Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys: How Rivals First-Round Picks Affect Them

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:06 p.m. ET

Fansided, Jimmy Long/FanSided via NFL Spin Zone

The Dallas Cowboys selected Taco Charlton in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Who did their rivals pick, and how does that affect the Boys?

The Dallas Cowboys chose to address their pass rush in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft by drafting Michigan defensive end Taco Charlton. While this choice will have a big impact on the future of the Cowboys, the newest members of their division rivals will have an effect as well.

The theme of the NFC East was clearly defense. More specifically, defensive line. Of the four teams in the division, three addressed the trenches with their first pick in 2017. So, team by team, how will the NFC East first-round rookies affect Dallas?

Let's take a look, starting with the draft-hosts in the Philadelphia Eagles.

Philadelphia Eagles: Derek Barnett, DE – Tennessee

To be quite frank, this pick was a disappointment. Just when it looked like Derek Barnett was about to start sliding, the Eagles swooped in (pun not intended) and grabbed the dominant pass rusher from Knoxville.

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The former Volunteer has all the traits you look for in an edge rusher. His bend around the corner is elite, hands down. His college production speaks for itself, considering he broke Reggie White's school record for career sacks.

Instant Opinion: Barnett is a player that the Dallas Cowboys need to worry about. He might not be the best pass rusher in Philadelphia, but the combination of him and Fletcher Cox will cause problems. It's a great thing that Dallas built a dominant offensive line.

Washington Redskins: Jonathan Allen, DT – Alabama

I'm not going to lie. I sighed when this pick was announced. And it was most definitely not a sigh of relief. Jonathan Allen had the talent to go top-five in this year's draft. Thanks to question marks about his shoulder, he fell all the way pick No. 17, and the Redskins didn't hesitate to snatch him up.

Allen is also a player that should give the Cowboys trouble. They'll have to deal with him the same way they deal with Fletcher Cox. He should be able to be managed, thanks to the elite talent on the interior of the Cowboys offensive line, but the thought of him swallowing Ezekiel Elliott at the line concerns me to say the least.

Instant Opinion: For some reason, I'm not quite as concerned about Allen as I am about Barnett. I guess I just feel more comfortable with the ability of Travis Frederick and Zack Martin to handle him inside. Either way, Allen is a player that the Cowboys can't ignore when game-planning for Washington.

New York Giants: Evan Engram, TE – Ole Miss

Wow. So, I for one was not expecting Evan Engram to even be in consideration at No. 23. But, I'm sure glad that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took O.J. Howard before the Giants had a chance to.

Engram shouldn't cause many problems for Dallas, mainly because he isn't a true tight end. He's a solid receiving threat, but he'll get flexed out into the slot or perhaps even onto the boundary. Engram isn't a guy that is going to make much of an impact in the run game.

Plus, New York passed on several good offensive tackles to grab Engram. Maybe their confident in Ereck Flowers to continue to develop, but you'd be hard pressed to find anyone saying that Flowers is ever going to be a cornerstone left tackle.

Instant Opinion: New York could have done a lot better here. They reached for a player they didn't need, and it should come back to bite them. Engram is the type of player that Byron Jones is capable of shutting down, and that should be the case come September.