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NFL Draft: Five trade back scenarios for Dallas to consider - Juwan Lee, Dallas Sports Fanatic
Trade-back scenarios are all the rage.
Trade #1
Trade: Pick 10 | Receive (From Raiders) Picks: 17, 48, 79
Draft Pick: Jaycee Horn, CB
School: South Carolina | Year: Junior
With Patrick Surtain II and Kyle Pitts off the board, Dallas elected to trade back to pick up some additional draft capital. The Raiders moved up to select Greg Newsome II out of Northwestern. Not only does Dallas get an elite athlete at pick 17, but they now have 44, 48, 75, 79 and 99 – five picks inside the top 100.
PFF’s latest mock draft shows the potential risk of a Cowboys’ trade down in round one - Matt Holleran, Blogging the Boys
How much risk goes into trading out of #10 overall?
Although it worked out for the Cowboys in 2013, for the most part, Dallas has been uninterested in moving back in round one, especially if they hold a premium pick like they do in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft. For the first time since 2016, and the second time since 2011, the Cowboys hold a top-ten pick. But, if this is the year the Cowboys decide to buck their own trend and try to acquire more picks by moving down, what could a potential deal look like?
Well, first off, there’s some serious risk involved trading out of a top-ten pick. If you trade away with a solid prospect on the board, they’ll be linked to your team for the rest of their career. You could trade away from a potential All-Pro, just to acquire more picks that could eventually add up to the level of skill that one player possesses.
You also could find yourself stuck. If you trade down and get back on the clock and aren’t in love with any available prospects, you’ll be forced to reach on a player you don’t feel is worthy of the selection. This exact scenario was demonstrated perfectly in Pro Football Focus’s latest mock draft.
PFF had these nine players, (Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, Trey Lance, Ja’Marr Chase, Kyle Pitts, Devonta Smith, Penei Sewell, and Patrick Surtain II), off the board before Dallas came on the clock. Despite missing out on Sewell, Pitts, and Surtain, the Cowboys still had offensive tackle Rashawn Slater, and cornerback Jaycee Horn as two potential selections. Instead of selecting Slater or Horn, PFF had Dallas sending pick 10 to the New England Patriots. (Note: PFF does not layout full details of trades in their mock drafts, but we can assume Dallas received pick 15 and likely 46 in the move up for a QB)
New England went ahead and selected Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, followed by Rashawn Slater, Jaycee Horn, Jaylen Waddle, and Christian Darrisaw going off the board. For the Cowboys, this is a disaster scenario. They traded away from two intriguing prospects in Slater and Horn, and now are stuck at 15 having to likely reach on a player with some issues.
In this draft, PFF has them selecting Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley, whose draft stock has really plummeted since news broke he will require back surgery. Here’s what PFF had to say about the pick.
Which side of the smokescreen are the Dallas Cowboys on? - Angel Torres, Fansided
Every draft season we always get smokescreens.
The Jimmy Johnson era of the Dallas Cowboys showed the team that was far ahead of their peers both on and off the football field. The NFL is a copycat league it is no surprise that everyone else caught up to what the Cowboys were doing.
From creating trade charts to trading away older names for younger cheaper options, the team won Super Bowls because they were ahead of the curve on most matters that were often overlooked.
The New England Patriots pushed those boundaries as far as some believe they can go according to the rulebook but there are still some tricks that teams can pull to try and force another team’s hand.
The Kyle Pitts to Dallas narrative has taken a life of its own with a report coming out that Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones is “infatuated” with the Florida tight end. There are even rumors that the Cowboys might be exploring a trade-up into that spot to draft this unicorn.
If Kyle Pitts falls to the team at ten I am in the belief that you have to take him purely because you simply cannot pass up on that kind of talent. I would by no means trade up for him unless it was a need.
Trading up for a supreme talent that you need versus supreme talent that you can live without are two totally different circumstances. I had the Cowboys selecting Pitts with the tenth overall selection in my one and only mock draft but would be perfectly happy taking cornerbacks Patrick Surtain II or Jaycee Horn.
Mailbag: Can The Cowboys Get 2 First-Round Picks? - Nick Eatman, DallasCowboys.com
Two first-round picks? The Cowboys could make it happen.
Just for fun while waiting for the draft: Do you think there’s a scenario where the Cowboys trade their second-round pick to move back into the late first round to get someone? – CHRIS KEATING / MASON, TX
Nick: I do think this is a possibility, but mainly if the Cowboys trade down in the first round with the 10th pick. That’s really the only scenario I see where this happens. If they traded down from 10, let’s say a handful of spots to 15 and picked up a second or third in the process. That’s the pick, along with your original second-round pick, you use to get yourself back into the first round. If they don’t add another pick along the way, then I’m not really seeing a scenario that gets them into the first round again – UNLESS – the Cowboys are willing to part with a player. But I don’t really see that happening either.
Film room: 3 cornerbacks the Dallas Cowboys should consider after Round 1 of the 2021 NFL draft - John Owning, Dallas Morning News
Corner names you need to know for 44 and 75.
Benjamin St-Juste, Minnesota
There are a lot of tall and long cornerbacks in the 2021 draft, but Minnesota’s Benjamin St-Juste is certainly one of the most intriguing.
Measuring in at 6-3, 202 pounds with 32 5/8-inch arms, St-Juste is a true anomaly, and not just because of his size — it’s his impressive mobility at that size. St-Juste isn’t blessed with track-like deep speed, but he does have the flexibility, agility and change-of-direction ability of a much smaller corner.
St-Juste running a 6.63-second three-cone at his size is one of the most impressive feats in the entire class, and it shows up on tape. St-Juste routinely makes fluid transitions to stay connected to receivers in coverage.
While St-Juste has solid tape, he really helped himself at the Senior Bowl, where he displayed the ability to hang with top competition in man coverage. St-Juste led all cornerbacks with four forced incompletions (interceptions plus pass breakups) during one-on-one receiver/corner coverage drills in practice (which are heavily tilted in the receiver’s favor), according Pro Football Focus. After showing well during practices, St-Juste carried his effectiveness over into the game, where he allowed zero catches on two targets with one pass breakup in 46 snaps.
Cowboys NFL Draft Targets: DL Milton Williams - Mathew Lenix, Inside the Star
Could Milton Williams be a day two defensive tackle target for the Cowboys?
The Dallas Cowboys have a high-powered offense. Now, their focus in the upcoming NFL Draft will be to upgrade a defensive unit that was in the bottom third of the league in 2020 and gave up the most points in history (473).
An area that the Cowboys need to improve the most is the defensive tackle position. Neville Gallimore and Trysten Hill have immense potential. Antwaun Woods and Brent Urban provide a solid veteran presence, but the Cowboys need more.
Louisiana Tech Defensive Tackle Milton Williams is an interesting name to watch on Day 2 of the draft for the Cowboys.
Williams scouting report via The Draft Network
“Louisiana Tech EDGE Milton Williams was productive over the last two seasons for the Bulldogs, where he racked up 104 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks over that span. Louisiana Tech played him both as a 5-technique and occasionally on the interior. I believe his best chance in the NFL comes in a defense that gives him opportunities to play on the edge on early downs with chances to rush from interior gaps on long and late downs. He is a terrific run defender that processes well, plays with extension, and has good power at the point of attack. As a pass rusher, Williams keeps his hands engaged and relentlessly competes to clear contact. He has good twitch in his upper body and the agility needed to get around the edges of blockers. Williams has a chance to factor into the defensive line rotation early in his NFL career with the upside to command a majority of the snaps as he develops.”
Report: Dallas Cowboys no longer interested in free agent LB K.J. Wright - Jonathan Warner, NBC Sports
It was fun while it lasted.
One key competitor that was in the running to try and snag free-agent linebacker K.J. Wright has made it clear they won’t move forward in the process.
According to Mike Fisher, the Cowboys have told Wright’s agent that they are not interested in the 31-year-old veteran.
Wright, in the past, has told CowboysSI.com that “it’s one of the teams he fits in with,” since former Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is now with the Cowboys.
Sadly, for Wright, Dallas didn’t think the fit was there between them.
Wright has spent his entire nine-year career with the Seahawks. Last season, he had a solid outing with 86 tackles, 2.0 sacks, and an interception.
Even with his age, he still provides a solid defensive presence with the Seahawks.
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