Forget need, the Dallas Cowboys should draft best player available in the 1st-round of the NFL draft

On April 25, the Dallas Cowboys will select their first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. After losing center Tyler Biadasz and left tackle Tyron Smith in free agency, a vast majority of mock drafts have the team selecting an offensive lineman with the 24th pick. It makes sense why this is the consensus among experts as the Cowboys currently have more holes on the offensive line than at any point in quarterback Dak Prescott’s career. However, the team has holes in other areas of the roster as well.

The team released WR Michael Gallup, leaving room for a selection at the position at some point in the draft. They lost DT Johnathan Hankins to the Seattle Seahawks in free agency, hurting an already weak interior presence on the defensive line. They are thin at the linebacker position, a position which newly-hired defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer values greatly. Truthfully, the Cowboys don’t have enough picks to address every need on their depth chart in this year’s draft.

While it would be inaccurate to downplay the need at offensive line for the Cowboys, they should not feel pressured to select one in the first round of the draft. The last time there was a consensus that the team would draft a position, it was the cornerback position in 2021. It felt inevitable that the team would select either cornerback Patrick Surtain II or Jaycee Horn. However, after both were selected, the team traded down and selected linebacker Micah Parsons. The front office didn’t panic and reach on the third-best cornerback in the draft simply because of need.

In fact, the Cowboys also took the best player available the year prior. In the 2020 draft, the team shocked the league when they selected WR CeeDee Lamb with the 17th pick in the draft. Experts had predicted the Cowboys would take a pass rusher leading up to the draft, but instead the Cowboys made the right selection and went with someone who would make a game-changing impact.

All this is to say that the Dallas front office should not feel pressured to take an offensive lineman in the first round just because it’s their biggest need right now. With how talented this class is at the wide receiver position, it is very possible that either LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr. or Texas WR Adonai Mitchell will be available at pick 24. The most talented player available could also be an interior defensive lineman or an edge rusher.

Regardless, the team should take the best player available and not reach on offensive line just because the positional value. If an offensive lineman falls in the draft who the Cowboys had a higher grade on than other skill positions available, the team should select him.

The Cowboys have their most success in the draft when they select the best available prospect on the board, instead of reaching on positional need. This can be seen in the 2023 draft. The Cowboys selected defensive tackle Mazi Smith in the first round of last year’s draft due to their need for an interior run defender. They selected tight end Luke Schoonmaker in the second round because they lost Dalton Schultz in free agency and believed they needed the depth. The Cowboys had one of their least efficient rookie classes this past season after they based their selections off needs and not based on who was the best player available.