The Dallas Cowboys are on a short-list of teams in contention for a Super Bowl next season. But even the ‘Boys have some roster holes to fill through the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Cowboys are set at QB with Dak Prescott, and they’ve got a trusted WR1 in CeeDee Lamb. They even bolstered their pass catching depth by trading for Brandin Cooks.
Another hole in the roster was CB before Dallas acquired Stephon Gilmore. Add the various deals made with returning players like Leighton Vander Esch and Donovan Wilson, and the Cowboys have a pretty loaded roster going into 2023.
But it’s not perfect, and the NFL Draft provides opportunities to fix that.
The Cowboys Could Select A Tight End
Just last season, the Cowboys drafted a pair of TEs in Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot. They got limited playing time behind Dalton Schultz, but both flashed some positive traits in 2022.
Ferguson was on the field for 40% of Dallas’ offensive snaps and snagged 19 receptions for 174 yards and two touchdowns. Hendershot took 26% of the snaps and had 11 catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns.
Not overly impressive numbers given the small workload, but fans should be excited about their growth in 2023. Despite that, the Cowboys may still look to add a TE in the draft considering Schultz’s departure from the team.
Some TEs the Cowboys could take in the draft include Dalton Kincaid from Utah and Michael Mayer from Notre Dame. They’re considered the top TE prospects this year.
However, it’s important to note the Dallas has a history of not selecting TEs in the early rounds of the draft. But with Schultz gone, we could see it happen this year.
A Robin To Tony Pollard’s Batman
In recent years, it’s been a trend across the NFL to deploy a pair of RBs rather than give one a massive workload. It’s something Dallas has done with Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott.
But now, Zeke is gone and the RBs behind Pollard leave more to be desired. You’ve got Malik Davis and Rico Dowdle who have combined for 45 carries, 185 yards and two touchdowns in their careers.
Dallas also added Ronald Jones this offseason. He’s proven to be a solid backup in previous seasons, but in 2022 Jones had just 17 carries for 70 yards and one touchdown.
So it’s possible this is a position group Dallas looks to bolster in the draft.
The top RB prospect is Texas’ Bijan Robinson, but it’s unlikely he’s still on the board when the Cowboys 26th overall pick comes up. So a trade up would be required to land him.
Other RBs to know include Jahmyr Gibbs from Alabama and Zach Charbonnet from UCLA.
Defensive End Will Soon Be A Need
The Cowboys have a strong group of edge rushers going into 2023. That includes Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler and Sam Williams.
Parsons will likely be here for the long-term unless Dallas can’t get a multi-year extension signed. But Armstrong and Fowler are both free agents at season’s end, and Lawrence will be 31-years-old when the 2023 campaign kicks off.
So Dallas should certainly start looking at more long-term options through the draft. Some players that should be around when the Cowboys draft are Nolan Smith from Georgia, Myles Murphy from Clemson and Adetomiwa Adebawore from Northwestern.
