Cowboys Draft 'Confidence' Explained by Schottenheimer

Given the expectations of the Cowboys ahead of the draft, that may be quite a load for a new head coach to take on. However, Brian Schottenheimer seems unfazed and "confident" ahead of his first major event in this role. 

“I feel like we go into this draft with a lot of confidence. Again, we're not done in free agency. We're always looking to acquire, we're always looking to compete on the personnel side of it," he told reporters Tuesday. "But I do feel like we've set ourselves up going into the draft where [when] we're sitting in a certain spot, that's the best player available, let's go take him.”

The Cowboys may have not attacked free agency as aggressively as some fans would have hoped though they did assess a few of their needs. Yet, the state of the roster means they will not be boxed into one position when they are on the clock at No. 12. 

There are different layers of this confidence to unpack here. Schottenheimer's poise stepping into this position with critical weeks ahead is certainly a positive. That confidence comes from belief in the staff around him and the scouting department helping the organization set up a plan of attack for draft day. 

At the same time, that confidence must be had with all parties in lockstep on the plan. Dallas' abundance of options at No. 12 leaves room for discourse about what to do and what needs rank highest. The Cowboys' front office and coaching staff must have some sort of unified front on these matters. 

From what Schottenheimer has revealed, it appears that is not a concern at this point. 

Following the collapse of the system in 2024 and the expectations for this group heading into 2025, the Cowboys must get this pick right and surround their core of Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons with a competent roster. 

It is a massive undertaking and the draft will be key in how this turns out. Luckily, it seems Schottenheimer fully understands his responsibility.