Veteran cornerback joins Dallas, freeing them from a first-round defensive back draft necessity. But will they still pick one?
FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys, to their credit, have used this offseason to in a sense make a massive concession to what was wrong with their defense in 2025.
With new coordinator Christian Parker at the helm, the Cowboys have gotten him some good, quality players to help bring his vision to life.
And so added to the secondary - a problem spot for a unit that last year was the NFL's worst - are "outside'' free agents Jalen Thompson, Cobie Durant and P.J. Locke. ... all three of them with starting experience on their resumes.
Of course, more is needed. And on Monday the Cowboys got another DB, in-house cornerback Corey Ballentine, under contract.
Ballentine, 29, is a former Giants sixth-round pick who has bounced around the league but who last year for Dallas played in five games, with 47 snaps on special teams and 23 snaps on defense.
That doesn't mean everything is fixed. But what the Cowboys have done is remove themselves from the NFL Draft's now removed themselves from the "Have To" Club at corner.
In other words, Dallas doesn't "have to" draft a corner in the first round.
Of course, it still could, with LSU's Mansoor Delane being mocked to Dallas repeatedly.
What if Ohio State safety Caleb Downs slips to pick No. 12?
What if Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy uses his Pro Day to show he's healthy enough to merit being chosen there?
What about at pick No. 20, where Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman, Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Clemson corner Aveeon Terrell and Tennessee corner Colton Hood could all be in play?
Colleague Marcus Mosher has given his thoughts on Hood.
"The Cowboys generally like cornerback prospects with arms over 31” and speeds below 4.45," Mosher wrote. "That has been the case under Will McClay over the last decade, and it likely won’t change with the hiring of Christian Parker.
"Adding more competition and athleticism to the group certainly wouldn’t hurt, and Hood’s physical style and ability to tackle would be a breath of fresh air in Dallas."
Competition and depth are desperately needed in that secondary.
Mosher did state that going after Hood in the first round at No. 20 would be a "reach," and he has a second-round grade on Colton. Also, Mosher questioned the fit of Hood, who is an outside corner, with Dallas already having players who fit that mold.
But depending on how the draft board falls, the Cowboys could be in a position to further reinforce the secondary.
If Delane is there at No. 12, we're betting that's the pinpointed guy. ... and maybe he steps right in as a starter opposite DaRon Bland with promising youngster Shavon Revel rotating in.
But ideally, due to their free agency dealings, Dallas will be drafting a player like this via a position of strength rather than one of desperate need.