Cowboys draft 2023: Look for an ‘offense first’ outlook in this year’s draft

Over the last two years Dan Quinn has put his unit together. This year we could see Mike McCarthy do the same.

The anticipation around the 2023 NFL draft is high, and fans and media alike are buzzing about this weekend’s festivities. There truly is no offseason for the NFL and with it being less than a week until the draft, we are inching closer to seeing this Cowboys team round into form for real rather than through speculation and mocks.

The draft boards are set, needs are known, and with the way the Cowboys roster is constructed and the roles of the coaches being set for a while now, we can hone in on a possible strategy the Cowboys will use.

We discussed this idea on the latest episode of 1st and 10 on the Blogging The Boys podcast network. Make sure to subscribe to our network so you don’t miss any of our shows! Apple devices can subscribe here and Spotify users can subscribe here.

As we examine the Cowboys recent draft history closer, and look at the last two draft classes specifically, one thing was clear: the Cowboys were going to help Dan Quinn build his unit up, and quickly. The Cowboys hired Quinn fresh off a historically bad defensive performance under the watch of former defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. Dallas was determined to get that bad taste out of their mouths and under the recommendation of Quinn and staff, the Cowboys made 20 selections over the last two drafts with 13 being defensive players.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

The Cowboys clearly injected their defense with young talent for Dan Quinn to build with and has seen the group grow into one of the better units in football.

While analyzing tendencies, and understanding that the board is an unknown variable at this time, it’s still entirely conceivable to see the team do the same for the other side of the ball to help Mike McCarthy in a similar fashion in 2023. Whether it’s offensive line help, a new running back to have under a rookie deal, or a wide receiver to pair with CeeDee Lamb for the next four plus years, there are many ways that McCarthy can put his personal touch on this unit.

Kellen Moore is gone and it is officially McCarthy’s offense to orchestrate. While there will be similarities in this year’s version of the offense compared to years prior under Moore, we have every reason to believe that McCarthy will look to add his own flavor to the group and that starts with the draft. Like NFL great Bill Parcells once said “If they want you to cook the dinner, at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries”. This year could very well be McCarthy’s grocery trip.

Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images

McCarthy historically enjoys throwing the football and seeks out the presence of an athletic tight end thus adding fuel to the fire that the Cowboys will look to add one with pick 26. While it’s possible in round one, it may be a safe bet to at least expect a tight end to be added at some point through the weekend. Furthermore, you can never have enough quality wide receivers, and even with the addition of Brandin Cooks in the mix, it should have no impact on the organization continuing to add to the room if the opportunity presents itself.

The talent is there with cornerstone pieces in place on the offense to once again be one of the league’s best units, but the type of player they look for, or even the amount of resources they allocate to the unit, could be a real change of philosophy now compared to what we have seen from this team recently.

Look for the offense to be the focal point of the 2023 draft with this being the final touches on Mike McCarthy’s ultimate fate. Either stamping his place as the Dallas Cowboys head coach for years to come, or a piece to the puzzle that speeds up his untimely exit from the organization. Either way, the ball is in Mike McCarthy’s court for the 2023 NFL Draft.