FRISCO, Texas – There are 106 days until the 2021 NFL Draft in Cleveland, but the draft process is completely underway after the Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes to officially close out the College Football season.
Meanwhile, the offseason is already in full swing as the Mike McCarthy led coaching staff has a new defensive coordinator in Dan Quinn and a top-10 selection in the first round for the first time since 2016. The Draft Show spent this week breaking down the changes in the coaching staff and how the addition of Quinn could shift the thinking surrounding the 2021 draft class.
Tuesday's episode allowed Bryan Broaddus, Bucky Brooks, and David Helman to share their thoughts on the hiring and how Dan Quinn's resume, teaching ability, and personnel preferences may force the scouting department to switch gears quickly. Additionally, here are some important talking points from Tuesday's show, which you can watch here:
Cowboys Angle: Dan Quinn will develop the young pieces on defense
In order for a decorated coach like Dan Quinn to accept a coaching role with a defense that requires as much overhaul as this one does, there had to be a selling point. After finishing 28th in scoring defense and in the bottom five in yards allowed, the intriguing parts of the defense revolve around the youth moment and potential to fix the front seven. Bucky Brooks discussed how, in the past, Quinn's 'Plan D' program focused on providing extra reps, one-on-one coaching and quicker development for young players under his staff's wing. This, along with the potential position changes for Jaylon Smith and Randy Gregory, showed just a couple of the ways Quinn could overhaul the Dallas defense in a short period of time.
Greatest Debate: Does Quinn's hiring allude to a Dak Prescott signing?
Brooks brought up an interesting point about how the hiring of Dan Quinn on the defensive side of the football could be sending a message for the offensive side as well. His thought process was the Quinn addition should raise the caliber of play from a historically bad defense, to at least a middle-of-the-pack one, putting a large amount of pressure on the offensive side of the ball. If the offense were to be healthy again in 2021, they would be one of the best in the NFL as long as Dak Prescott were behind center. Bryan didn't let Bucky get very far without bringing up a crucial counterpoint that maybe it's because the goals are loftier than expected for Quinn. Instead of settling for a mid-tier defense, Quinn will provide a massive overhaul that would take the defense to a higher level and allow for the team to have success with a new quarterback. Either way, an interesting take on the decision making process around the coaching changes.
Under the Radar: Fort Worth product impressed in championship loss
Ohio State may have lost the National Championship bout with Alabama, but one of the draft prospects that raised his stock with a solid performance was linebacker Baron Browning. Browning played his prep football at Kennedale High School which sits about 12 miles from AT&T Stadium, before taking his talents to Columbus. He was first mentioned in last Thursday's preview of the title game but stole the show as the most impressive defensive player on Monday night with a strip sack of Heisman Trophy candidate Mac Jones and five tackles.
Thursday Preview: Going offensive in the first round?
The Draft Show continues Thursday at 10am as Dane Brugler, Jeff Cavanaugh, and Kevin 'KT' Turner add their input on the current events surrounding the Cowboys offseason. During the show the group plans to break down Dane's latest Mock Draft that had Dallas selecting an offensive player with the tenth overall pick.
