The Big Debate: Cornerback vs. Defensive End
Before we reveal the top two, a little extra commentary about this single-biggest debate that has gone on around the Cowboys and this draft. While pass rushing was Dallas’ clear weakness in 2016, the secondary was hit hard by free agency. Cornerbacks Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr signed with new teams, as did safeties Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox.
There has been a big split between Cowboys fans about what Dallas needs most from its first-round pick. Does a dynamic pass rusher help the defense more than a shutdown corner?
In my opinion, the debate is inherently flawed because we’re talking about the 28th overall pick. This isn’t last year when we were wondering about guys like Jalen Ramsey and Joey Bosa in the Top 5 picks. The odds that anyone we take at the 28th slot will come in and be an instant game-changer are not great.
I think the best answer here lies in the depth and likelihood of available talent. Which position is more likely to be dried up by the Cowboys’ second round pick, the 60th overall? I think the need is fairly even between corner and end, so my tiebreaker comes down to what level of talent I can reasonably hope for with the second pick.
Ergo…
