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Is DeMarcus Lawrence ready to break out?
Todd Archer, ESPN Dallas Cowboys reporter
IRVING, Texas -- ESPN Insider Field Yates recently offered up eight second-year players poised to break out in 2015 and he had Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence at No. 6.
Lawrence's rookie season was slowed by a broken foot suffered in training camp. He did not record a sack in seven regular-season games but he had two sacks in the Cowboys' playoff games, including the game-clinching sack against the Detroit Lions after he mistakenly turned the ball back over after a sack on the final drive.
Wrote Yates: "Athletic and explosive off the edge, Lawrence is a building block for the Dallas defense."
The Cowboys moved up to No. 34 in the second round last year to take Lawrence, giving up their second and third rounders to the Washington Redskins to get him. They felt he was the last impactful right defensive end in the draft and needed to make the big move to get him.
With the signing of Greg Hardy, the Cowboys will move Lawrence to the left side where he will compete with Jeremy Mincey, who led the Cowboys in sacks last season with six. Depending on how many games Hardy could miss with a suspension, Lawrence will see time on both sides but the Cowboys do have versatility with their defensive ends.
One of the long-held beliefs in the NFL is that a player makes his biggest jump from his rookie year to his second year. They certainly hope that's the case with Lawrence, but he's not the only second-year player they need to have a big impact.
Anthony Hitchens, a fourth-rounder last year, started 11 games at all three linebacker spots last year. The coaches credited him with 100 tackles. He has the instincts for the position as well as for game situations with two key fourth-down stops last year.
Wide receiver Devin Street caught only two passes last year as a fifth-round pick. With the loss of Dwayne Harris, he could find himself moving up a peg in the wide receiver room and gives the Cowboys cover if something were to happen to Dez Bryant or Terrance Williams. If Bryant does not sign the franchise tag and misses the offseason program, Street would get invaluable experience over the spring.
The Cowboys have two seventh rounders from 2014 who could become contributors. Ken Bishop had a strong game in the playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers and has a good blend of size, strength and athleticism to be a good fit in Rod Marinelli's scheme. Ben Gardner's rookie year never happened because of shoulder surgery. When he was picked, the Cowboys thought they were getting a steal of a player late in the draft because of his versatility.
And it's not just the draft picks that could make a jump.
Cornerback Tyler Patmon did a nice job as the fourth corner and gave the Cowboys confidence to run a dime defense. With questions at cornerback, he could find himself in the mix for the nickel spot. Quarterback Dustin Vaughan was kept on the 53-man roster as a redshirt of sorts. He will get a chance to show if he can be more than just a No. 3 quarterback this spring.
Todd Archer, ESPN Dallas Cowboys reporter
IRVING, Texas -- ESPN Insider Field Yates recently offered up eight second-year players poised to break out in 2015 and he had Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence at No. 6.
Lawrence's rookie season was slowed by a broken foot suffered in training camp. He did not record a sack in seven regular-season games but he had two sacks in the Cowboys' playoff games, including the game-clinching sack against the Detroit Lions after he mistakenly turned the ball back over after a sack on the final drive.
Wrote Yates: "Athletic and explosive off the edge, Lawrence is a building block for the Dallas defense."
The Cowboys moved up to No. 34 in the second round last year to take Lawrence, giving up their second and third rounders to the Washington Redskins to get him. They felt he was the last impactful right defensive end in the draft and needed to make the big move to get him.
With the signing of Greg Hardy, the Cowboys will move Lawrence to the left side where he will compete with Jeremy Mincey, who led the Cowboys in sacks last season with six. Depending on how many games Hardy could miss with a suspension, Lawrence will see time on both sides but the Cowboys do have versatility with their defensive ends.
One of the long-held beliefs in the NFL is that a player makes his biggest jump from his rookie year to his second year. They certainly hope that's the case with Lawrence, but he's not the only second-year player they need to have a big impact.
Anthony Hitchens, a fourth-rounder last year, started 11 games at all three linebacker spots last year. The coaches credited him with 100 tackles. He has the instincts for the position as well as for game situations with two key fourth-down stops last year.
Wide receiver Devin Street caught only two passes last year as a fifth-round pick. With the loss of Dwayne Harris, he could find himself moving up a peg in the wide receiver room and gives the Cowboys cover if something were to happen to Dez Bryant or Terrance Williams. If Bryant does not sign the franchise tag and misses the offseason program, Street would get invaluable experience over the spring.
The Cowboys have two seventh rounders from 2014 who could become contributors. Ken Bishop had a strong game in the playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers and has a good blend of size, strength and athleticism to be a good fit in Rod Marinelli's scheme. Ben Gardner's rookie year never happened because of shoulder surgery. When he was picked, the Cowboys thought they were getting a steal of a player late in the draft because of his versatility.
And it's not just the draft picks that could make a jump.
Cornerback Tyler Patmon did a nice job as the fourth corner and gave the Cowboys confidence to run a dime defense. With questions at cornerback, he could find himself in the mix for the nickel spot. Quarterback Dustin Vaughan was kept on the 53-man roster as a redshirt of sorts. He will get a chance to show if he can be more than just a No. 3 quarterback this spring.
