With regards to the NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys have been one of the most predictable teams in the league the past few years. It was well known that they avoided drafting Nose Tackle’s early, spending premium picks on safeties, and that they avoided players that did not fit their scheme. They also tended to prefer bigger schools and place special value on all of the following: “Hand in the dirt” 4-3 defensive ends, penetrating 3-techniques, corner’s with length, tight ends that can block, position versatility, and building their offensive line. It is unclear how much of that is owed to the front office and how much of that is coaching influence. What we do know is that the coaches did have some influence on which players were drafted as evidenced with the Travis Frederick, Taco Charlton, and Trysten Hill selections credited to Jason Garrett and Rod Marinelli respectively. Now enter Mike McCarthy who is a longtime head coach but never had a say in draft picks during his tenure in Green Bay. In Dallas, he will finally be able to put his own stamp on an NFL roster. For the first time in nearly a decade the Dallas Cowboys 2020 draft is going to be a total surprise for most fans.
The old regime under Jason Garrett fell short of their ultimate goals but most agree that the Dallas Cowboys did draft well during his tenure. Despite that general consensus, many a Cowboys fan had been frustrated with the seemingly narrow approach of selecting players that fit their scheme or positional value and therefore passing on quality players such as Juan Thornhill in 2019 or T.J Watt in 2017. This appears to be something that will not carry forward in 2020. Both Mike McCarthy and Mike Nolan have expressed that they do not intend to pass up on good football players as a result of scheme limitations. They both agree that acquiring good players and then developing a scheme that fits those players is their preferred method of coaching. Should this hold true, no longer can Cowboys fans rule out drafting a talented player because they are a tweener edge rusher, do not have the ideal size or length, or do not possess certain athletic traits or position flexibility.
Those fans who are in favor of the best player available approach versus drafting primarily for need should be encouraged by what coach McCarthy and Nolan have said. Although, it should be noted that that Mike McCarthy has made general statements that defense and special teams will be a priority. He specifically stated that special teams is an area of focus and it appears offensive and defensive players that can contribute on special teams will have additional value placed on them. In his NFL combine press conference, McCarthy stressed importance of the ability to rush the passer: “I want 6 rushers and 4 inside guys…we are going to score points so we better have enough pass rushers on our team”. Clearly from these words, McCarthy believes that the front seven’s ability to get after the quarterback is the key to winning football games. As such, I would expect that the Dallas Cowboys will place a premium on pass rushers and defensive line in both free agency and the draft. In addition to what McCarthy said, defensive coordinator Mike Nolan had previously stated that one of his goals is to be able to improve in the area of creating turnovers. I would imagine that players that have shown a knack for taking the ball away would also be in high regard for this new regime.
Based on what both Mike McCarthy and Mike Nolan have said I would then conclude the following with regards to the 2020 NFL draft. The Dallas Cowboys are generally looking to improve their team with talented players that will help them rush the passer and create turnovers. These traits and abilities will take precedence over scheme fit, size, or other measurables. The priority will be defense, the preference is players on offense and defense that can contribute on special teams also, and above all if a really good football player is available and can help the team, then the Dallas Cowboys will draft that player. That I am sure is music to the ears of a great many Cowboys fans. What remains to be seen is if this coaching staff is adept at evaluating and developing talent and the extent to which the coaches actually have a say in roster decisions. Regardless, for the first time in a long time Dallas Cowboys fans can expect the unexpected. In other words, anything goes for the Dallas Cowboys 2020 draft.
*Photo by Brett Elliott https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/