The Dallas Cowboys are good at the NFL Draft. This is a fact. Betting on themselves this offseason to turn over a secondary that lost Morris Claiborne, Brandon Carr, J.J. Wilcox, and Barry Church to free agency, the Cowboys began to do just that last night by drafting Colorado CB Chidobie Awuzie in the second round and Michigan CB Jourdan Lewis in the third.
While Lewis will be limited slightly due to his height, he does have the ability to play both in the slot and on the outside in a Rod Marinelli defense that needs positoinal flexibility, Chidobe Awuzie can thrive almost anywhere in the Cowboys secondary – with his new Head Coach Jason Garrett not committing yet to where Awuzie will begin with America’s Team.
Jason Garrett says Chidobe Awuzie can play outside CB, nickel & safety. Haven't discussed where to start him out.
— David Helman (@davidhelman_) April 29, 2017
Awuzie played both cornerback and safety over his four years at Colorado, showing off the same ball skills and elite instincts at both positions. Chidobie Awuzie defended 39 passes over these four seasons, adding five forced fumbles and three interceptions.
Not too long ago, in 2015, the Cowboys added versatile UCONN safety Byron Jones – seeing immediate results in the secondary as Jones has excelled and found a home at free safety while being ready to walk down at CB.
Drafting another player with this versatility will have great results for the Dallas Cowboys passing defense in 2017 and beyond, and Awuzie is more than ready to go:
Even more athletic talent remains on the board at CB and S in this 2017 NFL Draft, and the Cowboys aren’t done just yet with one selection in the fourth, one in the sixth, and two in the seventh.
Inside The Star will keep you covered through the third and final day of this draft.