It couldn’t have been an easy decision for the Dallas Cowboys when they got on the clock to make their first selection in the 2020 NFL Draft. They had one of their favorite defenders still available, but a wild card entered the equation.
Oklahoma WR CeeDee Lamb was still on the board and the Cowboys decided he was too good to pass up. It was an outstanding selection for the offense, but Dallas’ defense still has a lot of work to do. Heading into day two of the draft, it’s evident the Cowboys need to focus on defense to balance the team.
Here are the remaining needs for the Cowboys in the draft:
Defensive end
The Cowboys passed on taking an edge rusher in favor of Lamb. LSU edge K’Lavon Chaisson was likely to be the selection if the team went defense and it would’ve taken one of their needs off the board.
Bypassing DE means the Cowboys will have to hope DE’s Aldon Smith and Randy Gregory get reinstated to ease the pain of not getting one of their top pass rushing targets. That isn’t a given and the Cowboys really need to explore adding an edge rusher going into Round 2 and Round 3.
Cornerback
When C.J. Henderson went No. 9 to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Cowboys missed out on the top two corners in the draft. Grabbing Henderson turned into a pipe dream in the last month, and another possibility, Clemson A.J. Terrell, went to the Atlanta Falcons at pick 16 before Dallas even got on the board.
If the Cowboys don’t trade up, their next opportunity to address CB is at pick No. 51. It’s getting late early for a team that needs talent at the position.
Safety
There wasn’t a true safety drafted in the first round, which is good news for the Cowboys.
All of the options remain heading into Day 2, increasing the odds that one could make their way to Dallas. It isn’t a secret the team could use a long-term solution a safety and day two of the 2020 draft would be a good place to find one.
You can chat with or follow Ben on twitter @BenGrimaldi