MEL KIPERS 3 ROUNDS FOR THE COWBOYS
Dallas Cowboys
Top needs: CB, RB, DT, S
Round 1 (27) CB Byron Jones, UConn
Round 2 (60) DT Michael Bennett, Ohio St.
Round 3 (91) RB Jeremy Langford, Michigan St.
Analysis: There's already a need at cornerback -- you can't have enough if you expect to play with some leads -- and that's before we have a resolution on Brandon Carr's contract situation. Jones is one of the biggest sleepers in the draft, a cornerback with the ability to handle safety, an extraordinary athlete with very good instincts. He's also a great kid. While I want to address the defensive line, I just don't want to pass on Jones at this point. In Round 2, we get Bennett, a player with the ability to beat blockers inside and be a disruptor, and I really like the value at that point. I think Bennett has been surpassed by high-upside defensive tackles, but few players have as much quality tape as he has going back through his sophomore and junior seasons. The Cowboys have a need at running back, but what they don't need to do is spend early on a running back because it's going to be hard for a competent runner not to succeed behind the Dallas offensive line. Langford is sneaky-explosive (he's played WR and CB) and has sub-4.4 speed. While he's not a bruiser, you do need to square him up, and I think in Dallas he'll see creases and be able to break off some big runs.