Dallas Cowboys NFL Draft Picks 2020: Round-by-Round Results, Grades

The Dallas Cowboys finished the 2019 season by missing the playoffs, but the team is entering the 2020 NFL draft with a new head coach. 

After over nine seasons at the helm, Jason Garrett was fired by Dallas in early January following the team's 8-8 season. Former Packers coach Mike McCarthy was hired to fill Garrett's position shortly after. 

The Cowboys are coming off a 2019 draft highlighted by selections of DT Trysten Hill in the second round, RB Tony Pollard in the fourth, DE Joe Jackson in the fifth and S Donovan Wilson in the sixth. The team did not have a first-round selection after using it to acquire Amari Cooper from the Raiders in October 2018. Cooper agreed to a five-year, $100 million contract with Dallas in March 2020. 

According to The MMQB's NFC East team needs, the Cowboys may target corners in the draft who can fit in new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan’s blitzing scheme. On offense, the team may target an outside receiver that can allow Cooper to fill the slot in three-WR sets. 

A full list of Dallas's picks will be updated below as the draft progresses, and you can also follow along with CowboyMaven's draft tracker. The Cowboys are slated to pick No. 17 in the first round; they'll next pick No. 51 overall, during the second round. 

Round 1, Pick 17 (No. 17 overall): CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma

Analysis from Andy Benoit: With Randall Cobb joining Houston, the Cowboys needed a new slot receiver. What they smartly realized is if they found one who could also play the “Z” position, going in motion and aligning outside, that would allow them to slide pricey star Amari Cooper into the slot, where he’s guaranteed to avoid the press-jam coverage that sometimes gives him trouble. Even better is that Lamb himself can also play significant snaps inside, affording offensive coordinator Kellen Moore the ultimate flexibility with his first-round wide receivers. Expect to see even more of the creative pre-snap motioning and stack-release tactics from Moore this season.

Having Lamb and Cooper together almost assures that Michael Gallup, who is quietly developing into a nice “X” receiver, will often face one-on-one coverage. And in that same vein, it could mean lighter run boxes for Ezekiel Elliott. This is a quality pick with a potentially significant domino effect. Grade: A+

Round 2, No. 51 overall: Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama

Analysis from Andy Benoit: Right corner Byron Jones departed in free agency this year, and next year the Cowboys face losing left corner Chidobe Awuzie and/or slot/utility corner Jourdan Lewis, as both are finishing up their rookie deals. Don’t be surprised if Awuzie is retained and Lewis walks. But even if both return, an immediate and direct replacement for Jones is prudent, since it would allow Lewis to keep providing valuable, versatile depth on the back end. Diggs is a long-armed, physical corner and is stepping into a Mike Nolan-led scheme that, thanks to its expected emphasis on blitzing, will feature press-man on the outside. Dallas hit another home run in this draft, filling an important, specific need with a top-level talent at a later-than-expected draft slot. Grade: A+

Round 3, No. 82 overall: Neville Gallimore, DT, Oklahoma

Andy Benoit's analysis: Gallimore was yet another Cowboys selection whom many expected to be taken a lot higher. He is not a particularly large or long-limbed man, and so quickness and mechanics are key to his success. He showed those traits at Oklahoma; if he plays with more consistent leverage, he has a chance to be a contributing pass rusher. Grade: A-

Round 4, No. 123 overall: Reggie Robinson II, CB, Tulsa

Round 4, No. 146 overall: Tyler Biadasz, C, Wisconsin

Round 5, No. 179 overall: Bradlee Anae, EDGE, Utah

Round 7, No. 231 overall: Ben DiNucci, QB, James Madison

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