After much anticipation the NFL draft has come and gone in the blink of an eye, bringing in a new wave of Cowboys with it. This latest draft class brings players from all across the country with different talents ready to be enhanced.
All of these guys have a long way to go before they earn that Star on the side of their helmets. Today we’ll be checking out how all 8 draft picks can contribute to this team.
Picture by: www.247sports.comTrysten Hill – UCF (DT)
Trysten is going to step into a war zone alongside Antwaun Woods and Maliek Collins for playing time. Hill brings an incredible motor that wreaks havoc down the middle for quarterbacks. His career numbers won’t speak too much volume to how disruptive he can be. An edge that Hill has is that Rod Marinelli was a big fan of his throughout the whole draft process. Marinelli constantly talks about putting pressure down the middle, and he just may have found the missing link.
Connor McGovern – Penn State (OL)
The Cowboys have 3 former first-round picks on their offensive line, and now add McGovern to the team. This was a great depth pick with McGovern’s ability to play multiple positions on the interior line. Joe Looney was crucial for the Cowboys as Fredrick missed the 2018 season, but now McGovern is here as insurance. This could also lead to a battle between Connor Williams and Connor McGovern for that left guard position. Either way having too many good offensive linemen is never a bad thing. After all, keeping the quarterback safe is a crucial part of football.
Tony Pollard – Memphis (RB/WR)
Pollard is a triple threat that will help Dallas in many different areas. He averaged over 7 yards per carry as a running back the last 2 years, as well as over 11 yards per reception as a receiver. To add on more to Pollard, he has 7 career touchdowns on special teams during his 3 years at Memphis. Dallas will greatly benefit from having a lighting bolt returning kicks for them. A position that hasn’t been much of a threat over the past few seasons.
Michael Jackson – Miami (CB)
MJ has the size and speed that Kris Richard loves in his corners. Jackson had a good career with the Hurricanes having 4 interceptions and 10 pass deflections over the past 2 seasons. With Byron Jones and Anthony Brown being on contract years, Jackson will get his shot at playing time alongside Chido Awuzie. However, his physical gameplay could get him some extra time at the safety position. One way or another, MJ will be on the 53 man roster come September.
Joe Jackson – Miami (DE)
Joe was an all-around player coming out of high school as we saw him put his talents to good use in Miami. Over the past 3 years, he’s totaled 22.5 sacks with 35 tackles for loss. His incredible strength allows him to punish linemen and get to quarterbacks almost at will. However, Jackson will have his work cut out for him as he battles it out with Armstrong and Charlton. It will be an uphill battle, so expect him to be inactive for most games if he makes the team.
Donovan Wilson – Texas A&M (S)
Wilson was known for being the guy that brings the heat. Has no fear in laying opposing players out with his strong finishes. He’s a rough project for Richard to work with, but has the ability to pick up the defense quicker than most. He’ll be in a battle with Kavon Frazier for most of training camp, and if victorious he’ll still be inactive on this team. Wilson could help down the road after being in the league a few years.
Mike Weber – Ohio State (RB)
Although Elliott has been an absolute monster in Dallas, there is always a need for running back depth. Weber found the end-zone 25 times during his time as a Buckeye and now will look to do the same in Dallas. He has outstanding vision that allows him to find holes before the defense does. He has the ability to become this team’s backup answer for Elliott. Although Pollard is listed as an RB, Weber is still a better fit at this position.
Jalen Jelks – Oregon (DL/LB)
Jelks will be a candidate to replace Damien Wilson as the outside linebacker. He played as an interior lineman for a few seasons at Oregon but made the change to LB his senior year. His time as a defensive lineman helped him with his hand speed and power. His versatility and quickness will make him ideal for special teams. In his first season, we can expect him to make the practice squad. After a couple of seasons as a pro, maybe Jelks can step into being a rotational guy.
While this draft class may not have a big impact in their first year, this has all the looks of a remarkable batch of rookies for the future. The Cowboys are a very young group of guys, that have great chemistry with each other. Having guys like Sean Lee and Dak Prescott go a long way to grooming these rookies.
Featured Image: Dallas Morning News
