The Dallas Cowboys don’t have the greatest amount of capital in the 2020 NFL draft, but they could stand to use some more. If things fall right, they may be in the perfect position to gain it by moving back in the first round.
In a draft like this year, where there seems to be several positions with an overabundance of talent, there may be more value contained in having your draft value spread among more Top 150 picks than previous years.
As Blogging The Boys pointed out, the Cowboys have 1,613 total points according to the standard draft value chart. That figure ranks in the middle of the pack, which is expected for picking 17th and it in line with the median from their previous 20 drafts. One way they could inch that number up would be to win more points in a trade-down scenario. That normally can happen in a seller’s market, which fluctuates at various points in the draft. This year, that could be the case for No. 17 if Utah State quarterback Jordan Love makes it to Dallas’ spot.
If there’s one thing that can set off a seller’s market, it’s coveting a quarterback. In this year’s draft most prognosticators (not all) feel there are three tiers of potential starting quarterbacks.
The first tier could all go in the Top 5 and almost assuredly in the Top 10. LSU’s Joe Burrow, Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa and Oregon’s Justin Herbert are seen as having the most ability to start right away. The third tier contains quarterbacks who have more of a risk associated with them, and that includes Georgia’s Jake Fromm, Washington’s Jacob Eason and Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts. Most see those players as Day 2 selections.
In the middle, in the second tier sits Love, a player with enough crazy upside to still be healthily considered a Round 1 prospect.
The Cowboys aren’t in the market for Love, but the three teams picking directly behind them could be.
Who Needs a QB
Most likely, sitting at No. 5, Miami will get a chance to choose the third of the top-tier QBs. Someone will probably jump ahead of them to take QB2, with Detroit advertising pick No. 3 is for sale. A team like the Chargers, who pick No. 6, seem like the obvious candidate though it could be anyone.
Teddy Bridgewater’s $21M salary doesn’t scream long-term commitment for Carolina. Jacksonville and Gardner Mishnew is a nice story, but they could be in the market to move up from No. 9. The Raiders at No. 12 and Tampa Bay at No. 13 remain possibilities, as do the New England Patriots who would likely have to sacrifice a lot to move that high.
But if any team jumps them, Miami may be left with the remaining quarterback and it shouldn’t be assumed they love that player enough to select them at No. 5.
In a scenario where the third quarterback gets past Miami because they take an elite prospect at another position, then that player likely doesn’t escape the Top 13.
And if that plays out, then Miami, sitting at No. 18, could be in line to make that choice for Love. And if that’s the case, then the team sitting one spot ahead of them is in prime position to hold a bit of a bidding auction.
Miami at No. 18, Las Vegas at No. 19 and Jacksonville at No. 20 could all be perfect landing spots for Love, provided none of these teams used their first first-round pick on a QB.
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