The Dallas Cowboys had their second and third round selections on Friday night. For most of them, the value of that selection and where they were chosen could not have been better for the team.
The night started with the No. 56 pick in the second round, defensive end Marshawn Kneeland. The Western Michigan product is a small school player with great growth potential.Dane Brugler The Athletic Kneeland was the fifth best defensive end and was given a first or second round grade. In the Beast Draft Guide, Brugler says:
Overall, Kneeland is still taking classes in pass-rushing techniques, but he charges into contact, shows twitchiness throughout his frame, and can beat blockers in a variety of ways. He projects as a starting base end, where his best football is yet to come.
Learning from players like DeMarcus Lawrence, who has a similar playing style to Nyland, will be of great benefit to his development in the NFL. Kneeland is already an excellent run defender and still has room to grow as a pass rusher. He may not be a full-time starter right away, but that's fine considering Lawrence, Micah Parsons, and Sam Williams are ahead of him.
Going into the third round, the Cowboys were scheduled to make two picks after trading back to the Detroit Lions in the first round. Dallas doubled down on its offensive line with the acquired third-round pitcher and drafted Cooper Beebe.
I spoke with new Cowboys IOL Cooper Beebe and he told me my new favorite term.
He loves to “get people dirty,” which basically means sending defenders into the ground.
This play against Houston was his favorite “dirt” story. pic.twitter.com/oKSgMABhkk
— Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) April 27, 2024
Zach Walchuk compared Beebe to a “thick bowl of oatmeal” in February, and he's not wrong. At just over 6-foot-3 and 322 pounds, the Kansas State product is a big man, but he has a mean attitude and athleticism for the game. DallasCowboys.com's Draft When interviewed on his show, Beebe said, “I like to drive people into the dirt,” and that shows consistently in his game.
Beebe played all over the offensive line at K-State and is projected to be a better inside player at the NFL level. Coach Brugler uses him as a guard, and the Cowboys have a feeling he could be a good interior player as well. In his post-draft press conference, head coach Mike McCarthy said Beebe will definitely be part of the competition for center this offseason.
If Beebe were to find an immediate home along the offensive line, it would likely be at center. Two days later, the Cowboys rebuilt their O-line, looking at Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, Zach Martin, and Terrence Steele in that order.
The Cowboys filled an additional defensive need with their final pick in the third round, selecting Notre Dame linebacker Marist Liufau. For The Beast, Coach Brugler had Liufau as the No. 15 linebacker, so his selection may be a little out of reach for some. But when you look at his performance and ability to defend passes at a high level, it's easy to see why the Cowboys selected him at such a high level.
A cousin of Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, Liufau has NFL pedigree and Polynesian ties to many of the players who came before him at Notre Dame. Liufau may not be rated as the best run defender, but his pass defense could be among the best in the linebacker class.
Pro Football Focus reported that Liufau has not allowed a touchdown in coverage since 2022. Mike Zimmer loves linebackers who can cover, just as he did with Eric Kendricks early in his career when he had nine interceptions in eight years in Minnesota.
Required for Day 3 – RB, DT, WR, CB
The running back position was where most fans believed the Cowboys would attack on Day 2. Some of their top targets, Jonathan Brooks and Trey Benson, were acquired as early second and third round picks, respectively. Jerry Jones said in his post-draft press conference that the draft is not yet over with the remaining picks.
Jones also praised the fact that he believes Ezekiel Elliott will remain a contender regardless of whether he fills a spot in the draft. It all depends on whether they can strike a deal with the former franchise star.
Potential running back targets could include Braylon Allen, Bucky Irving, Jalen Wright, and Ray Davis. The difficult part is that the Cowboys haven't drafted him again until the 5th round, with the 174th pick, so they've been holding out for a long time. That's 87 picks away from the last third-round pick.
Stephen Jones reiterated that future draft capital could be leveraged, given that the planned compensatory pick could be available in 2025. If Dallas trades up to the fourth round, he could give up a future pick. Who they like.
Aside from running back, defensive tackle would be the other big position of need, but space is running out at the moment. Florida Atlantic University's Evan Anderson is one of his names to circle as a possible sixth or seventh round selection. At 6-foot-3 and 356 pounds, he could be a rotation player with great size to clog up the middle.
In addition to these two positions, the Cowboys accomplished what they set out to do going into the draft. It is about filling the necessary positions with talented players to compensate for the current cashless situation. So far, they've done a great job and have four picks left on Day 3.
