Say Philadelphia grabs a certain running back at No. 10. Will that change the Cowboys' draft strategy so that they go after a defensive tackle at No. 26? Or influence the team to go get a stud running back as well to help balance the offense and give Dak Prescott another weapon? How much does what other teams do, particularly within the division, affect the Cowboys when it comes to the draft? – Jason Barnes/Stockbridge, GA
Patrik: No. You can bet the Cowboys, just like any other NFL team, will draft true to their board with the occasional twist created by a player falling (or not falling). Should the Eagles draft Bijan Robinson, which is who you're talking about, it won't somehow trigger Dallas into panicking and abandoning a draft strategy that is literally months in the making. Having kept Johnathan Hankins around for 2023, they're not desperate for a big-bodied run stopper but they are desperate to solve their situation at left guard, as one example, and they're also very intrigued with this class of tight ends, as another example. If Robinson ends up in Philly, so be it, but it won't create draft havoc at Cowboys headquarters.
Mickey: Don't think the Cowboys can overly worry about what other teams do in the division, otherwise you start chasing positions instead of following your board and draft strategy. Do that and you will find yourself passing up better players. Just because maybe the Eagles take Bijan Robinson doesn't automatically mean the Cowboys will want to counter a running back of their own. But they still will draft a running back no matter what. You just got to do what you do. Anything else would be a bad philosophy to have.
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