I am seeing some mock drafts and articles linking the Cowboys to a receiver in the first round of the draft. I'm fully behind the 'Best Player Available' approach when it comes to the draft, but I can't fathom using this year's first round pick on a receiver. It just doesn't seem smart to me when there are much bigger needs, like interior offensive line. – H. MELVIN / JAMAICA, VT
David: I completely agree with you in theory – but what if the receiver available to you a No. 24 is a much better player than the guard? It sounds like bad business to draft a player purely because you have a need at the position. That's a fascinating conversation the front office needs to have. At the end of the day, I think there are bigger needs, especially when this once again looks like a very deep receiver class. I just hope they draft the best player possible and avoid reaching just because they need a guard.
Nick: I agree with you 100 percent. Right now, the Cowboys haven't allowed themselves the luxury to go BPA (Best Player Available). What they've done is put them in a position to go BNA (Best Need Available). And right now, the biggest need is the offensive line, especially guard and center. So while a WR might be nice if he falls to No. 24, I just can't help but wonder what they do at guard. Think about Connor McGovern for a second. He had a second-round grade and they got him in the third round. He had experience at both guard and center. And here we are, three years later, he's not good enough for the Cowboys to start and that's why we're talking about a need. So waiting until Friday of the draft to take a interior linemen doesn't interest me much. Has to be first round.
The way it stands right now, we should be getting a few nice compensatory picks next year. With so many holes to fill, and the feeling that this will be a deeper draft, would you use our extra fifth-round picks or maybe some of next year's picks to get more picks in the first three rounds this year? – JOHN ALFONSO / WEST HAVEN, CT
David: That's an interesting thought, and we have seen them use future picks to move around a little bit in the past – the Xavier Woods trade in 2017 comes to mind. I wouldn't rule it out, but I just want to point out that these picks decrease a lot in value as you move through the draft. Perhaps they could use a pick or two to climb a bit higher in the fourth round, or maybe even the third. But it's very unlikely we see them pull off a blockbuster without using some big-time draft capital.
Nick: I like how you're thinking, but I think I'd change the strategy just a bit. Last year, the team got plenty of young players. If you add like 8-10 more rookies this year, you're not going to have much experience. What I'd like to see is a few trades for vets. We haven't seen it much. They did get Tavon Austin that way a few years ago. But that's what I'm thinking for this year. Maybe a veteran guard who has one year left on his rookie deal. Or a veteran receiver perhaps. But that's where I could see the Cowboys using these extra picks.
