyah Love, or Carnell Tate, is there at No. 12, then what?
But for some, given the sheer number of defensive needs (EDGE, linebacker, corner), the Cowboys should be "all-in" on drafting defense.
And that logic is sound.
However, the Cowboys can't be so set in their ways in their draft approach, and Schottenheimer hinted they won't be.
Drafting defense with their first-round picks? Yes. But after that, the Cowboys widen their lens. That's not to say using half or more of their picks on defense wouldn't be a bad thing.
The main idea here is that the Cowboys are to be fluid in how they approach the draft.
All selections on defense? That will be quite something.
Improving on being "dead-last''? That would be something as well.