FRISCO, Texas – Exciting as the CeeDee Lamb pick was, it may only be the starting point for the Cowboys and this 2020 NFL Draft.
As the first round wound to a close on Thursday night, it was hard not to notice just how much enticing talent was still sitting on the board.
The Cowboys got their biggest offensive need out of the way early, making Lamb the 17th overall selection. But it's easy to see that most of their remaining problem spots come on the defensive side of the ball.
Unfortunately, barring a trade the Cowboys will have to wait until pick No. 51 to make another selection. That's 18 picks that have to come off the board before they're on the clock again.
On the bright side, there's plenty of talent to hope for. So in the spirit of the 18th pick of the second round, here are 18 players that would make a ton of sense on Day 2 of the draft.
With Day 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft set to start on Friday night, the Cowboys still have plenty of talented players to choose from in the second and third rounds.
18. Devin Asiasi, TE, UCLA – The Cowboys have been linked to the athletic tight end throughout the draft process. If no viable defenders are available, perhaps they address the depth behind Blake Jarwin.
17. Jordan Elliott, DT, Missouri – Elliott played all over the line at Mizzou, which would make him a perfect complement to this pass rush.
16. Jabari Zuniga, DE, Florida – Injuries limited Zuniga's college career, but he showed impressive power and speed for the Gators.
15. Terrell Burgess, DB, Utah – The Cowboys need a cornerback and a safety, and Burgess can play both spots. He's a likely Top 100 pick and would provide solid value at two different positions.
14. Darrell Taylor, DE, Tennessee – Taylor produced 16.5 sacks in his final two seasons at Tennessee, and he could be the best edge rusher available next time the Cowboys pick.
13. Julian Okwara, DE, Notre Dame – In a thin edge rusher class, the Cowboys will need to get lucky for Okwara to fall to them.
12. Marlon Davidson, DL, Auburn – His teammate Derrick Brown gets more publicity, but Davidson proved plenty disruptive at both defensive tackle and defensive end.
11. Zack Baun, LB, Wisconsin – Baun is listed as a linebacker, but he was fantastic at producing sacks and tackles for loss at Wisconsin. If he's still around, he could give an immediate boost to the Dallas pass rush.
10. Neville Gallimore, DT, Oklahoma – Defensive tackle isn't quite as big of a need after the signings of Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe, but Gallimore would add a boost of talent to the position.
9. Jaylon Johnson, CB, Utah – Yes, another cornerback. There never seemed to be much consensus about this position group, and that feels even more obvious with a decorated talent like Johnson hanging around.
8. Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Minnesota – Winfield's 5'9 frame was always going to draw some criticism, but he is a tenacious tackler with impressive ball skills.
7. Matt Hennessy, C, Temple – If the Cowboys want to replace Travis Frederick, Hennessy is one of several options they could go with at center. He's talented enough to step in right away.
6. Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, Penn State – Gross-Matos is in the conversation with Epenesa for best remaining pass rusher. He's got good play strength and can flip between both end positions.
5. Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama – Yet another of a jumble of available cornerbacks. Diggs has rare size, but his average athleticism likely contributed to his drop.
4. A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa – Probably the best edge rusher left in this class. Epenesa's athleticism isn't elite, which is why he's still around. But he's got the strength and motor to contribute right away.
3. Grant Delpit, S, LSU – Few players have been linked to the Cowboys more than Delpit, but concerns about his tackling seemed destined to push him to Day 2. He's still a highly talented, highly versatile option in the secondary.
2. Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU – Another guy that was linked to the middle of the first round. Fulton watched seven other corners go before him on Thursday, but he's good enough to be a Day 1 starter in the NFL.
1. Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama – There was speculation McKinney could be the pick at No. 17. It's understandable. He can play both safety spots, as well as some nickel back.
