The Cowboys have the 19th overall pick, one of their 10 choices, which gives them flexibility to move up or down. But Cowboys owner Jerry Jones admits he likes the way the draft is starting to fall, with four quarterbacks, at least one running back and some offensive tackles expected off the board before Dallas’ selection.
The Cowboys don’t have a need at those positions and instead are focused on receiver, linebacker, the defensive line and safety. That could have them sitting tight on the first day of the draft.
“We are positioned in the way the makeup is if a number of quarterbacks are taken, a number of running backs are taken, two or three or those offensive tackles hit,” Jones said, via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “Really as much as anything, there could be a couple of guards taken ahead of us. And it’s positioned for a situation to drop. . . . But with what is happening with a little bit of ambiguity on the number of quarterbacks and what we just talked about, there could be an active draft there in the first round.”
Coach Jason Garrett is among the team’s contingent at Alabama’s Pro Day, with receiver Calvin Ridley, defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne and linebacker Rashaan Evans as possible targets for the Cowboys. Those are positions of need.
“[There are] a lot of receivers in this draft, for instance,” Jones said. “I am not sure how many first-round receivers. But there are down-the-line receivers. That is not bad. That might work. There are certainly some linebackers there. There is some defensive talent that has a chance to drop. Therein lies your opportunity there at positions that you certainly aren’t stacked up in that you might not say is the position you are interested in. . . . Obviously, you could see that Dez Bryant dropping to you at the 20th spot.”
Bryant fell out of the top 10 to the Cowboys at No. 24 in 2010.
Jones insists he’s still ready to take chances despite the team’s relatively quiet offseason so far.
“Well, the rumors of the wildcatter’s demise have certainly been exaggerated,” Jones said. “I’m not going to but I would like to, apart from a couple of player personnel [decisions]0, I’d like to show a few other decisions that I’ve made around here, and they’ve got more hair on them then you’d ever seen. So I will take a chance. Still.”