Cowboys draft: Day 2 recap and needs heading into Day 3

What positions do you want the Cowboys to address with their Day 3 picks?

The Dallas Cowboys were in their bag on Friday night with the players they selected in the second and third rounds. For most of them, the value of the selection and where they were taken couldn’t have been better for the team.

The night started in the second round at pick No. 56 with defensive end Marshawn Kneeland. The Western Michigan product is a small school player with a big-time upside. Dane Brugler of The Athletic had Kneeland as his fifth-best defensive end and was given a first/second-round grade. In the Beast Draft Guide, Brugler says,

Overall, Kneeland is still taking classes in the art of the pass rush, but he is charged up into contact and displays twitch throughout his frame, which allows him to defeat blockers in different ways. He projects as a starting base end whose best football is yet to come.

Learning from someone like DeMarcus Lawrence, who has a similar play style to Kneeland, will be a huge benefit for his development in the NFL. Kneeland is already an outstanding run defender and still has room to grow as a pass rusher. He might not be a full-time starter right away, but that’s okay, considering Lawrence, Micah Parsons, and Sam Williams would be in front of him.

Entering the third round, the Cowboys were slated to select twice after trading back in the first round with the Detroit Lions. Dallas doubled down on the offensive line with the third-rounder they picked up and went with Cooper Beebe.

Zach Wolchuk had the best comparison for Beebe back in February, saying the player is “a thick bowl of oatmeal,” and he’s not wrong. At just over 6’3” and 322 pounds, the Kansas State product is a big man, but he has a nasty attitude and athleticism to his game. While being interviewed on the DallasCowboys.com Draft Show, Beebe mentioned he wants to “put people in the dirt,” and that shows up consistently in his game.

Beebe played all over the offensive line at K-State and is projected to be a better inside player at the NFL level. Brugler had him as a guard, and the Cowboys feel like he’ll also be a good interior player. In the post-draft press conference, head coach Mike McCarthy mentioned that Beebe will certainly be a part of the center competition this offseason.

If Beebe finds an immediate home along the offensive line, it would most likely be at center. After two days, the Cowboys retooled their o-line that could now look from left to right: Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, Zack Martin, and Terence Steele.

For the final pick in the third round, the Cowboys filled another need on defense and selected Notre Dame linebacker Marist Liufau. In The Beast, Brugler had Liufau as his 15th-ranked linebacker, so where he was selected, it could be a bit of a reach for some. However, looking at his production and ability to defend the pass at a high level, you can understand why the Cowboys selected him so high.

The cousin of Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, Liufau has NFL bloodlines and a Polynesian connection with a ton of players who’ve come before him at Notre Dame. Liufau might not grade out as the best run defender, but his pass defense could be among the best in the linebacker class.

Pro Football Focus said that Liufau has not allowed a single touchdown in coverage since 2022. Mike Zimmer loves linebackers who can cover, similar to when he had Eric Kendricks early on in his career when he had nine interceptions during his eight years in Minnesota.

Needs heading into day three – RB, DT, WR, CB

The one area most fans believed the Cowboys would attack on day two was at the running back position. Some of their top targets, Jonathan Brooks and Trey Benson, went in the early picks of round two and round three, respectively. Jerry Jones said in the post-draft press conference that the draft is far from over with the picks they have remaining.

Jones was also complimentary of the fact that they believe Ezekiel Elliott will still be in the mix regardless of whether they fill a spot in the draft. That depends on if they can get a deal done with the former franchise star.

As far as potential running back targets they could look at Braelon Allen, Bucky Irving, Jaylen Wright, and Ray Davis. The tough part is the Cowboys will be sitting on their hands for a long time as they don’t select again until the fifth round with pick No. 174. That’s 87 picks away from their last pick in the third round.

Stephen Jones reiterated that they have some future draft capital to work with, given that their projected compensatory picks could be in play for 2025. If Dallas were to trade up into the fourth round, they might be able to give up a future pick to take someone they like.

Outside of running back, the defensive tackle would be the remaining big position of need, which has a depleted room right now. Evan Anderson from Florida Atlantic University is one name to circle for a potential sixth- or seventh-round selection. He could be a rotational player with great size to clog the middle at 6’3” and 356 pounds.

Besides those two positions, the Cowboys have accomplished what they set out to do when entering the draft: Fill positions of need with talented players to supplement their cashless situation right now. So far, they’ve done a great job, with four picks remaining on day three.