(Editor's Note: With the Dallas Cowboys heading into the April 25-26 NFL Draft with 11 picks, DallasCowboys.com's 12-part Draft Series will break down the Cowboys position by position, analyzing what they have at the particular position, what their needs are and just who might be available, along with including some interesting draft nuggets. Part 2 will feature defensive ends.)

IRVING, Texas - If there is one position that often gets overlooked in the 3-4 scheme, it would be the defensive end. With the primary job of withstanding double-teams, usually from a tackle and guard, defensive ends rarely get to reap the rewards of sacks, or even heavy pressure. Players such as Reggie White and Bruce Smith are arguably the two best defensive ends of all-time, but even the Cowboys have had some great ends in Harvey Martin and Ed "Too Tall" Jones, along with Charles Haley in the 90s.

But once the Cowboys switched to the 3-4 scheme, the production predictably reduced at the end position.

All that being said, it doesn't mean there isn't a spot for them. And more importantly, it doesn't mean they can't get paid. Chris Canty had just 10 sacks in four seasons with the Cowboys, but that didn't stop the Giants from shelling out $42 million over six seasons to sign him in the off-season.

The Cowboys went a cheaper route, but still forked over $18 million over four years to sign Igor Olshansky from the Chargers. The Cowboys quietly believe they will get about the same production as Canty for a much lower price.

What They Have: Teaming up with Olshansky will be Marcus Spears, who is entering his fifth NFL season. Like Canty, Spears has been criticized for his lack of stats - 5 ½ sacks in four seasons and never more than two in one year. But Spears did seem much more active last season, recording a career-high 65 tackles with five behind the line of scrimmage. With Canty gone, Spears will need to step up his game, but that should be a priority anyway, as he enters what could be the final year of his contract. The Collective Bargaining Agreement could alter those plans for Spears, who would be a restricted free agent if there is indeed no salary cap for 2010. If a new deal is in place by then, Spears will be unrestricted.

As for Olshansky, the Cowboys are not only getting a player familiar with Wade Phillips' scheme, but maybe one of the NFL's strongest players.

Olshansky played four seasons in San Diego, his first two with Phillips as the Chargers defensive coordinator. He recorded 11 sacks, while starting 70 of 75 career games. His contract should warrant him moving right into the starting lineup, but it's likely the Cowboys will give guys like Jason Hatcher and Stephen Bowen a chance for extensive playing time.

Bowen signed his one-year restricted offer of $1.54 million on Monday, but his salary is not guaranteed. He is the fourth defensive end on the roster, but could be pushed for a spot by Marcus Dixon, who was on the practice squad a year ago. Team owner Jerry Jones has made more than one reference to Dixon in media interviews this off-season, stating the coaching staff has been encouraged by his progress from last year.

What They Need: The Cowboys always need depth, but at this position, instead of figuring out where a defensive end could fit this year, they need to look a year or two down the road. If Spears becomes a free agent, the Cowboys could lose him and Jason Hatcher, who is up after next season, not to mention Bowen.

So finding a player who could be a role player as a rookie, but develop into an every-down starter would be a big plus for the Cowboys.

On the contrary, maybe a college-style defensive end who plays in a 4-3 scheme could be a good fit for the 2009 season. With the starting jobs likely taken anyway, a rookie defensive end probably wouldn't play more than just on dime packages, which are typically four-man fronts. So grabbing a savvy pass-rusher in the middle rounds might not be the best fit long-term, but someone who could provide some relief early on. That would give the Cowboys some time to figure out if they want to mold him into a 3-4 linebacker or beef him up to play defensive end.

Who's Out There: The best defensive end in the group appears to be Brian Orakpo (6-4, 260) of Texas. He's been projected as a Top 10 pick, but seems ready to play in a 4-3 scheme. With quick pass-rush ability, Orakpo is also a good run defender for his size. But he won't be anywhere close to the Cowboys, whose first scheduled pick is 51st - the bottom half of the second round.

Defensive ends who could be on the Cowboys' board include Everett Brown, who is probably a late-first round pick that might fall. Brown is extremely athletic, running a 4.6 time in the 40, despite his 6-4, 255-pound frame. He would project as an outside linebacker if drafted by a 3-4 team.

As for the true 3-4 ends who will take on constant double-teams, look at LSU's Tyler Jackson (6-4, 295) and Georgia Tech's Michael Johnson, who has the height at 6-7, but weighs under 260. Johnson could be an intriguing prospect for the Cowboys in that "tweener" range. But he has been listed all over speculative draft boards, going in some places in the late first round to the early third round in others.

Utah's Paul Kruger and Tennessee's Robert Ayers could be mid-round additions at end, but keep an eye on Cincinnati's Connor Barwin, an extremely high-motor player who exudes athleticism. A converted tight end, Barwin also played two years at power forward on the Bearcats' basketball team. His great hands have him being compared as a "Mike Vrabel clone."

If athleticism is what you want, it's hard to top San Jose State defensive end Jarron Gilbert (6-5, 287), who possess freakish skills. Gilbert dominated the East-West Shrine Game. A question on him isn't his playing ability, but just where he fits. He has been projected as both an end and tackle in either defensive scheme.

Draft Nuggets: Gilbert's best highlight doesn't come from the field, but rather the pool. A YouTube video shows Gilbert jumping straight out of a three-foot pool and landing on the edge, only confirming his remarkable agility . . . Gilbert's father, Daren, played four seasons in the NFL with New Orleans (1985-88) . . . Utah's Paul Kruger (6-4, 263) was recruited by former head coach Urban Meyer as a Wing-T quarterback. He returned from a two-year LDS mission to play defensive end . . . Ayers was once arrested after a campus fight, but has since matured from his early college career, which prompted former Vols coach Phillip Fulmer to say, "When Robert got here, he thought he was God's gift to Football." . . . Ayers was voted a team captain as a senior and led the team with 15 ½ tackles for loss . . . Texas Tech's Brandon Williams (6-2, 261) led the Big XII in sacks last season with 11 and decided to forgo his senior season.

Look Back: Who could forget the 1998 draft when the Cowboys were on the clock with the eighth overall pick? Would they or wouldn't they? The electrifying wide receiver they needed with Michael Irvin heading toward 32 still was on the board, Randy Moss. Problem was, he was also the most controversial, with a history of suspensions and legal problems as well, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had just dealt with Irvin's legal problems two seasons earlier. So when it came time to pick, the Cowboys did as 19 other teams did. They passed on Moss to take North Carolina defensive end Greg Ellis, who turned into a solid defensive end for the first 10 years of his career.

He moved to outside linebacker in 2006 and was on his way to a smooth transition before he tore his Achilles nine games into the season. The setback not only ended his season, but also threatened his career.

However, Ellis came back in 2007 stronger than ever. He posted a career-high 12 ½ sacks, earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl and was named the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year. In 2008, he posted eight sacks in a limited role. Recently, Ellis has expressed more frustrations that he would not be competing for the starting outside linebacker job with Anthony Spencer.

Up Next: Outside Linebacker

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