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It’s not often a team comes away with three first-round players in the NFL Draft, but the Dallas Cowboys feel they did just that. With Byron Jones, Randy Gregory and La’el Collins wearing the star as rookies, Dallas has to feel good about its draft haul. Jones fell in their lap at No. 27, Gregory slid all the way to No. 60 and Collins went undrafted for seemingly no fault of his own. But which rookie will have the biggest impact in 2015?
A case can be made for any of these three players, but choosing just one is difficult. Jones seems like the obvious choice because, well, he was the team’s first pick. However, Collins was widely regarded as a top-10 talent, as was Gregory at one point. That just goes to show how special the Cowboys’ draft was.
If forced to guess which will have the biggest impact from day one, though, I’d go with Jones, and here’s why. Not only does he fill a need at a position that’s filled with question marks, but he has the flexibility to play all over the field on defense. Given his size, he’s an obvious candidate to play outside corner, pressing receivers at the line of scrimmage. There’s no doubting he could start there come Sept. 13 against the New York Giants, and I would bet that’s where he starts the season.
If he doesn’t begin the season at corner, it might actually be a good sign because that likely means Dallas has too many corners. If Morris Claiborne can stay healthy and Brandon Carr reworks his contract, the Cowboys will have three veteran cornerbacks, with Orlando Scandrick being the other, of course. In that case, Jones can slide back to free safety, a position he played in college. This is what I mean by flexibility to play anywhere on defense.
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Jones has the size and speed to play center field in this defense, giving Dallas the true free safety they’ve lacked for too many years to count. Much like Devin McCourty, Jones might be better off at safety down the line, but a shot at corner should be first on the list.
It’s hard to think of a scenario in which Jones won’t make an instant impact. Whether it’s on special teams, at outside corner, lining up against tight ends or roaming as a free safety, he’ll be on the field early and often. The same can be said about Collins, who figures to be plugged in at left guard immediately, but Dallas’ offensive line was already elite. Its defensive backs were not.
As for Gregory, the Cowboys already have a strong group of pass rushers. Demarcus Lawrence, Jeremy Mincey and Greg Hardy figure to be regular cogs on the defensive line, pushing Gregory into more of a situational pass rusher. That’s not a knock on Gregory’s ability because on most teams, he’d be a day-one starter. However, he could use some improvement on his pass-rushing techniques. Given Hardy’s 10-game suspension, Gregory should be given opportunities early in the season — it’s just a matter of whether or not he’ll capitalize on them.
This Cowboys rookie class will be exciting to watch and should help this team in a huge way. In my mind, Jones will make the largest impact, and if Dallas makes a deep playoff run, there’s no doubt he’ll have a big part in it.
