If there's one thing Dallas Cowboys fans should fear more than facing the Green Bay Packers or San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs, it's entering the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The team has had very little success in this particular round for several reasons, including a surprisingly aggressive approach in which they are more willing to take risky swings on high-upside prospects, i.e. Randy Gregory, Jaylon Smith, Kelvin Joseph, among others. Even when they're not rolling the dice, hits have been a rarity. Case in point, Luke Schoonmaker was unable to earn a significant role even as TE2 as a rookie.
Sure, finding the right player in the first round will be important but this year, hitting on the 56th overall pick will be critical for a team that saw little contributions from last year's rookie class.
There are going to be many possible selections in the second round but considering the Cowboys are unlikely to take a linebacker at 24th overall because they're likely to find better value at other positions, doing so in the second round would be smart due to the expected players available and team needs.
Cowboys should take Texas A&M LB Edgerrin Cooper with their second rounder
Cooper is A to Z Sports film analyst James Foster's top linebacker entering the draft, handing him a medium second round grade. Cooper, who Foster compares to Bobby Okereke, has "long arms, with the frame to add more mass, outstanding range to chase down ballcarriers & flow sideline-to-sideline, sophisticated hand usage to play off of blocks & maneuver through traffic," per our Big Board.
With Zimmer running the Cowboys defense, expect the team's linebackers to have a significant role in the pass rush department. Cooper led FBS linebackers with 10 sacks in 2023, a testament to his ability to maneuver the field as Foster points out above.
Cooper's weight does rank in the 11th percentile so the Cowboys would want to have him add weight if they do pick him in April. Perhaps Dan Quinn's defense would have loved his size but Zimmer is expected to use more traditional LB types at the second level.
With a strong performance in the NFL Scouting Combine, Cooper could very well separate himself due to his athleticism. He's seen my multiple draft analysts as the one with the highest upside thanks to his traits.
Cowboys need to address linebacker in March too, though
Although Cooper at 56th overall would be perfect value, the Cowboys can't wait until April to pick a linebacker. Instead, this should be looked at as adding depth. The Cowboys have Damone Clark as the only proven LB entering 2024 with Markquese Bell expected to move back to safety.
The Cowboys should be looking into adding multiple linebackers through free agency to fix a room that should be built from the ground up.
Final Word
Cooper, whose expected draft position sits at 50th per Grinding the Mocks' board, would be a pick that fits the Cowboys' top needs while also giving them tremendous value. He's also somebody that could earn an immediate role on Zimmer's defense in certain sub-packages, especially late down situations if they involve him as a pass rusher.
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