2011 Dallas Cowboys Draft Needs
Written by Jack Jones
Jerry Jones had aspirations of his Dallas Cowboys playing at home in the new Cowboys Stadium for Super Bowl XLV. Instead, after a 1-7 start in 2010, he had to make the move to fire head coach Wade Phillips and replace him with head coach Jason Garrett. He managed to post a 5-3 record as interim head man, earning himself a new contract. Garrett will get QB Tony Romo back in 2011 which means that the offense should be dynamic once again.
The defense was the biggest problem last year, and there’s too much talent on this side of the ball for the Cowboys to give up anywhere near 27.2 points per game again. Jones took a chance on Dez Bryant in the first round last April, and he certainly looks like a future star even though his season was cut short due to injury last year. ILB Sean Lee proved to be a solid second-round pick as well as he played in 14 games.
Dallas is set to have eight selections in the 2011 NFL Draft, starting with the 9th overall pick in Round 1. See who they will select with our 2011 NFL Mock Draft. I’ll preview their team needs below and provide a few good fits as well.
Top 5 Team Needs
1.) Defensive End – This position is very crucial in the 3-4 scheme that the Cowboys prefer to play. Rob Ryan is the new defensive coordinator and he’s a 3-4 disciple like his brother, Rex. DE Igor Olshansky did not play very well last year, and Marcus Spears, Jason Hatcher and Stephen Bowen were all on one-term deals last year. That makes all free agents outside of Olshansky. Spears was a very solid run defender before suffering a season-ending injury, and the Cowboys were left with little talent or depth at this position. They either need to re-sign Spears, or look to draft a 3-4 end who can set the edge, penetrate the back-field and hold his own while allowing the team’s pass rushers to get pressure. California’s Cameron Jordan and Wisconsin’s J.J. Watt are decent fits here.
2.) Offensive Line – ORT Marc Colombo is no longer a dominant force and his body is clearly breaking down. ORG Leonard Davis was benched during the season and Jones has to be feeling he may not be worth his contract. Many believe OLG Kyle Kosier may not be retained as he is a free agent. Even if all of these players end up back and in the starting line-up, the Cowboys need to add some depth here to give them competition. There’s a very good chance that Dallas targets USC’s Tyson Smith at offensive tackle with their No. 9 pick in the first round.
3.) Safety – Alan Ball and Gerald Sensabaugh were atrocious to say the least last season, and neither deserves to be back on a starter’s salary. The team is still somewhat high on Sensabaugh and would like to bring him back, but Ball may be better suited in a different role. FS Rahim Moore from UCLA is likely to be on their radar this April.
4.) Cornerback – Dallas found themselves with only three true corners on their roster for much of 2010. Plus, both Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick each took big steps back last season. Terence Newman was steady as he usually is, but he turns 33 in September. While Bryan McCann was signed off the practice squad, he likely isn’t a top-3 corner in this league. CB’s Johnny Patrick from Louisville and Brandon Hogan from West Virginia are potential targets in the later rounds.
5.) Inside Linebacker – Bradie James and Keith Brooking both struggled in 2010 as inside linebackers. Brooking wore down and his career is almost over. The team is high on last year’s second-round pick Sean Lee, who could take the place of Brooking. While smart and tough, Lee wasn’t very strong at the point of contact. The team missed badly on 2009 first-rounder Jason Williams, and that has certainly set their depth back quite a bit at inside linebacker. LSU’s Kelvin Sheppard would be a solid fit here.
Individual NFL Team Mock Drafts
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