The 2009 Dallas Cowboys needs are many! So let’s take a look at what players and positions Jerry and Stephen Jones may be looking at for the upcoming draft. First things first though, when and where will the Cowboys be drafting?
The Dallas Cowboys have plenty of picks in which to work with this year. With nine total picks (no first round pick) they have the opportunity to make some moves to get themselves up into the first round, if they have someone who they feel they have got to have. We never know what old Jerry is thinking so I am not about to dismiss this from happening, but the only way I think this happens is if B.J. Raji slips to the lower half of the first round. So if this does not take place, what do the Boys do with 19th pick of the second round?
The needs of this team as far as I am concerned are this; Safety, one who is capable of coverage and can help stuff the run, Nose Tackle, a big wide body who can plug up the middle and allow Rat to move over to end, and then as many big nasty o-line players as possible.
Nose Tackle and Safety are picks 1 and 1a however they are selected I do not care but the Cowboys must hit on these two picks! They cannot afford to muff these picks. This year’s draft is full of serviceable safeties, what it is lacking however is a lot of big run stuffing 3-4 nose tackles! The way the Cowboys get there run stuffing nose tackle is by moving up and taking Raji or they use a first day draft pick on a second day guy. The second day guy would be Ron Brace. Brace was expected to be a beast at the senior bowl, but he looked slow and timid compared to Raji. Slow off the ball and timid are not things I had envisioned for the Cowboy Nose tackle. However he may have to be the guy, and if they are going to reach on a player, this is the position to reach, because they still have Rat.
If it were left to me to make a decision on who to select with the 51st overall selection today, I would not select Brace. I believe they can get a better value with a safety at this spot and probably still be able to take Brace early in the third round. My selection would be Sean Smith out of Utah. This guy is exactly what the Boys need, he is big (6’3″ 210lbs.) very athletic (played corner in college) and is very physical. I believe he could drastically change the way other offenses are forced to attack the Dallas defense. This type of player can have a huge impact (Ed Reed, Troy P.) not that a big road grading nose tackle does not, but there is only one of those and as it stands he is out of our bracket! So why make a bad decision when you do not have to? Most years I say take the best player available, but this year I am screaming take the best player OF NEED available! That Player is Sean Smith!
