The Cowboys have a host of needs entering the draft, almost all are on defense...almost all.
As the NFL Draft approaches, most know that the Dallas Cowboys should be using their first-round picks on defense.
With No. 12 and No. 20 in their back pockets, the idea is that Dallas will get Christian Parker two Day 1 starters for his defense, to help push along this much-needed overhaul.
But as we have mentioned previously, with the Cowboys' desire to draft "pure", as head coach Brian Schottenheimer calls it, is offense completely off the board in the first round?
There isn't really a case to be made that the Cowboys "have" to go offense, barring the next CeeDee Lamb dropping to No. 12.
And for Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine, he's named a surprising need for every team in the NFL Draft, and when the Cowboys come up, he's oddly gone with receiver and Omar Cooper Jr. as an option.
"The prospect of the Cowboys using one of their two first-round picks on a receiver would be surprising, but it would also put the rest of the league's defenses on notice," Ballentine wrote.
"There are bigger needs on the board, but the reality is that Pickens is on the franchise tag. The Cowboys might not be able to afford keeping him long term and giving Prescott three receivers who can beat man coverage could be a cheat code to relevance."
First of all, Dallas can keep Pickens long-term. We have stated that repeatedly.
The only way I can see Dallas going this route is if Pickens is traded pre-draft, which would create a need to get CeeDee Lamb a running mate.
Or, with Dallas going BPA, all its top defensive players are off the board early, so either taking the next-best player or trading back are the options.
But picking at No. 12, odds would suggest that at least one of the Cowboys' top targets will be available.
Having a receiver as a "need" is a stretch here. With Pickens, Lamb, and Ryan Flournoy, that is a great trio for Dak Prescott. Of course, if George is no longer on the team, then taking a receiver early could be on the cards, but that is doubtful.
Still, having receiver as a "need" is a little odd, and so is the persistent notion that the Cowboys can't afford to keep Pickens. Because they can.
Defense looms as the priority in the first round, but if things go south, could the Cowboys really get Dak another weapon?
Don't rule it out.