Cowboys lose again, but their 2016 NFL draft prospects keep looking better
This is going to be a season the Dallas Cowboys and their fans would rather forget. But there is a bright side to finishing under .500: a top draft pick in 2016.
As of today, the Cowboys would select No. 5 in the draft, and, according to Stephen Jones, the Cowboys chief operating officer, their top need is for a quarterback.
“We probably should have done what we’ve historically done, which is go with the Kitnas, go with the Ortons, go with that type of proven backup in case something does happen to Tony,” Jones explained on DallasCowboys.com. “That’s going to be No. 1 on our list, how do we do that better in the future.”
Mock drafts have Jared Goff from California or underclassman Paxton Lynch from Memphis going to Cleveland with one of the top two picks overall, so it is possible one of them remains for the Cowboys at No. 5. But there are going to be plenty of back-up quarterbacks available in the free-agent market this offseason. That leaves Dallas open to address some of their other concerns, which Lance Zierlein, NFL Media’s draft analyst, identifies as running back, defensive tackle and linebacker.
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The Cowboys’ offensive line is built for a rushing attack, so the Cowboys might want to go find a bell cow at that spot like they had with DeMarco Murray. Tony Romo’s season-ending injury makes finding his heir apparent a much higher priority than it was when the Cowboys entered the season. Dallas did a nice job of building in the trenches on the offensive side of the ball and now they need to turn their attention to the defensive side — specifically at defensive tackle.
It’s unlikely the Cowboys use a first-round pick on a running back. The highest rated rushers, who are also seniors, project to be second- or third-round picks at best. At defensive tackle, the best prospects are seniors Jarran Reed from Alabama and Sheldon Day from Notre Dame. Neither project to be high first-round selections, either.
That leaves former UCLA linebacker Myles Jack.
Jack had 76 tackles as a freshman in 2013 and led the Bruins with 11 passes defensed. He also scored seven touchdowns as a running back that year, making him a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award as college football’s most versatile player. Jack is also the only player in the history of the Pac-12 to win offensive and defensive freshman of the year honors.
During his sophomore campaign he split time between outside linebacker (88 tackles) and running back (113 yards on 28 carries, including three touchdowns), earning second team all-Pac-12 honors.
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However, Jack suffered a season-ending knee injury at the end of September, ending his college career.
But that injury was early enough in the season it shouldn’t scare off the Cowboys at this year’s draft. Especially not for a player whose scouting report insists is “well-suited to today’s pass-happy NFL:”
He has the fluidity to cover backs and tight ends step for step and anticipates routes well, breaking free from his assignment to close quickly on the ball. Jack’s ability in coverage make him ideally suited to playing outside in a 4-3 scheme, where his lack of ideal size is mitigated.
Jack’s burst and agility make him an effective edge rusher and he doesn’t shy from contact. He shows an explosive pop on contact to break free from would-be blockers. The hand-eye coordination that makes him so effective in breaking up passes shows up in his tackling, as well, as Jack is consistently able to trip up smaller, quicker ballcarriers. Breaks down well and wraps securely for the reliable take-down with little to no yardage allowed after contact.
The game charters at Pro Football Focus agree and had Jack as their top-graded linebacker in coverage in 2014 while playing the third-most snaps in the country with 1,109.
“The rules call for you if you’ve had the season we’ve had to get an advantage in talent coming up for the next year,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said last Saturday after the 19-16 loss to the New York Jets, “and so we do have an advantage in talent to couple with a roster of really outstanding relatively young players as well as players as the right time in their careers and the right place for us on the cap, so there is a lot to do.”
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