Cowboys 2020 Draft: Eight predictions about what will happen in round one

You already know what’s happening tonight. It’s the NFL draft. What we don’t know is what the Cowboys will do with pick #17 in the first round. So let’s turn to some of the front-page writers here at BTB for some predictions.

Connor Livesay - It’s the first time in three years I don’t have a great feeling about who the Cowboys are drafting with their first pick. We do have a few names we think the team likes. K’Lavon Chaisson, CJ Henderson, Xavier McKinney, Kenneth Murray, and AJ Terrell are the five guys I think the team has zoned in on as potential candidates for the 17th overall pick. If Chaisson is there I think he is the selection, but the percentages of him being available are probably 50/50. Realistically I think it comes down to Xavier McKinney and AJ Terrell. The team may look to move back and take one these guys, but I think they’ll have a tough time finding a partner that can offer the value to make moving back worth it. Ultimately looking at their needs, AJ Terrell will likely be the Cowboys selection at 17th overall.

David Howman - Unless a player like CJ Henderson or K’Lavon Chaisson falls to them, I fully expect the Cowboys to trade down to the end of the first round. They’ve insulated themselves from needing any one position in the first round, so getting more picks to build out their roster should be the way to go. As for who they’ll target in the end of the first, I’m thinking either Cesar Ruiz or Zack Baun.

Michael Sisemore - The Cowboys are really hoping that K’Lavon Chaisson or CJ Henderson will be there but sadly they won’t. So, the Cowboys will look to bail out of 17 but I believe they won’t get the value they want in the trade. I think Dallas will have to sit and pick at 17. With that, the Cowboys take Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama.

OCC - By the time the Cowboys are on the clock, the stream of blue-chip players will likely have dried up. The only blue-chippers that might make it all the way to 17 are DT Javon Kinlaw and CB C.J. Henderson, but the odds of that happening are remote. Barring a blue-chipper, DE K’Lavon Chaisson is the likely Cowboys pick at 17. But the Cowboys could also trade down a few spots. There’s a third tier of 3 to 4 cornerbacks, all with similar grades, populating the second half of the first round. DE Yetur Gross-Matos could also be an interesting target if the Cowboys trade down, and the number one center in the draft, Cesar Ruiz, should be available in the late twenties.

Terence Watson - The Dallas Cowboys are going to get lucky in the draft and watch quarterback Justin Herbert fall to the 17th pick in the draft along with K’Lavon Chaisson, A.J. Terrell, and Trevon Diggs. That luck continues when the Patriots in need of a new heir to the Tom Brady call and are willing to trade their 23rd, 87th, and 98th picks to move up and grab Herbert. The Cowboys are able to add A.J. Terrell six picks later as well as an edge rusher and wide receiver that can help this team later in the draft.

Cole Patterson - What I think the Cowboys will do and what I want and hope they will do are two different things. I want the Cowboys to either grab one of the top three receivers that falls (if any do) or take K’Lavon Chaisson, assuming C.J. Henderson is off of the board. If all five of those options are gone, I hope that they trade back while gaining additional draft capital and still have a chance at a player that they like. What I think the team will do is reach for a defensive back that could potentially be there later - say a A.J. Terrell or Trevon Diggs. While I would not necessarily hate the player, there is better value to be had.

Matt Holleran - Draft prediction: Trade Down. For the first time in recent memory, it appears as though there are multiple avenues the Cowboys could take with their first pick in the draft. Player wise, I believe Dallas realistically has narrowed their search down to four names. C.J. Henderson, K’Lavon Chaisson, A.J. Terrell, and Xavier McKinney. Chaisson likely will be their top choice, but I think it’s about a 50/50 shot he is still on the board at pick 17. If Atlanta does not trade up and misses out on C.J. Henderson, they could snag Chaisson one pick before the Cowboys do. Ultimately, I think Henderson and Chaisson are gone by pick 17, and Dallas trades down into the mid-20s and takes Terrell or McKinney.

DannyPhantom - I think they go with K’Lavon Chaisson at 17. The Cowboys have used many different draft resources on the defensive end position over the last decade, ranging all over the place in draft capital. Of course, none of those investments would be as high as this one if they select Chaisson. It comes with risk as he’s still developing, but the athletic traits and explosiveness off the edge could end up making him the team’s top pass rusher in a few years.

Okay BTB, get on record with what you think will happen in the comments section.