The Cowboys' 2020 draft class is complete with seven selections, including four on Saturday: cornerback Reggie Robinson, center Tyler Biadasz, defensive end Bradlee Anae and quarterback Ben DiNucci.
Which pick was most impressive? The DallasCowboys.com staff debates.
Mickey Spagnola: This one is one is easy for me, and maybe the lone time in this 2020 NFL Draft the Cowboys forced the issue for a position of need . . . center Tyler Biadasz. This definitely was a need position to me, and already four centers had gone off the board over the last 154 picks. And it was time for the Cowboys to go snatch them one, sending the Eagles a 2021 fifth-round pick and their 2020 fifth-rounder to grab the Eagles' final pick in the fourth round and take this University of Wisconsin clone – they hope – of the retiring center Travis Frederick. Now let's be realistic here. Frederick, the five-time Pro Bowler, was a first-round pick, No. 31 in 2013. Biadasz became the 146th pick. But he was a three-year starter for a run-oriented Badgers team and was the 2019 Rimington Award winner, given to the best center in the nation. And consider this: He will be the only center on the Cowboys' roster when camp starts to have started at the position last year. Joe Looney, backup. Adam Redmond, season-long injured reserve. Connor McGovern, who has not played center since the 2017 season at Penn State and might transition over from guard, injured reserve. Marcus Henry, has yet to play in an NFL game yet. Quiet as it was kept, the center position might have been the biggest need for attention the Cowboys had.
Rob Phillips: Let this sink in for a moment. The Cowboys were able to draft a consensus All-American pass rusher, Bradlee Anae, with a compensatory pick at the end of the fifth round. That's rare. Maybe it's a miscalculation by other teams. Maybe speaks to the overall depth of this year's draft. Regardless, the Cowboys benefit. If Anae can emerge as a starter or regular contributor, any debate about addressing wide receiver in the first round over pass rush/secondary becomes moot. Anae piled up 29.5 sacks in three seasons at Utah. He's technique sound and he's got good bend for an edge rusher. A slow 40 time really shouldn't have dropped him that far. Good pick by Dallas.
Nick Eatman: My favorite pick here is getting the cornerback Reggie Robinson II from Tulsa. Sometimes, you're not just drafting for this year, but down the road. And when you factor in that both Jourdan Lewis and Chido Awuzie are entering the final year of their contracts, cornerback could be a need next season as well. So I loved how the Cowboys piggybacked on taking Diggs on Friday, with Robinson on Saturday, giving them two cornerbacks in the first four rounds that should be able to contribute this year. Plus, Robinson might be one of the better special teams players in this draft, having blocked a kick in each of his four years at Tulsa.
David Helman: Whether it's fair or not, I've developed an opinion over the years that pass rushers almost aren't worth drafting outside the Top 100 picks. The list of Day 3 defensive ends that have gone on to great things in the NFL is relatively small. I might have to make an exception for Bradlee Anae. The Utah pass rusher was a consensus All-American for a College Football Playoff contender in 2019, and he was two-time all-conference. He had three sacks in the Senior Bowl. I don't want to heap too much expectation on the guy, but this is a better talent than the average guy you find at the end of the fifth round. Only time will tell if his talent translates to the next level, but there is at least some potential for this to be a steal.
