Since the Dallas Cowboys are selecting 19th overall in the 2018 draft, they will to a large degree be at the mercy of the board when it comes time to make their pick. With most of the top prospects likely already off the board, they may have no choice but to settle for a player that will likely disappoint the majority of Cowboy fans. On the other hand there is always the possibility that a big time prospect that the Cowboys covet, such as Vita Vea (Washington), will slide down the board and fall into their lap. In order for such a scenario to occur certain players would have to be drafted first that would push some of those target players down the draft board. Cowboy fans are hoping that all 5 top QB prospects (Sam Darnold USC, Josh Rosen UCLA, Josh Allen WYOMING, Baker Mayfield OKLAHOMA, and Lamar Jackson LOUISVILLE ) are selected within the top 10 picks which would leave only 13 other players to be drafted ahead of them. What other prospects should Cowboys fans be rooting for to be drafted among those 13 picks? Here are some guys I would like to see off the board before pick 19.
Running Back
The Cowboys will likely draft a running back at some point but with Ezekiel Elliott in the mix they will not be selecting one at pick #19. Aside from Saquon Barkley (Penn State), if Darius Guice (LSU), Ronald Jones (USC) or one of the Georgia backs gets selected early that would be cause for celebration in Dallas.
Wide Receiver
There is a large contingent of Cowboy fans that would love for the Cowboys to be able to snag Calvin Ridley (Alabama) with pick 19. I for one am hoping that he gets picked ahead of them and Dallas instead addresses the WR position with a 2nd or 3rd round pick. Last year 3 wide receivers were taken in the top 10. Most draft experts do not anticipate that happening again but potentially another team could have D.J Moore (Maryland), Courtland Sutton (SMU) or Christian Kirk (Texas A&M) ranked higher on their boards. Imagine if 2 wide outs were taken ahead of the Cowboys! That would be a welcome surprise for Cowboy fans that see defense as a bigger priority to address.
Offensive Line
Despite so much 1st round talent already invested on the Dallas Cowboys O-line there is certainly a need for them to address the left guard and swing tackle positions in the draft. A popular scenario at pick 19 is to select a plug and play guard like Isaiah Wynn (Georgia) or Will Hernandez (UTEP). Those two players are widely considered the 2nd and 3rd best options behind Quenton Nelson (Notre Dame). It would be ideal if at least 2 of those elite guards were gone before Dallas picks. Another interior lineman that has a chance to get picked really early is Billy Price (Ohio State). Then there is the Tackle position. It is traditionally a position that teams will reach for in the draft. If for example Mike McGlinchey (Notre Dame), Connor Williams (Texas) or Orlando Brown (Oklahoma) are coveted by a team drafting ahead of Dallas it would not be shocking to find that 2 of them are already off the board when the Cowboys are on the clock.
Cornerback
There is a saying that you can never have enough cornerbacks. True as that may seem the Cowboys have just invested heavily in that position last year and a first round pick this year would seem like overkill. Using the best player available philosophy, a valid argument exists that cornerback is the best option at pick 19 depending on how the draft plays out. This would not be the case if some of the elite cornerbacks such as Denzel Ward (Ohio State), Josh Jackson (Iowa), Jaire Alexander (Louisville) or Mike Hughes (Central Florida) impress teams drafting ahead of Dallas enough. I could envision a scenario where at least 2 of them get picked before Dallas. That could work out favorably for the Cowboys at a position of greater need like linebacker, safety or defensive tackle.
A popular mock draft pick for the Cowboys has been Maurice Hurst (Michigan) who is considered the best 3 technique prospect in the entire draft. The Cowboys do covet the 3-technique and he could be there at pick 19 but a large number of Cowboy fans would be unimpressed with this selection. Mo Hurst is an excellent football player but his lack of size and the absence of a true difference maker at the 1-technique position in Dallas are what make him an unpopular choice for Cowboys fans. If another team pulls the trigger on Hurst before the Cowboys can that would eliminate that option completely.
If the stars align and some of the above mentioned prospects do indeed get selected before Dallas is on the clock then Cowboy fans could be in for a real treat with the potential players available for them to choose from. Perhaps teams will pass on Vita Vea (Washington) because they may consider him a 2 down player. Maybe Roquan Smith (Georgia) tumbles down the board because of his size or Tremaine Edmunds (Virginia Tech) because he is young and a little more unpolished. Even more likely is that something will come out injury or character related about one of the top prospects that will result in a shocking draft day slide comparable to Aaron Rodgers, Warren Sapp or Laremy Tunsil. In any case, come draft day selecting 19th overall may not put the Cowboys out of range for some of the drafts premier talent.
