2015 NFL Draft: Cowboys Stay At 27, Take Cornerback Byron Jones

The 2015 NFL Draft was surprisingly uneventful, with only a couple of trades before the Dallas Cowboys got to their pick at number 27. They got a player that they were very interested in, taking cornerback Byron Jones from Connecticut.

This was a player that many of us here at Blogging The Boys were really hoping for. Cornerback was one of the top three needs for Dallas, along with pass rusher and running back. And Jones was a top 20 player on many draft boards, including the one at CBS Sports. As Bob Sturm put it in his scouting report on Jones:

There are many solid corners in this draft, but you don't have to go very far down that list to find this guy.  He only played 7 games in 2014, but 43 college games overall tell you that he has plenty of experience at the position and looks the part of a 1st-2nd round pick.

He was not only good in the video of his play, he was an absolute monster at the combine, setting a world record in the broad jump. He was also the overall top performer in several other drills. At 6'1" and 199, he has the size that you need to play against the big, physical receivers that are all over the league. He did miss five games due to surgery in 2014, but passed his physical with no problems. Additionally, he is a converted safety, which gives the Cowboys some real options in how they use him. This may also put some pressure on Orlando Scandrick to start attending the voluntary workouts, since now the Cowboys are not quite as dependent on him as they were before getting Jones.

The draft really played into Dallas' hands, with other players they liked such as DE Randy Gregory and ILB Eric Kendricks also still available when they went on the clock. They did see another very desirable player, DE Bud Dupree, go to the Steelers. The top two running backs, Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon, both went early, showing the position is not as devalued as we think. But some minor runs on offensive linemen and wide receivers helped Dallas find good help on the defensive side of the ball.

This is certainly a pick that falls right into what Dallas needs. He was the best cornerback left on the board. This is a very good looking pick for Dallas. Given what they were facing, the war room made just about the best pick they could, at least in my opinion. So what do you think?