With the NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, analysts are praising the Dallas Cowboys for a successful draft. They snagged CeeDee Lamb in the first to bolster the offense and filled holes on defense. Although adding Lamb will look like a genius move, Jerry Jones has bet on himself.
Jerry Jones Has the Dallas Cowboys Poised for Dominance After Successful NFL Draft
When the 16th pick in the NFL Draft passed, we can assume Jerry Jones eagerly rubbed his hands together. The NFL’s supervillain was sitting on a white couch, in a white room, on a $250 million yacht. The only thing missing from this picture was a white cat, cementing the Dr. Evil cosplay. Soon thereafter, Jones shocked the football world. “With the 17th pick in the NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys select, CeeDee Lamb, wide receiver, Oklahoma.” This pick was purely a “best available” pick, as Jones was surely shocked Lamb fell into their lap. The shrewd owner licked his chops as he imagined his already high-octane offense, adding another elite piece.
This pick was lauded by the NFL community and surely makes Dallas better. This is an “A+” pick, but what Jones doesn’t realize is he has surely bet on himself. Starting quarterback Dak Prescott had a career year in 2019, and is due a contract. These contract negotiations have been highly publicized, with Dallas not willing to meet Prescott’s high APR. Giving him another elite piece to an offense that scored 27.1 PPG, is quite a gamble. Jones needs Prescott to not play like he did last year if he wants that number to decrease. If Prescott is putting up gaudy numbers like last year, Jones will have to concede or lose his young franchise quarterback
How CeeDee Lamb Fits in the Offense
CeeDee Lamb is a great pick at 17, especially since he was universally considered the best receiver in the draft. He will fit in seamlessly with Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and Ezekiel Elliott. At Oklahoma, Lamb hauled in 173 receptions for 3,292 yards and 32 touchdowns. That certainly helps when your quarterbacks were Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts. Lamb was third in all-time receiving yards at OU and did big-time damage. He will likely play the slot, and immediately thrive, as Cooper regularly draws double teams, and Gallup had a breakout 2019.
Lamb got the call from Jones and is happy to be a Cowboy. As the 17th pick, he has some big shoes to fill, as the Cowboys have drafted three Hall of Famers from that spot, including Mel Renfro, and Emmitt Smith. To cap off what was a great first round, some will say the Dallas Cowboys won the draft. They made great picks across the board and filled all their roster needs for the 2020 season. To see how the rest of the draft panned out for Dallas, click here.
Cowboy fans will have to likely wait to see Lamb in action, as COVID-19 will likely postpone rookie minicamp and OTAs. No doubt though, Jerry Jones got this draft, and especially this pick, 100 percent right. Dallas will continue to contend, and Jones seeks his fourth Super Bowl Championship. In time we will see how good this team can be, and whether or not Jerry Jones betting on himself, pays off.
