With the first round looming, the prospects for the Dallas Cowboys with the fourth overall pick have come into focus. Over the next four days we will offer up the best case for a potential first-rounder.

DEFOREST BUCKNER

Of the players mentioned for the Cowboys at No. 4, Buckner has been mentioned the least. In a time in which everything can be overanalyzed, perhaps that silence can be viewed through the prism that he is the guy the Cowboys really want.

At defensive end, Joey Bosa has been mentioned most often as the possibility. But should Buckner be so dismissed?

He can play multiple spots along the defensive front. He might have a frame that makes him the prototypical 3-4 defensive end (6-foot-7, 291 pounds) but when you watch how he moves, you can tell he can easily mix into a four-man defensive front.

In his last season at Oregon, he had 10.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. In scout parlance, he can bend.

At times, players that tall play too tall and make themselves an easy target for offensive linemen. He has long arms to stave off blockers, but he also has the athleticism to get to the quarterback.

Like with Bosa, the Cowboys need pass-rushers. If the season started today, the Cowboys would line up with Benson Mayowa and Jack Crawford at defensive end. Perhaps they could move Tyrone Crawford out to defensive end. Maybe David Irving makes a big jump in his second season. Or maybe the Cowboys find more help in free agency, like with Jason Jones.

With the penalties facing Randy Gregory and DeMarcus Lawrence, the Cowboys would not be making five-year decisions based on four-game suspensions. How many times have we heard the Cowboys talk about having as many pass-rushers as possible? Even if Gregory and Lawrence were available for every regular-season game, defensive end would be a top need.

Like Bosa, the Cowboys had Buckner in for a pre-draft visit to Valley Ranch. If he was viewed as a 3-4 defensive end in their eyes, then he would not have made the trip. He would not be a fit for their scheme.

Does he possess right defensive end skills? Not really. Neither does Bosa. But either player would be able to step in and play a more mature style as a rookie because of how they use their hands and leverage. Bosa might be better at this, but in the long term, Buckner’s athleticism could separate him as a prospect.

Source:
courtesy of ESPN

by Todd Archer

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