Making a choice, the player the Cowboys should draft at #19

It’s almost time. The draft starts tomorrow and the Cowboys hold pick #19 in the first round. So who should they take? That’s the big question, and over the period of this draft season opinions have changed. So, now that we’re on the eve of the draft, we polled the front-page writers for their final pick. We excluded guys like Roquan Smith and Derwin James who we don’t think will make it near the Cowboys. We’ve allowed Vita Vea in as a choice, although it seems somewhat unlikely that he will make it to #19, but for this exercise, we allowed him as a choice.

Here we go.

Micahel Strawn: Vita Vea. Feel he’s the missing ingredient that would transform the DL into a dominating unit. You could put premier talents (Lawrence, Irving and Vea) at three positions and you’d have quality, experienced depth. Could create a truly oppressive, attacking DL that, combined with a young secondary, could produce the best Cowboys defense in ten years.

DannyPhantom: Vita Vea. It’s always been Vea for me. I know he plays a position that the Cowboys haven’t shown interest in spending precious draft capital for, but if he’s there at 19, he’ll likely be the most talented player on my board and it probably won’t be close. There’s always a first for everything and Vita Vea is the way-a to go.

Tom Ryle: James Daniels. Will Hernandez may have a slightly higher ceiling, but I think Daniels’s floor is so high. Likely best player left for Dallas if he’s there at 19. And the Great Wall of Dallas will be intact once more.

Dave Halprin: Calvin Ridley. Watch his tape, his route-running is phenomenal. Silky smooth and never gives away what route he is running early in the pattern. He also has speed and is a threat after the catch. He has great hands. He is exactly what Dallas needs in a receiver. They say he’s small, but so was Marvin Harrison, so was Steve Smith, and so is Antonio Brown. Hurns, Ridley and Beasley would be tough to cover.

OCC: Harold Landry. Based on his 2016 tape alone, Landry would be a Top 5 pick this year. An injury slowed him down in 2017, which is why he could be available for the Cowboys at #19. The chance to get a Top 5 player at a money five position doesn’t come around often for an NFL team, and passing on Landry could eventually result in a Randy Moss-level trauma.

Michael Sisemore: D.J. Moore. Maybe receiver isn’t the consensus biggest need for this team but they need a receiving playmaker that is a threat to defenses. Moore is my best receiver in this class because he had consistent production no matter which bad QB was throwing him the ball. Now he gets Dak Prescott, it’s a match made in heaven. When Dak scrambles to his right, Moore has the vision, route smarts, and athleticism to be there nine times out of 10.

Ryan Ratty: Harold Landry. I don’t think there is a player in this draft class that is getting more disrespect than Landry. With DeMarcus Lawrence, Tyrone Crawford, and perhaps even Randy Gregory coming back in the fold, I get that defensive end is not the biggest need. But teams who compete draft off value and teams who lose draft off need. Landry fits the Cowboys’ defensive end criteria at 6-foot-2, 255 pounds. He has all of the athleticism in the world. Once he gets to work with NFL coaches, the sky really is the limit for him.

Cole Patterson: Vita Vea. I’m not sure if Vea will still be available by the time the Cowboys make their pick, but if he is, I believe he is the kind of player that can upgrade this defense in a big way. He does have his questionable moments, but when his motor is on, he’s as close as unblockable as you can be. He’s 6-foot-4 and nearly 350 pounds, has the strength to shed by offensive lineman, and can clog up the middle. Vea would also help by taking a blocker or two away from Tank and Irving. Games are won in the trenches, and Vea could give Dallas an edge that very few prospects in this draft would give them.

Who is your pick of the realistic choices at #19?