The draft might be the best opportunity all year for NFL teams to change their destiny for the upcoming season and seasons to come. That’s especially true for teams with multiple first-round picks. This year, that included the Dallas Cowboys, and by all early estimations, Jerry Jones parlayed his bounty of picks into a potential contender.
FanSided’s Chris Landers named Dallas as one of six teams in the NFL that “became real contenders,” and while UCF EDGE Malachi Lawrence was an intriguing addition with the 23rd overall selection, and Penn State offensive tackle Drew Shelton could be critical depth in the trenches, the biggest reason for that jump is Caleb Downs.
Caleb Downs looks to be a transformational piece for the Dallas defense
Prior to the draft, an anonymous NFL general manager identified Downs as one of the best players on the board, telling NFL insider Jordan Schultz, "Every team that passes on Caleb Downs will be making a mistake."
Now, coming out of the draft, nine teams did pass on Downs, who went 11th overall, one pick after the New York Giants grabbed right tackle Francis Mauigoa with their second pick in the first round. Jones traded up one spot with the Miami Dolphins to select Downs, who slid to the backend of his likely range on Thursday night in Pittsburgh.
With its two first-rounders, one courtesy of last year’s Micah Parsons trade, Dallas was viewed as a team that could be itching to move up into the top 10 for one of the draft’s highly coveted edge rushers, including Arvell Reese, who fell to the Giants at No. 5. However, Jones’s patience paid off with a player who could be the best in the draft.
In terms of positional value, the safety spot is something of an afterthought, but Downs is a transformational player. An elite communicator on the back end of a defense, Downs will be an immediate floor-raiser for a Dallas defense that was a sieve last year. His ability to limit big plays will be massive for a team that could boast the best offense in the sport with Ceedee Lamb, George Pickens, and Dak Prescott.
As Landers wrote: “Dallas needed more speed up front badly, and they got just that, while adding arguably the best defensive player in the entire draft in Downs — an adult in the room who will play all over and help turn off the big-play faucet. That's tidy work for a team that's going to score in bunches next year.”
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