Gosselin: Top CB might be Ramsey, but the Cowboys need to look at big playmaker

boozeman

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Gosselin: Draft's top CB might be Jalen Ramsey, but the Cowboys need to look at big playmaker, former Sooner Zack Sanchez



By Rick Gosselin , Staff Columnist Contact Rick Gosselin on Twitter: @RickGosselinDMN


INDIANAPOLIS -- All eyes were on Jalen Ramsey at the NFL scouting combine last week.

Ramsey rates as the top cornerback in the 2016 draft. After watching Ramsey, the eyes shifted to Vernon Hargreaves and Mackensie Alexander. They also project among the elite at the cornerback position.

But I had my eyes on Zack Sanchez of Oklahoma. The Cowboys should have been watching the Keller Central product as well. Sanchez does something better than the top three cornerbacks in this draft -- make plays on the football.

Ramsey didn't have an interception last season. Neither did Alexander, and Hargreaves had four. Sanchez had more interceptions than the three of them combined last season -- seven. Hargreaves had 10 career interceptions, Ramsey three and Alexander none. Sanchez had more career interceptions than the top three corners in this draft combined -- 15.


And if you're the Cowboys, you'd better find some defensive backs in this draft capable of making plays on the ball. Only one team intercepted fewer passes than the eight of the Cowboys last season, and no team forced fewer turnovers (11). That lack of takeaways was a contributing factor in the 4-12 collapse by the Cowboys in 2015.

Sanchez won't be a first-round draft pick. He may not be a second-rounder, either. But don't lose sight of his plays. There's a history of cornerbacks either with size or speed deficiencies who slid in April but wound up making plays in the fall.

Aaron Beasley intercepted 10 passes as a junior at West Virginia and 19 in his career. He slid to the third round, the 63rd overall pick of the 1996 draft, and went on to intercept 24 passes in a nine-year NFL career. Dre Bly intercepted 11 passes as a freshman at North Carolina and an ACC-record 20 in his career. He became the 41st overall pick of the 1999 draft in the second round and went on to intercept 43 passes in his 12-year career.

Dwight Smith intercepted 10 passes as a senior at Akron. He fell to the third round, the 84th overall pick of the 2001 draft. He intercepted 23 NFL passes in eight years and returned two Rich Gannon passes for touchdowns in Tampa Bay's lone Super Bowl victory. Dwight Lowery intercepted nine passes as a junior and 13 in his two-year career at San Jose State. He slid to the fourth round, the 113th overall pick in 2008, and went on to intercept 16 NFL passes in eight years.

Casey Hayward intercepted seven passes as a senior at Vanderbilt and 15 in his career. He became the 62nd overall pick of the 2012 draft and intercepted nine passes in his first four seasons with the Packers.

Beasley, Lowery and Hayward all had speed issues. Bly and Smith had size issues. Sanchez also has a size deficiency. He's tall enough at 5-11. But his slight build (185 pounds) may cause him problems against the NFL's parade of big, physical receivers such as Dez Bryant, Larry Fitzgerald and Brandon Marshall.

But you cannot discount his plays. Big plays. Sanchez intercepted A.J. McCarron in the 2014 Sugar Bowl against Alabama and DeShaun Watson in the 2015 Orange Bowl against Clemson. His interception against Tennessee last fall sealed a double-overtime victory for Oklahoma. He returned interceptions 74 yards in 2013 and 38 yards in 2015 for touchdowns against Kansas State, and another 43 yards for a score against Texas in 2014. He also had a two-interception game against TCU last November.

"I'm an instinctive guy," said Sanchez, who grew up a Cowboys fan. "I've got really good ball skills. That's the biggest part of my game."

Sanchez originally committed to Baylor, where he projected as a wide receiver. He caught 45 passes as a senior at Keller Central, averaging 22.1 yards per catch with 13 touchdowns. But he played both ways and also intercepted nine passes. He wound up signing with Oklahoma to play cornerback.

"I wanted a little bit more of a challenge, so I chose to go the corner route," Sanchez said. "Obviously it's worked out for me. A lot of people have a perception of DBs that we can't catch. I'm definitely a guy that can. I can help out a lot of teams that way, just creating turnovers."

Sanchez redshirted as a freshman, then became a three-year starter and a two-time All-Big 12 selection. He flourished in Oklahoma's matchup zone coverage scheme, breaking up 28 career passes. Like Ramsey, Hargreaves and Alexander, Sanchez chose to skip his senior season to turn pro. He needed a new challenge.

And the Cowboys could certainly use a playmaker in their secondary
-----------------------

Great point by Gosselin.

If I am Dallas, I am considering between defensive players, I value the production.

The interceptions, the forced fumbles, the TFLs, the sacks. The playmaking.

And I get as many guys as I can who have a knack for it. It was clear last year after losing Carter, Sterling Moore and Durant, the top three turnover defenders from 2014, that we had a bunch of players that just didn't produce what was needed.

Now, I am not a big fan of Sanchez. Everytime I watched him, it was feast or famine. He got burned in practically every game I watched him in. But I guess that is what comes with the big plays.

Ramsey simply does not make the plays, at least at CB.
 

boozeman

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Here are the top "playmakers" if you use the 2015 statistics:

TFL - Shaq Lawson, Kevin Dodd, Bronson Kaufusi, Jatavis Brown, Carl Nassib, Joe Schobert, Jeremy Cash, Ronald Blair
Sacks - Carl Nassib, Yannick Ngakoue, Emmanuel Ogbah, Jatavis Brown, Bronson Kaufusi, Shaq Lawson, DeForest Buckner, Kevin Dodd
FF - Carl Nassib, Sean Davis, Joe Schobert, Ian Seau, Jatavis Brown, Charles Tapper, Antwione Williams, Jeremy Cash
INTs - Zack Sanchez, Artie Burns, Tanner McEvoy, Daryl Worley, Xavien Howard, William Jackson, Karl Joseph, Tyler Matakevich, Justin Simmons, Darian Thompson

There are some names that appear more than once. I would take a harder look at those players.
 

Cotton

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Here are the top "playmakers" if you use the 2015 statistics:

TFL - Shaq Lawson, Kevin Dodd, Bronson Kaufusi, Jatavis Brown, Carl Nassib, Joe Schobert, Jeremy Cash, Ronald Blair
Sacks - Carl Nassib, Yannick Ngakoue, Emmanuel Ogbah, Jatavis Brown, Bronson Kaufusi, Shaq Lawson, DeForest Buckner, Kevin Dodd
FF - Carl Nassib, Sean Davis, Joe Schobert, Ian Seau, Jatavis Brown, Charles Tapper, Antwione Williams, Jeremy Cash
INTs - Zack Sanchez, Artie Burns, Tanner McEvoy, Daryl Worley, Xavien Howard, William Jackson, Karl Joseph, Tyler Matakevich, Justin Simmons, Darian Thompson

There are some names that appear more than once. I would take a harder look at those players.
You notice there is a name missing from those lists? Joey Bosa.
 

Plan9Misfit

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Lawson and Dodd are guys to look at.
 

ravidubey

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Best thing with CB is not to force it unless a freakshow like Peterson drops into your lap.

Just draft and churn productive guys and someone will emerge.

That doesn't apply to the DL or LB. The Meltons and McClains of the league are just band-aids and stopgaps.

Everyone who's anyone was drafted (usually high) and probably remains with the team that chose them.

So choose them.

If Buckner falls, I wet myself 3-4 or 4-3 be damned.

If we take Bosa, I can live with it.

If we trade into the middle of the 1st round and go BPA, I'm good with that too.

But don't force a CB or QB just because.
 

vince

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If we're speaking playmaker from both sides of the ball, I'd say we need to do whatever it takes to trade up and get Elliot.
 

Jiggyfly

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Best thing with CB is not to force it unless a freakshow like Peterson drops into your lap.

Just draft and churn productive guys and someone will emerge.

That doesn't apply to the DL or LB. The Meltons and McClains of the league are just band-aids and stopgaps.

Everyone who's anyone was drafted (usually high) and probably remains with the team that chose them.

So choose them.

If Buckner falls, I wet myself 3-4 or 4-3 be damned.

If we take Bosa, I can live with it.

If we trade into the middle of the 1st round and go BPA, I'm good with that too.

But don't force a CB or QB just because.
If Buckner falls?

Where do you think he is getting drafted?
 

ravidubey

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If we're speaking playmaker from both sides of the ball, I'd say we need to do whatever it takes to trade up and get Elliot.
I don't think there could be a bigger immediate impact for 2016 than Elliott.

Buckner could, Bosa maybe.

Elliott definitely will.
 

Cowboysrock55

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Talk about your home runs. A superior player in Buckner drops and Ramsey is removed as an option for Dallas.
Yep, now Bosa is a different concern. I hope we just don't like him that much but it's hard to say.
 
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