It's hard to argue with the Dallas Cowboys' first-two selections in the NFL Draft. Cornerback Byron Jones gives the team a versatile athlete who can help in the secondary. Linebacker Randy Gregroy, despite his off-field concerns, gives Big D a pass-rushing force alongside Greg Hardy. But the rest of Dallas' draft prompted just a C+ grade from ESPN NFL Draft Insider Mel Kiper Jr. as he and others believe the Cowboys still have some holes to plug.
So what are those holes?
Interior Offensive Line
"This has nothing to do with Travis Frederick, Zack Martin and Ronald Leary and only a little to do with Mackenzy Bernadeau," ESPN Cowboys reporter Todd Archer wrote. "The Cowboys have a top backup in Bernadeau, but his contract is up after this year. He is more of a guard playing center. The Cowboys don't have a lot of interior linemen in the pipeline, so to speak. They have nine tackles, including their two draft picks, Chaz Green and Laurence Gibson, but only have four true interior linemen."
The Cowboys are rightly lauded for their superior offensive line play, but they experienced unusually good health upfront last year. Depth is critical, especially when you are discussing the engine that makes your team go.
Safety
"Like on the interior of the line, this has nothing to do with the starters Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox. The coaches life Jeff Heath. They could also use Jones as a safety if needed, but they want him to begin focusing solely on cornerback. Keelan Johnson is the only other safety on the roster. Finding a safety is more about helping on special teams than it is helping the defense. The Cowboys could still re-sign C.J. Spillman, who filled a decent role last season. Another possibility to keep an eye on: Former Cowboy Danny McCray. The Cowboys like to keep four safeties with their backups serving as core special teamers."
Although cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne struggled with ineffectiveness and injuries, Dallas' 28th ranked opposing completion percentage (66.5) has to fall on the shoulders of the safeties as well. Improving against the pass is a must for this team this year.
