The Dallas Cowboys shouldn't hesitate and they shouldn't waffle. There should be no reluctance or apprehension on their part. The choice is an obvious one: they should select Ohio State defensive lineman Joey Bosa if he's available with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
I know that a large segment of Cowboys fans are clamoring for a quarterback in the first round, and after the debacle that was the 2015 season, I can't blame them. Long-term thinking for life after Tony Romo, 35, isn't a bad idea at all. But neither Carson Wentz nor Jared Goff is a slam dunk; they're not nearly as highly rated as Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota were last year. Why not take a draft-and-develop approach with a later pick? Brock Osweiler (second round), Derek Carr (second), Andy Dalton (second) and Kirk Cousins (fourth) are all now starting QBs. Dallas could follow a similar path.
And they should. With a healthy Romo, the NFL's best offensive line and a laughably weak division, the Cowboys have a clearer path to the post-season than Dorothy's yellow brick road. Their time is now, which is why they should select a player who can provide an immediate impact.
Dallas finished last season with the eighth-fewest sacks (31.0) in the league, and their cupboard of pass-rushers is looking remarkably bare. Greg Hardy is a free agent who won't be returning in 2016. Ditto for Jack Crawford and Jeremy Mincey. DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory, second-rounders from the past two drafts, didn't record a single sack as rookies. Free agent Chris Long announced yesterday that he's signing with the New England Patriots.
What other options are there?
Bosa recorded 26.0 sacks in 38 games at OSU, including 13.5 in the 2014 season. He also forced five fumbles over the last two years. Bosa is a big, strong playmaker who can beat tackles with active hands and improved dramatically against the run this past year. He's got the physical tools and high motor to be a more consistent version of Ryan Kerrigan.
No, he won't ever put up J.J. Watt numbers. But under defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, Bosa could develop into a low-double digit sack guy who wreaks havoc on opposing backfields. That's something that the Cowboys desperately need right now.
Follow Brandon Katz on Twitter at @Great_Katzby
