FRISCO, Texas – With so many questions to answer, this series takes a look at each position on the roster and what choices face the front office in 2021.
We'll finish up our cornerback evaluation with a very-early look at what April's NFL Draft might hold.
Possible Draft Options At CB?
The Cowboys aren't yet close to constructing their draft board, and free agency comes first, so anything that happens in late April is pure speculation at this point.
But with two of their top four cornerbacks set to be free agents, there's little question the Cowboys will look to the draft — possibly early and many times over the three-day period -- to help their defense after allowing the most points in franchise history during the 2020 season.
The Cowboys hold the 10th overall pick. They've drafted a cornerback in the top 10 only twice: Morris Claiborne sixth overall in 2012 and Terence Newman fifth overall in 2003. Newman was a solid nine-year starter in Dallas; Claiborne battled injuries over five seasons before moving on to the Jets.
This year's cornerback class isn't necessarily deep, but there's a lot of talent at the top. Alabama's Patrick Surtain II and Virginia Tech's Caleb Farley have been popular mock draft picks for Dallas at 10. South Carolina's Jaycee Horn and Georgia's Tyson Campbell are also getting first-round buzz.
Whomever the Cowboys add at the position, they'll be working with a revamped staff in the secondary. The club recently hired Joe Whitt Jr. as new secondary/defensive passing game coordinator. Whitt has a track record developing cornerbacks. Sam Shields and Tramon Williams became Pro Bowlers when Witt and Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy were in Green Bay.
