FRISCO, Texas – The Cowboys have never won or lost a game in April. Every team in the NFL can say the same.
But if you can win an NFL Draft, it seems like the Cowboys have already done that — and there are still two rounds to go.
I know that might seem like an outlandish statement, considering you never know what any of these players are going to do. But for a team that absolutely needed to get better on defense, it's pretty clear the Cowboys were able to do just that. And while the addition of Malachi Lawrence could turn out to be a fantastic pick in his own right, it's hard not to be overshadowed by the Cowboys' first move of the night.
Caleb Downs with the 11th overall pick? I don't know if anyone could have realistically dreamed up that scenario. Sure, that was my first-round prediction, but I'd be lying if I said I truly believed they could get him at No. 12 — or even No. 11, as it turned out.
I thought for sure the Cowboys would have had to move up to at least No. 9, maybe even No. 6. The owners of those two picks, the Chiefs and Browns, actually made a trade with each other. That seemingly took those options off the table, and it sounded like there would be no chance for Downs to keep sliding.
But once he reached No. 11, the Cowboys couldn't wait any longer, sending a pair of fifth-round picks to Miami to move up one spot. If that sounds a little rich, consider this: the Cowboys really didn't have another option at No. 12 that made much sense. Sure, they could've taken someone else or maybe tried to trade back, but it was clear the Cowboys had one player in mind at that point — and they got him.
Caleb Downs instantly makes this team better. And here's the thing that drives home just how phenomenal he appears to be: the Cowboys didn't necessarily need a safety. They added Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke to a group that already included Malik Hooker. And typically, safeties don't get drafted that high — especially in the top 12 — unless they're special.
Downs wasn't just worthy of the pick; he was worthy even at a position that wasn't a major priority. But here's the real kicker — I'm not sure the Cowboys only drafted a safety. His versatility to play slot cornerback in the nickel could be a complete game-changer.
Now you have a player who can line up at safety, then drop down to the slot depending on what the offense shows pre-snap. Usually, it's hard for defenses to match up like that on the fly, but that's exactly what versatility gives you. And when Christian Parker says he wants to play multiple schemes — rotating from a 3-4 to a 4-3 — you need players who can be described as "tweeners."
I think that's exactly what Caleb Downs is — an in-between safety and corner.
In fact, Jerry Jones said it might go even further than that.
""We looked for combinations that we wanted … maybe it was a corner-nickel or maybe it was a safety-nickel. We didn't know it was going to be a quarterback-of-the-defense nickel. And that's what you've got."
Sounds like a win to me. Sure, he still has to prove it on the field — and that won't happen until the fall. But as far as late April on a Thursday night goes, it doesn't seem like the Cowboys could've had a much bigger win than this.
