The Dallas Cowboys have one of the highest picks in the 2016 NFL Draft then they have had in more than a decade. This means one of two things: they will either draft for the future or add the pieces to help this team win now. The Cowboys are currently coming off of an abysmal 4-12 record after they saw franchise quarterback Tony Romo and superstar wide receiver Dez Bryant go down with injuries.
Dallas saw two players leave the field and the rest of the team had no one to lean on. Sure a solid backup quarterback would've been fantastic, but that may not be the answer to winning during a normal year. Romo took to bad/awkward hits and broke his collarbone twice, so some talk about his fragility will occur, but this is the same guy who punctured his lung in a game against the Washington Redskins and continued to play.
Romo may be getting older, but he is only getting better. Drafting a quarterback with the fourth overall pick while you have a guy at Romo's level in terms of production would pretty much ensure that Romo never wins an NFL title. The problem with this team comes from both sides of the ball, and it is a lack of leadership and playmakers that really defeats this team when Romo is not on the field.
Greg Hardy was supposed to become that playmaker along the defensive line but faltered, and Byron Jones did a fantastic job of becoming a playmaker in his rookie season in the NFL. So they got half of that equation right - they drafted a key player in an area of need in addition to picking up a troubled but presumably effective pass rusher.
This season, things should be a bit different. Hardy is gone and the door for his return closed as soon as the Cowboys brought in Jason Jones for an interview. Dallas will have nine picks in the draft and most of them will go to solidifying this defense. The key areas on offense that need to be addressed are wide receiver and running back. Sure Dallas added running back Alfred Morris in free agency, but he may not be enough of a difference maker for this running game.
Morris is only signed to a two-year deal, so it is imperative that the Cowboys find the future of this running game. Finding another wide receiver who can be as effective as a No. 1 target is a must as Terrance Williams is more of a No. 3 wide receiver than he is the second best player at the position. The Cowboys must draft soundly and fulfill a large portion of their needs prior to taking the field in 2016 and a lot of what they do in this draft could say volumes about where they believe they are headed in the future.
