DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys are picking No. 24 overall in Round 1 of the 2022 NFL draft. Such is the reward for finishing 12-5 and winning the NFC East.
With the Cowboys picking so late in the first round, it limits their access to impact players. What does help the Cowboys is the fact so many key roster spots are already filled, such as quarterback, left tackle, edge rusher, and cornerback.
According to NFL Network lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, who spoke with the media on a conference call on Feb. 25, if defensive coordinator Dan Quinn gets to have say in the draft once more, the Cowboys' targeting of "urgent athletes," a term Quinn and former Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff used from 2015-20 with the NFC South club, may lead to Dallas picking another linebacker in Round 1.
"They were looking for guys that were just sudden, explosive, and pretty dynamic," Jeremiah said. "Micah Parsons definitely fits the bill when you're thinking about those traits."
Aside from linebacker, Washington's Kyler Gordon is a defensive back that Jeremiah would like to see paired alongside Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs.
"Gordon from Washington is somebody I think would be a fascinating fit there because he's got the size and length that you love," Jeremiah said. "He's big time explosive. When you get to the combine he's going to jump over 40 inches. He's going to run in the 4.3s. He's a dynamic athlete. It would be fun to see him on the other side of Diggs. I think he would be a great fit there."
However, Jeremiah had the Cowboys taking Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean in his second mock draft for NFL.com.
"I believe I've had Nakobe Dean going in there in some of these mock drafts who's the definition of an urgent athlete. He might not have the big-time size that you look for, but in terms of just playing with your hair on fire and playing fast from snap to whistle, he fits that," Jeremiah said. "And then also the added bonus is you have all the intelligence and all the leadership, and I think you could take some stuff off of Parsons' plate, maybe free him up a little bit more to do some stuff off the edge. I would love to see that fit with Dan Quinn."
The last time the Cowboys went with the same position group with consecutive first-round picks was in 2005 when they took DeMarcus Ware and Marcus Spears in 2005. Both were defensive ends coming out of Troy State and LSU, although Ware was moved to outside linebacker in the Cowboys' new 3-4 scheme that season.
In a similar vein, if the Cowboys were to take Dean as their "urgent athlete," his role would be more than just playing linebacker — same as it was for Parsons during his stellar rookie season.
Would you be happy to see the Cowboys take a linebacker with their first-round pick at the NFL Draft? Share your thoughts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.
