In another time and place, this might have been very easy. The Dallas Cowboys use the NFL Draft, as they often do, to simply acquire the “best player available,” rather than retain free agents and fill a need.
But in 2024? The Cowboys are stymied in their free agent plans and need to fill multiple starting positions, starting with a devastated offensive line.
And “need” may be the driving force.
With Tyron Smith (Jets) and Tyler Biadasz (Commanders) hitting free agency, Dallas is in the position of having to replace Pro Bowl-caliber starters with cheap free agents and draft picks.
The Cowboys have a history of frequently hitting on draft picks (last year's class has work to do), so personnel director Will McCray and others decided to protect Dak Prescott to some degree. There is a possibility of success.
But suddenly it seems that “might” isn't enough. And the “easy way” – just choose directly from the boards created by McCray and his staff? It just might be a little more difficult.
Good news? Perhaps “necessary” and “best” go together in Oregon's Jackson Powers Johnson.
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Dallas is in a tough situation. Perhaps teams need to draft more than just a “BAA” (or, as Mike Fisher likes to call it, “best available athlete”), they need to draft to fill a position.
Oregon's outstanding team has problems. If the Cowboys pick No. 24, could he and other top-line offensive linemen be left out? It's nightmare fuel. …That said, this is certainly a deep draft when it comes to players up front.
The Cowboys need a lot of help just getting the roster back to 2023 standards, but remember it wasn't enough to win a playoff game.
Powers-Johnson will likely be the opening day starter for Dallas. It would be “easy” if things turned out that way, but what if they got an O-lineman before the 24th pick? Looking back, it's easy to see how much “hard work” the Cowboys put into free agency. Complacency you might understand.
