The 2020 Dallas Cowboys draft started out with a bang when they selected Oklahoma WR CeeDee Lamb with the 17th overall pick. They followed that up with an impressive haul of talent that ranked them among the leagues highest by virtue of draft grades given out by multiple experts. CeeDee Lamb is sure to step in right away and be the most impactful rookie of 2020 but who else will make their mark from this year’s Dallas Cowboys draft class?
CeeDee Lamb Dallas Cowboys Jersey
1. WR, CEEDEE LAMB (Pick #17)
The Dallas Cowboys were surprised that CeeDee Lamb was available with pick #17 so they declined multiple trade offers and ignored other positions of need in order to select him. While some saw this as a luxury pick, the Cowboys did address a need following the departure of Randall Cobb in free agengy. CeeDee Lamb should step right into the starting lineup and he and Amari Cooper should be able to rotate in and out of the slot in three receiver sets. Normally, it is rare for a rookie wide receiver to step in and produce in year one but in this offense and with his ability, CeeDee Lamb should get plenty of production. Lamb could also be an option as a punt returner on special teams. I fully expect the first round selection for the 2020 Dallas Cowboys draft class to be the most impactful rookie in 2020.
2. CB, TREVON DIGGS (Pick #51)
The second round pick for the 2020 Dallas Cowboys draft, CB Trevon Diggs out of Alabama, should most likely be the second most impactful rookie in this years class behind CeeDee Lamb. Diggs may not win the starting job right away but even if he doesn’t he should get plenty of opportunities to play. At the very minimum he should see the field in certain nickel and dime situations. Moreover, an injury could force Diggs into a bigger role immediately. There is also a chance that he could compete for and flat out win a starting job as a rookie with an open competition for playing time likely. Diggs will likely have some growing pains to contend with so he could be at high risk of getting targeted and burned for big plays. But, more targets mean more opportunity to make plays and Diggs is a ball hawk.
3. CB, REGGIE ROBINSON II (Pick 123)
Some experts consider the selection of Reggie Robinson II in round 4 one of the bigger steals on day 3 of the entire draft. Robinson is certainly a high upside but raw CB with elite athleticism. No one expects Robinson to be a starter in his first season with the Cowboys but he should get an opportunity to play on special teams. Mike McCarthy has made it clear that he wants to improve the special teams play and Robinson has experience there. In fact, Robinson had 4 blocked kicks during his college career. Of all the 2020 Dallas Cowboys draft picks, Robinson is the most likely to be an immediate contributor on special teams and hopefully be the Cowboys version of the Patriot Pro-Bowler Matt Slater.
The Rest
The Dallas Cowboys were very high on their 3rd round pick DT Neville Gallimore (Oklahoma). In fact, they considered drafting him in the third round. Still, Gallimore will likely be more of developmental player who could rotate in occasionally behind likley starter Gerald McCoy. The Cowboys also traded back into the 4th round to select Center Tyler Biadasz out of Wisconsin as a potential Travis Frederick replacement. Biadasz should get an opportunity to compete for starting job and could grow into a future starter but i anticipate for 2020 he will be a backup interior lineman. 5th round pick Bradlee Anae is another player who will get an opportunity to contribute at RDE but there is a log jam of players to compete with there such as Tyrone Crawford, Aldon Smith, Randy Gregory, and Dorance Armstrong. The odds to win the job outright or to become a consistent contributor are stacked against the rookie out of Utah. Lastly, the QB Ben DiNucci selected in round 7 is merely a camp arm or a developmental QB who in all likelihood will never see the field in 2020.
The 2020 Dallas Cowboys draft class is an exciting group with a lot of potential. However, it is important to temper expectations because it is extremely rare that a team can get several starters and immediate contributors in the first year of a draft class. So if CeeDee Lamb can duplicate what Randall Cobb did last season, if Trevon Diggs can make some plays in the secondary, and if Reggie Robinson can excel on special teams, the 2020 Dallas Cowboys draft class will have become a resounding success in year one.
*Photo by Brett Elliott https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/