2019 Cowboys Draft: 3 reasons why you should be excited about Miami DE Joe Jackson

After trading back twice, the Dallas Cowboys double-dipped in a different way during the 2019 NFL Draft. With their two fifth-round selections they drafted Michael Jackson and Joe Jackson, both out of Miami. Just call the round The Jackson 2 when you write it in the history books.

Miami is a program that’s still trying to return all the way to the top which is where they expect to be, but they’ve got some interesting prospects coming out under Mark Richt. New defensive end Joe Jackson is particularly interesting for the Cowboys.

Here’s why.

He accomplished a lot at Miami

It’s important to remember that Joe Jackson is a fifth-round pick. We’re not talking about somebody who’s expected to come in and contribute right away. That being said, he has a pretty impressive resume.

Jackson was Miami’s star pass rusher and that he was able to reel in over 20 sacks in his career is no small achievement. He’s a player with a higher floor than most fifth-round picks and that’s exactly what the Cowboys need at defensive end right now (because they didn’t need much else). Speaking of...

He’s already used to terrorizing the new Giants quarterback

Joe Jackson’s Miami Hurricanes took on Daniel Jones’ Duke squad when they were both in college, and it wasn’t exactly a fun night for the latter.

Does this really mean anything in the grand scheme of their new careers? Obviously not. Dallas is not Miami and the Giants are not a low-level college program, well, maybe.

Either way, it’s nice to see.

The defensive end group is now extremely potent

Think about all of the players that the Cowboys have at defensive end. The list is as strong as it’s been in some time.

• DeMarcus Lawrence (war daddy)
• Robert Quinn (war step-daddy)
• Tyrone Crawford (sort of)
• Kerry Hyder (excited)
• Taco Charlton (fingers crossed)
• Dorance Armstrong (second year!)
• Joe Jackson (promising)
• Randy Gregory (maybe)

There’s legitimate strength, average talent, good talent, and reasons to be excited. If Joe Jackson is one of the last category then you’re doing alright for yourself if you’re the Cowboys, especially with some question marks on some guys’ futures.

Joe Jackson and Dorance Armstrong are particularly exciting as they’re promising young players for Rod Marinelli to work with. The Hot Boyz may be a name that some take issue with, but the talent of the group looks strong both now and in the future.