Cowboys 2016 Draft: The Star Is A Strong Attraction For Ohio State's Vonn Bell

There are plenty of fans out there who have no recollection of what it is like like to see the Cowboys win Super Bowls, and that group includes players who will be selected in this year's NFL Draft. They were at best little tykes when the Triplets hoisted the Lombardy Trophy in 1996. That does not mean that some of these talented young men did not grow up pretending to be Emmitt, Michael, or Troy in their back yards. There are still a few who dreamed of the day that they would don silver and blue before running onto the gridiron under the Texas sky.

That holds true for one player whom the Cowboys recently watched at his Pro Day. The blood in Ohio State's Vonn Bell runs blue, well most of it anyhow. Mom is a fan of an old rival who shall remain nameless. The highly rated Buckeyes safety is not shy in expressing his love for the Dallas Cowboys.

My dad's side of the family is from West Point, Mississippi, and they're big Cowboys fans. That grew to me and my brothers. I just love it ever since then. But my mom's a Steelers fan.

It doesn't really matter where I get drafted. But it would really hit me in my heart [to play for the Cowboys] -- like, I might cry.

Playing a position where the team has a need might help Bell's chances of making one of his childhood dreams come true, but some things are going to have to happen for that to take place. Right now he looks like a late first-round selection, so he is going to be out of play once Dallas goes on the clock at #4. Anything is possible. The Cowboys could trade back and opt to select him later in the first round. He might also slide just a little bit and find himself still available when the Cowboys make their second selection.

The second scenario is more likely. While Dallas could benefit from an upgrade at safety, there are bigger needs at Valley Ranch. There is some question about Bell being worthy of a first-round investment, some professional personnel guys consider him to be solid but not spectacular. His size is not ideal, especially for run support, but he does have a nose for the football. Should he find himself still on the board when the Cowboys pick with the 34th selection there is a chance that he might become a Cowboy.

Should Bell get his wish, Dallas will be getting a solid cover safety who can patrol the deep middle and also come up to cover the underneath routes  They will get a man who averaged one interception for every four games played at Ohio State. He will not be the player who will come up and be the eighth man in the box for the defense. A relative lack of size precludes that option for the safety.

"Elite cover skills for a safety. Smooth and fluid. Excellent body control and closing burst. Shows very good recovery speed when needed. Can match up against most slot WRs and TEs one-on-one. Also has outstanding range in deep zone coverage." - from Bell's ESPN Draft Profile

Vonn Bell is first and foremost a cover safety and his role will be to provide the type of help in coverage that will make the cornerbacks look better. If he were to come in and do just that, Bell would be a steal for Dallas at 34.