The Dallas Cowboys ranked 26th in opposing passing yards per game (251.9) last season. Cornerback Brandon Carr got off to a terrible start in 2014 and is scheduled to count $12.15 million against the salary cap in 2015. His poor play and high cost has made him a potential release candidate in Big D. The same goes for Morris Claiborne, who has struggled with injuries in his short career and failed to live up to his first-round expectations. Even if both players are still in Dallas next season, the Cowboys are sure to add a cornerback in the upcoming NFL draft.
ESPN NFL Draft Insider Mel Kiper Jr. believes that cornerback could be Wake Forest's Kevin Johnson.
"Dallas could go a few ways here, because the Cowboys have a need along the defensive line, and safety is also a question mark, but I'm not sure they need anything more than a cornerback who can play right away, and Johnson fits the profile," Kiper wrote. "A standout on a lousy team, Johnson has good length for the position and moves and mirrors as well as any cornerback in the draft. He can make man-to-man coverage look so easy at times, and he's an active run defender. It's hard to play while ahead in the NFL if you can't cover, and Dallas would do well with this pick."
Johnson, 6-0 and 188 pounds, possesses the necessary physicality, ball awareness and leaping ability to succeed at the next level. His impressed playing both up at the line and in off coverage while at Wake Forest. And, really, the Cowboys can't do either particularly well right now, so the need and fit is there.
Jerry Jones is infamous for making big moves and splashy picks in the NFL draft. But the Cowboys would be best served by going the safe, un-sexy route and taking Johnson with the 27th overall pick.
