You all have read and probably saw first hand that Dallas Cowboys made a lot of draft picks that were somewhat out of the ordinary, but now it is time to test their tactic and see first hand who out of the new crop of rookies does actually have what it takes to start the new season. The evaluation process is beginning, and Cowboys will now learn who is a day one starter and who might need some more time to grow.
We will start with defensive Lineman – Taco Charlton, Joey Ivie IV, Jordan Carrell.
If we take the positional success, we do not see what exactly can the defense do just yet, especially with the DeMarcus Lawrence who still has to play the full season at 100% health and 2016 second round pick, Jaylon Smith, who has yet to take his first snap in the NFL. It is truly unknown what this new group of men can do early on in the season but what is most certain is that, out of all them, Charlton will have the biggest spotlight on him. We think that he might compete for snaps at the right defensive end position, and if he actually turns out good, he could easily push Tyrone Crawford inside and Lawrence to the left side. Thanks to Charlton’s abilities so far he really has the most chance to make an impact early on in training camp, while Joey Ivie IV and Jordan Carrell should compete for time inside. This kind of defense is the deepest the Cowboys have had in some time, and it should in right circumstances allow them the ability to disrupt opposing offenses even better.
Next is the Defensive Back position – Jourdan Lewis, Chidobe Awuzie, Xavier Woods, Marquez White.
If we take into consideration the roster depth here then the newest additions to the secondary, Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis are bound for great things in the new season. Thanks to Cowboys’ secondary going through a major rebuild (it has been going since 2015), the team now has drafted more than enough guys at cornerback to have an increased production at that position. After years of waiting for former first round pick, Morris Claiborne to live up to his first-round selection the team now has a man that can easily replace him.
Thanks to Awuzie being a productive and healthy college player, Cowboys think there is no reason for him to miss as much time this season as Morris Claiborne so far. Also, the plus side is that Awuzie can play at more positions than Claiborne ever could, and that means that he will see the most snaps out of all the defensive backs selected by the Cowboys this year.
Lewis, on the other hand, is also an incredible cover and boundary corner who might as well feel the field very early on. The only “problem” this guy has so far is his legal matter, but if he solves this, he might even start at some point during this season. As you know, Dallas Cowboys also have a wild card in this bunch of draft picks, and it is safety Xavier Woods who might actually sneak an early starting role.
