Cowboys NFL Draft Needs by Position: Can McClay and McCarthy Find Ball-Hawk DBs?

FRISCO - In this edition of Dallas Cowboys 2020 NFL Draft needs, we dig into what new coaches Mike McCarthy and Mike Nolan, along with the scouting department led by Will McClay are looking for in regard to help in the secondary ...

Nolan Notebook: Top 10 Takeaways From Our Conversation With The New #Cowboys Defensive Coordinator https://t.co/3RGtVUPPWZ via @SInow pic.twitter.com/uPDR8ycptt
— fishsports ✭ (@fishsports) January 28, 2020

And if there are real changes in store ...

2020 DALLAS COWBOYS DRAFT NEEDS: DEFENSIVE BACK

CURRENT PLAYERS AT POSITION: Cornerback: Byron Jones (starter), Chidobe Awuzie (starter), Deante Burton, C.J. Goodwin, Jourdan Lewis, Donovan Olumba, D.J. White (reserve/future), Anthony Brown, Safety: Jeff Heath (starter), Xavier Woods (starter), Darian Thompson, Donovan Wilson, Kavon Frazier (IR).

2020 FREE AGENTS: Heath, Jones, Thompson, Goodwin, Brown, Frazier.

DRAFT NEED: Medium.

THE BREAKDOWN: All of the Cowboys’ free agents at this position group are unrestricted, which means the Cowboys are going to have to be strategic about who to keep.

Jones would appear to be the highest priority. But the Cowboys have taken great care to try and cultivate depth behind him. Awuzie is already a starter. Lewis is making a case to be a full-time starter in 2020 if Jones leaves. The hinge player at corner might not be Jones, but Brown. If the Cowboys feel that Brown can’t be their third corner moving forward that could put them in position to spend on Jones and allowing Brown to hit the market. If the Cowboys conclude that Brown can, then it may be Jones who is out the door.

Amid Rumors that #Eagles Will Steal Free-Agent CB Byron Jones, #Cowboys Term Byron 'A Really Good Player.' (Ahem.) https://t.co/86vrll2Gbb pic.twitter.com/H6dZ91XWd7
— fishsports ✭ (@fishsports) January 23, 2020

This is, perhaps, the Cowboys’ most critical decision this offseason. Jones is a quality corner, even if his raw numbers don’t necessarily make that case. But will the Cowboys pay him like a quality corner? We've been reporting what that answer will be for over a year ...

And now personnel boss Will McClay is hinting at the same answer.

As for safety it’s the nearly-annual conversation about how the Cowboys want to upgrade the position. The fact that Heath comes off the contract rolls after this season only makes for a larger case for the Cowboys to pursue a safety in free agency. But could the Cowboys find a safety that fits their needs in the draft? That’s a good question and if Dallas wants to answer that question in April it will probably require a first- or second-round pick to make it worth it.

With the number of players set to hit the market in this position group it is certainly an area of need for the Cowboys in the 2020 Draft. ... Especially if Mike McCarthy's staff can help McClay's staff find some ball-hawks.