Film room: Reviewing all 8 of the Dallas Cowboys’ 2019 draft picks - John Owning, SportsDay
The 2019 NFL Draft has come and gone and Owning is breaking down what each draft pick will add to the Dallas Cowboys.
The Dallas Cowboys went defensive with their first pick in the 2019 NFL draft. Dallas selected Trysten Hill from Central Florida
Measuring in at 6-foot-3 and 308 pounds to go along with 33 3/8-inch arms, Hill possesses the ideal size to play between the B-gaps in Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli’s system.
Hill buoys his frame with impressive athleticism, boasting a strong first step, upfield burst and lateral quickness. Unlike most 300-plus pounders, Hill’s strong first step enables him to be effective when shooting gaps, which enables him to disrupt in the backfield.
At his size, Hill’s playing style is akin to a bull in a China shop, which is what Marinelli likes. Hill is an energetic defensive tackle who plays with his hair on fire, which will certainly help in Marinelli’s eyes.
Trysten Hill's footwork against the run needs a lot of work. Base narrows too consistently. He's often off balanced when engaged. Gets his feet underneath himself too much. Lead to him getting blown off the ball more than someone with his size/power should. pic.twitter.com/SzNQFdssx7
— John Owning (@JohnOwning) April 10, 2019
Dallas Cowboys: Where does rookie Connor McGovern fit in? - Nathan Jones, The Landry Hat
How does Connor McGovern fit in with the Cowboys?
The Dallas Cowboys entered the draft with no glaring needs, so the approach was to just pick the best players available. The front office decided to select Connor McGovern, a guard/center out of Penn State. McGovern was reportedly the highest rated player on the Cowboys’ board when their number was called late in the third round.
This was a questionable pick, considering that the offensive line is already one of the strongest units on the entire roster. The left tackle, right guard, and center position (most likely) are taken by Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, and Travis Frederick.
One possibility is that the Cowboys trade right tackle La’el Collins. Collins is on the last year of his contract and his set to charge $9.9 million in cap space, per Spotrac.
In this scenario, Williams would slide over to right tackle– keep in mind Williams played tackle in his college days at the University of Texas. Then, McGovern would start at left guard.
Cowboys feel like they got a steal in Jalen Jelks in the seventh - Matt Prehm, Duck Territory
Did the Cowboys get a steal in the last round of the draft? Maybe so.
Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said the former Oregon defensive end was much higher up their draft board and didn’t anticipate his availability when they came back around to draft late in the seventh round.
In four seasons at Oregon, Jelks had 155 tackles, 30 tackles for a loss and 15.5 sacks.
The Dallas Cowboys selected Jalen Jelks with the 241st pick in the 7th round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Jalen Jelks was one of four Oregon players drafted during the 2019 NFL Draft. Ugo Amadi was selected in the fourth round as a safety prospect by the Seattle Seahawks. Oregon senior outside linebacker Justin Hollins was selected shortly after Amadi was picked. The Denver Broncos selected him in the fifth round to play outside linebacker or defensive end. Just before Jalen Jelks was selected in the seventh round, the Oregon Ducks lone underclassmen entry, Dillon Mitchell, was selected in the seventh round. The Oregon wide receiver was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round.
The Cowboys wanted to add a running back behind Zeke, and they did just that. One of the two backs that Dallas selected on Saturday played with Elliott at Ohio State: Mike Weber.
The 5-10, 211-pound Weber was one of Dallas’ top 30 pre-draft national visitors. During his three seasons at Ohio State, he rushed for 2,676 yards and 24 touchdowns. He’s expected to compete for a backup role behind Elliott.
Weber calls himself a tough, downhill, one-cut runner who make defenders miss.
”Really just the whole package,” he said. “I just can’t wait to show it.”
The other back that the Cowboys added in the draft is Tony Pollard from Memphis. Barnes writes five things to know about the versatile playmaker.
He’s versatile anywhere on the field
Pollard’s not just a return specialist. There’s a reason he’s second all-time in all-purpose yards at Memphis behind DeAngelo Williams.
He was a threat as a running back or slot receiver. He scored nine rushing touchdowns, nine receiving touchdowns and finished 15th in Memphis history in receptions.
So if Elliott needs a rest or the Cowboys need another receiving option, Pollard can be used anywhere on the field. He proved he can be a solid running back by leading the Senior Bowl in rushing yards.
Spagnola: Unlocking The Key To Dak Friendly - Mickey Spagnola, The Mothership
Spagnola writes on unlocking the key to ‘Dak Friendly’.
Well, friends, you want friendly? You want to unlock that mystery? Here’s you some Dak Friendly:
Trade for Amari Cooper midseason, and now give the two an entire offseason working together.
Throw rookie receiver Michael Gallup into the deep end, allowing his dog paddle to eventually turn into freestyle before your very eyes.
Nurture raw newbie tight ends Dalton Schultz and Blake Jarwin for a year.
Sign Randall Cobb in free agency.
Re-sign Tavon Austin.
Give Allen Hurns a chance to recover from his gruesome injury.
Cross your fingers that Travis Frederick makes a full recovery.
Welcome Witten back from retirement.
Give last year’s second-round pick thrown to the wolves Connor Williams an offseason to grow stronger.
Use this this year’s third-round draft choice on Connor McGovern, an interior offensive lineman figuring to give you upgraded insurance at both guard and center with an eye to the future.
Re-sign backup swing tackle Cam Fleming, whose end results seem better than his ugly technique.
Take the rookie redshirt off last year’s sixth-round pick Cedric Wilson, adding him to the wide receiver mix.
Use this year’s fourth-round pick on versatile running back Tony Pollard, and slap my mouth if I didn’t hear COO Stephen Jones invoke the name “Alvin Kamara-like” when describing his versatility. Not only within the offense as a “space player,” according to head coach Jason Garrett, but also as a return guy, averaging 30.1 yards on kickoff returns over his three-year career at Memphis (40.0 in 2017) while taking seven of his returns to the house (four in 2017).
Cowboys add more talent to impressive list of 2019 UDFA’s - Patrik Walker, Cowboys247
The Cowboys haul at UDFA is impressive.
It’s shaping up to be a tremendously competitive training camp for the Cowboys this summer, as veterans battle with talented draft picks and UDFA’s fighting for a shot at landing on an NFL roster. They’ll first have to survive Cowboy’s rookie minicamp, which can be held between the dates of May 3 - 6 or May 10 - 13 — the formal dates to be confirmed soon.
”I think we ended up with some really good players that we still had on our board,” Stephen Jones said of the UDFA haul, via The Dallas Morning News. “As we were walking down the hallway, we were talking about how this could really be one of our better, if not the best, competitive camps that we have had in a long time.”
Let the annual hunger games begin.
The draft may be over, but there is still some talent on the free agent market. Jay Ajayi to Dallas?
RB Jay Ajayi, Dallas Cowboys
Most teams have multiple running backs they feel good about entering the 2019 season. But there are still several talented runners left on the free-agent market. One is former Miami Dolphin and Philadelphia Eagle Jay Ajayi.
In 2017, the Eagles traded for Ajayi, and he averaged 5.1 yards per carry in two seasons with Philadelphia. However, he has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career.
But as a backup, his talent is just too hard to ignore. Could a team like the Dallas Cowboys, who rely so heavily on Ezekiel Elliott, take a chance on Ajayi? That fit would make some sense as he can run in a man scheme and a zone scheme. All he would need to do is beat out rookies Tony Pollard and Mike Weber.
Expect Ajayi to join a team before training camp and make an impact in 2019.