Later this week, we’ll have the new crop of Dallas Cowboys rookies to come up with and discuss. One of the first things to look at will be how it affects the depth chart. There are currently 19 open roster 90 off-season spots, and some recruits won’t be guaranteed a spot when the cut comes to 53. Most UDFAs hope to make a practice squad somewhere.
For a few more days, we’ll be fiercely debating not only which players the team should go after, but what positions they should get, and when they are in the process. The first-round pick, should they stand, is the most over-analyzed, but all seven of their draft picks, UDFA signings, will be aiming to get into the depth chart. Center by location, also referred to as the room a player helps fill in meetings, here’s a look at how this happens, and how it might affect actual selections and signings.
quarterback
Obviously, the Cowboys don’t need to spend a day or two picking here, but it’s always a good idea to take a QB later round. If not, they should probably sign one in the UDFA scramble. At the very least, the new QB will compete with Will Grier for QB3. The hope is that he can push Cooper Rush to be the primary backup. Anytime in the fifth round would be a good place to get one. Let him sit behind Duck Prescott in the room and learn.
running back
Ah, now things get interesting, we must say. It is said that there is a great infatuation with Pejan Robinson if he reaches the age of 26. Many have some strong objections to this idea.
But, as wiser folks have noted, the NFL is now a two-RB league, meaning you can’t make it with just one spine advantage the way teams used to. Tony Pollard will be on top this year if he’s healthy, unless they get Robinson, in which case Pollard could return to a shifting role. But Dallas has to get a second back to share the load. It wouldn’t hurt to have someone who could counter these short yard situations with just size and strength.
So with nothing but uncertainty behind Pollard at the moment, they should be looking for it again in the first four rounds. Wait too long, and they’ll risk just having another player who doesn’t offer any real advantage over what they have now.
wide future
The Cowboys count on CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks and a healthy Michael Gallup as their starting three, which isn’t a bad situation. However, if a team is going to continue to use a lot of 11s, putting three WRs on the field, they should have four. It is a very injury prone position that no player can fill. It will also provide insurance in case Gallup doesn’t get back to where he was before his big injury in 2021.
However, this is not a strong year for wide receivers who have graduated from college. The team cannot reach anyone. There is a very real possibility that this will be Dallas eliminated within the first four rounds. Everyone formulated after that is questionable by definition. There’s a good chance they won’t get one they can count on. This is one of the biggest rooms in the squad, but that doesn’t mean a new face will stand a good chance unless they bring something good to the table.
They could use a good wide swath early on, they might not find one, have to cross their fingers that someone currently on the list will pop up, or stumble across a hidden gem.
Hope is not a strategy. What would they do if they totally sniffed WR in the draft?
tight end
Nothing is done in a vacuum. The draft resolutions are interrelated. This may be relevant for TE and WR positions.
The tight end is another situation, like the running back, that there are many who would feel sad if they took one in the first run. However, they clearly need to add a good one. Jake Ferguson was placed on first, with a Peyton Hendershot TE2. The Cowboys still like two tight final sets in certain situations, which means this is like WR and they should have three.
A key part of that equation is a new breed of tight ends, one that is more integral in the passing game and can be a deep threat as well as a possession receiver. If Dallas finds one like that, it could make up for WR’s lack of options. Plus, if they get an RB like Robinson, they’ll likely focus on incorporating RBs more into their passing game, which Pollard could do as well.
This seems to indicate that they take either a TE or an RB on day one or two of the draft, possibly both. And that makes sense. Arguably, they need to accomplish both no later than the fourth round.
offensive line
The simple way to put it is that they need a plug-and-play left guard. But if a possible day happens from a player left on their lap, they can take Tyler Smith to LG again and fix the problem that way. This is also a reminder that they are not at all reluctant to move university colleges inland.
This is the third situation to address early on, and can be a good way to get ahead of the first round. If they didn’t have one by the end of the second day, that would be worrying. If they don’t find a good prospect by the fourth round, the warning bells should go off.
defensive end
A little context here. The Cowboys went on defense two years ago, then switched to offense last season. But this may not be a year they hold back, because arguably their top four needs this year are all on offense, OL, TE, RB, and WR. One position that could have had more priority, cornerback, was handled by the trade for Stephon Gilmour.
This means that the defense may be underrepresented in this year’s draft class. This is not a bad thing. Storing the last two years seems solid.
Defensive end, or EDGE, is one position where you can never have too much talent, and if there is real value on the board anytime the Cowboys go on the clock, it would be hard to blame them for sending the name. However, with the addition of Sam Williams last year, anyone chosen for this room will have an uphill battle just getting 53, let alone getting a lot of playing time. This position can be taken anywhere in the draft, depending on how things go.
Defensive tackle
Technically, the defensive line is one room, but the Cowboys view DE and DT very differently. They love using EDGE rushers, but seem to be allergic to spending good capital on players in the middle. We shouldn’t expect this to change the draft. Jonathan Hankins has been an underrated re-signer this season, dampening his drive to draft one in the first rounds. They may be late with the delay, but they can totally let it go.
full back
This is the only defensive room that could warrant an early selection, with the depth behind Leighton Vander Esch a bit unproven. Micah Parsons is a unique case here, in that he’s as much EDGE as he is LB, but they need more when he’s chasing down two backfield players. The team hoped Damon Clarke would continue to exceed expectations when he was drafted after surgery, but they could use a good player to add here. It could be as early as the second day, but the fourth or fifth round looks better in terms of appearance.
noon corner
After Gilmour’s signature, this is a lot like DE. If the right person is around, they can pull the trigger early. However, this does not seem very likely until the third day.
safety
Again, you can cut and paste another placement reason here, in this case DT. They seem to hate investing a lot here, and they’ve been very lucky with Donovan Wilson and Jairon Kerse. If they do the first draft, they probably will in the sixth or seventh round.
specialists
Well, that’s just about kickers. With only Tristan Vizcaino on the roster, this could be something they use for a seventh-round pick. In any case, this may be a situation that they have to return to free agency by the time camp begins.
One thing to mention is that the Cowboys only have seven draft picks overall, which means some rooms won’t be welcoming any recruits this year. They also have a limited number of slots for UDFAs, so use them wisely.
Moreover, every choice after the first is influenced by who was taken before. It’s a dynamic situation. This is part of the reason why drafting is always interesting and fun sometimes.