Dallas Cowboys

2017 NFL Draft: Dallas Cowboys 5 Biggest Needs Post-Free Agency

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:18 p.m. ET

Fansided, Randy Gurzi/FanSided via NFL Spin Zone

After addressing some of the holes on their roster in free agency the Dallas Cowboys five biggest needs are ranked as we inch closer to the 2017 NFL Draft

Heading into the 2017 offseason there were several areas of need for the NFC East Champion Dallas Cowboys. Then free agency opened and they were able to do some damage control in a few areas. One was wide receiver, where they surprisingly brought back Terrance Williams on an incredible affordable four-year, $17 million contract. They also brought back Brice Butler at the same position on a one-year deal worth just over $1 million.

The news wasn't all good for them though as outside of wide receiver, they mostly dealt with losses. Cornerbacks Morris Claiborne (New York Jets) and Brandon Carr (Baltimore Ravens) each went elsewhere. Also gone are safeties Barry Church (Jacksonville Jaguars) and J.J. Wilcox (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), defensive tackles Jack Crawford (Atlanta Falcons) and Terrell McClain (Washington Redskins), left guard Ronald Leary (Denver Broncos) and right tackle Doug Free who retired.

Dallas did make a few moves of their own like their recent signing of veteran tackle Byron Bell. His arrival takes offensive line out of the 'Boys top-five needs, much like the re-signing of Butler and Williams makes receiver feel like a position of strength now. With those moves and more in the books here is an updated ranking of the Dallas Cowboys top five team needs in advance of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Jan 15, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten (82) catches a touchdown pass against Green Bay Packers cornerback Damarious Randall (23) during the fourth quarter in the NFC Divisional playoff game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

5. Tight End

It's weird to see this as a position of need because Jason Witten has been a starter here since 2003. He's also still a productive player that caught 69 passes for 673 yards and three touchdowns in 2016. However, 14 years is a long time for anyone to play and it's unrealistic to think the soon-to-be 35-year-old isn't going to slow down.

More from NFL Spin Zone

As good and reliable as Witten is, the truth is that slowing process has already started. Not only are his routes staying closer to the line of scrimmage lately, but he also doesn't have the same "pop" on his blocks anymore. Suffice it to say that Witten can still play and is among the best at his position, but the evidence is there that he is closer to the end than the beginning.

It also isn't fair to say Dallas needs to spend a premium pick on this position. With players like Geoff Swaim, James Hanna and Rico Gathers under contract the team may not see this as a need at all. For those of us away from the facility, it's unknown what the progress on Swaim and Hanna's injuries from 2016 are. We also have no clue about the truth behind the development of former Baylor basketball star Gathers. While reports say he was tearing up the practice squad, that doesn't mean he's ready for full time Sunday football.

The Cowboys have shown some indication that tight end is on their radar. They will be working out Ashland tight end Adam Shaheen. The small-school kid has gotten more attention as of late, so he may climb too high for Dallas. Other options potentially in the mid-rounds include Clemson's Jordan Leggett and Michigan's Jake Butt.

Aug 1, 2016; Irvine, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith (54) at training camp at the River Ridge Fields. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

4. Linebacker

It felt a while ago like this was a position of strength as the Cowboys were touting how far 2016 second round pick Jaylon Smith had come in his recovery. Smith was easily a top-five talent last season but an injury in a January bowl game while playing for Notre Dame messed things up for him. A torn ACL was bad, but much worse was the subsequent nerve damage.

Reports early in the offseason were that the knee was "firing" and people like Todd Archer of ESPN were saying he would have been ready to go as early as January.

Since then the talk has been less optimistic. Smith is said to still be suffering from "drop foot," which is basically a condition where the foot cannot be raised correctly. Smith seems to think he can still play despite the condition with the help of a brace, but Dallas shouldn't be depending solely on him to return.

Instead they should focus on finding other players in the draft to aid 30-year-old Sean Lee, the leader of the position. While linebacker isn't a big enough need to warrant first round consideration there are several options out there that could make a huge impact that could be find in rounds two-through-four. Some of those players include LSU's Duke Riley, Tennessee's Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Northwestern's Anthony Walker.

Oct 19, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Nolan Carroll (23) returns an interception 17 yards for a touchdown against the New York Giants during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

3. Cornerback

Anytime you lose two regular starters in one position group it's safe to assume that area will become a need. With both Carr and Claiborne exiting this offseason, Dallas needs to add some talent at cornerback.

Of course, the willingness to let them both walk makes sense. The Dallas Cowboys went overboard in 2012 trying to fix the corner spot. In free agency they gave Carr a five-year deal worth more than $50 million to come over from the Kansas City Chiefs. They then traded their first and second round selection in the following draft to move up to the sixth overall spot. There they took Claiborne out of LSU and believed they would be set for the foreseeable future.

Instead, they've had one of the more picked on corner groups in the league. Claiborne struggled to stay healthy and Carr was decent but never lived up to his contract. The Cowboys also were one of the worst in the NFL at generating interceptions from the cornerback spot.

For those reasons they were content to let both go. They now have veteran Orlando Scandrick, second year player Anthony Brown and free agent pickup Nolan Carroll from the Philadelphia Eagles. Scandrick is a good slot corner, Brown played rather well for a sixth-round rookie last season and Carroll is an affordable player that's comparable to Carr.

Still, Dallas needs to find themselves some help in the draft. Thankfully for them this class of rookies is particularly strong in this area and there will be plenty of options available for them.

Nov 15, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Dallas Cowboys strong safety Jeff Heath (38) intercepts a ball intended for Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) during the second half of a football game at Raymond James Stadium. The Buccaneers won 10-6. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

2. Safety

The secondary group as a whole saw a mass exodus this offseason. Not only did two starting corners leave, but two starting caliber safeties walked as well. Starting strong safety Barry Church signed a rich deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars during their annual offseason spending fiasco. Also gone is J.J. Wilcox, who had been relegated to a reserve role last season but was a regular starter in 2014 and 2015. He also went to Florida, but to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Again, the lack of trying to retain these guys made sense. Church and Wilcox were as big of a part of the secondary struggles as Claiborne and Carr. While both had their solid qualities, neither were exceptional and failed to create many turnovers.

They now head into 2017 with 2015 first-round pick Byron Jones patrolling the deep end of the defense. In front of him at strong safety is Jeff Heath for the time being. Heath was undrafted in 2013 from Saginaw Valley State and there seems to be a lot of doom and gloom about him being the starter. With ten career starts, he does however have some experience. He also nearly turned the game around when Dallas played the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs last year. He had one interception, and late in the fourth had a second reversed thanks to a penalty on Anthony Brown.

Heath however shouldn't be the long term guy. What he provides is a smart player that can hold a space while they team grooms his replacement. They like 2016 rookie Kavon Frazier, but there are some good options in the draft as well. Obi Melifonwu is the favorite choice of many, but his incredible showing at the combine will only shoot him up higher on draft boards making him unlikely in Dallas. Other guys include Josh Jones of North Carolina State and Eddie Jackson of Alabama.

Oct 11, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants defensive end Damontre Moore (98) tackles San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) at MetLife Stadium. The Giants won 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Jim O'Connor-USA TODAY Sports

1. Defensive End

This is no shocker. The biggest need heading into the offseason was defensive end, and really nothing has changed. Dallas wasn't linked to any of the big name pass rushers available and only signed Damontre Moore, a defensive end who has played in just four games this past seasons for the Seattle Seahawks.

What Dallas liked about Moore was his time with NFC East rival New York. The Giants drafted Moore in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M and was a good rotational rusher. He had 5.5 sacks in 2014 and added three more in 2015 before being cut after 11 games after an argument with a teammate. He was picked up by the Dolphins but had a minimal impact.

He joins a group that includes 2014 second-round pick Demarcus Lawrence, 2016 sack leader Benson Mayowa and last season's fourth-round pick Charles Tapper. To get by Dallas has also used players like defensive tackles David Irving and Tyrone Crawford on the edges.

The good news for them is that this draft class is considered not only to be strong at corner, but with edge rushers as well. If the Boys decide to stay put at 28 and take the best pass rusher there could be some good options. Guys like UCLA's Takkarist McKinley, Wisconsin's T.J. Watt, Missouri's Charles Harris and Auburn's Carl Lawson could all be available.

Other options in the second could be guys like Kansas State's Jordan Willis, Florida State's DeMarcus Walker and Youngstown's Derek Rivers.