FRISCO, Texas – After the Dallas Cowboys prioritized depth to their offensive and defensive front on Day Two of the 2019 NFL Draft, the team went with a versatile running back, Tony Pollard, from Memphis in the fourth round with the 128th overall pick.
Pollard can be utilized in the Cowboys’ running attack by taking some of the pressure off Ezekiel Elliott and adding diversity on the ground, along with lining up in the slot as another option behind Randall Cobb, and assisting special teams as a kick returner.
In 2018 as a junior, Pollard had career-high numbers as a RB with 78 attempts for 552 rushing yards, and an average of 7.1 yards on the carry.
Pollard remarked to the media that between his diverse skillset, he is best as a running back because he has been doing it all his life. However he has tallied many awards as a kick returner.
His six kick-return touchdowns are a school record and his 60 kick returns and 1,949 yards are both the second-most in program history. Pollard’s 32.5 kick-return average is top in the program history. He can be used in a variety of ways in big D with his diverse skillset.
Next on the clock, the Cowboys were supposed to have an additional pick in the fourth with their compensatory selection at No. 136, but Dallas traded it to the Cincinnati Bengals for a 149th pick in the fifth round, and a 213th in the sixth. But the team traded again with the Oakland Raiders, giving them the 149th in the fifth, and picking up Oakland’s 158th pick in the fifth and 218th in the seventh.
With the 158th overall pick in the Draft, Dallas selected cornerback, Michael Jackson out of Miami to strengthen their secondary core. He has the height/speed combo, 6’1 200 pounds, that Kris Richard loves. He is a physical player at the line of scrimmage and excels at man-to-man press coverage. His added competition will boost production from Chidobe Awuzie, who had a sophomore slump. In the event that Byron Jones chooses to walk when he hits the free agency market in 2020, Jackson will act as a contingency.
Jackson had a standout season in 2018 with highs in tackles for a loss with 3.5, sacks with 2.5, and six pass breakups, contributing to Miami being one of the nation’s top-ranked secondaries. He earned All-ACC Honorable Mention recognition. Now he has a chance to play for America’s Team under one of the league’s modern innovators, Kris Richard- who had a pivotal role in Byron Jones being named to the Pro Bowl his first year at corner in the NFL.
With their original 165th pick in the fifth round, the Cowboys selected another Miami player with the name Jackson: defensive end, Joe Jackson. Dallas was not particularly in need of a DE with Lawrence’s long-term contract squared away and the acquisition of Robert Quinn, but Chief Branding Officer, Stephen Jones, has emphasized over and over that the franchise is taking the best player available. For their draft board, Joe Jackson was it in their eyes.
His main trademark is his ability as a pass rusher, which Dallas needs help with. A prime example: the Cowboys loss to the Rams in the Divisional Round of Playoffs, due to the defense’s inability to stop the run. Both C.J. Anderson and Todd Gurley recorded over 100 rushing yards. Joe is a player who busts his butt at any position, even playing some outside linebacker at Miami. He could be a rotational player and weapon in the interior of Dallas’ d-line, or he could be a potential future high-caliber trade.
In 2018, Joe had a career-high in tackles for a loss with 14.5 and sacks with 9.0, along with an interception return for a touchdown. He earned All-ACC Honorable Mention recognition and he had a team-high nine quarterback hurries. He is a traditional 4-3 base end that will thrive in the Cowboys’ traditional one-gap d-line with a solid sack track record that will limit opposing QB’s in the pocket.
With the 213th pick in the sixth round, the Cowboys selected safety Donovan Wilson from Texas A&M. Wilson has both the leadership qualities and the height/speed combo that is a checkmark Kris Richard looks for.
Safety was a top priority need for the Cowboys in the Draft and they liked what they saw from Wilson, the former Aggie who led the team in 2018 with two interceptions and was second on the team with 66 total tackles, after suffering a season-ending ankle injury during the season-opening game against UCLA in 2017. He was given the Aggie Heart Award and the Defensive Leadership Award at the team’s annual banquet in 2018. Wilson has great physicality on the field and has nickel cover experience over the course of two seasons. He has good route recognition and will be an asset to Dallas’ defensive backfield, increasing the competition and performance level of the safety core.
With the 218th overall pick in the seventh round, Dallas selected running back, Mike Weber out of Ohio State. He is familiar with Ezekiel Elliott’s style of play that is a former Ohio State player as well, and he will be an additional backup to the team’s leading rusher. In 2016, he was ranked No.10 in the Big Ten in yards from scrimmage with 1,187, and was ranked No.9 in 2017 in the Big Ten in touchdowns from scrimmage with 10. As a redshirt freshman he won the Big Ten Freshman of the Year Award and second-team all-conference honors after rushing for 1,096 yards and totaling nine scores on 182 carries. A hamstring limited him as a sophomore, and his production slumped. Weber has solid agility and footwork to work around traffic and vision to make smart downhill decisions. He will be a viable option at RB behind Zeke.
With the 241st pick in the seventh round, the Cowboys selected defensive end, Jalen Jelks from Oregon. He finished his college career with 29.5 tackles for loss and 15.0 sacks. Jelks led the Pac-12 defensive lineman in tackles (57) in 2018 and led the league in TFL’s (14.0) in conference play in 2017. In 2018 he was named to Coaches Pac-12 All-Conference first team and the Phil Steele Pac-12 All-Conference first team. A key asset to Jelks, is his ability to bring lateral pressure from edge to edge with his quickness, and his experience as an interior lineman as well. Jelks will be used as an additional depth player in the interior of the defensive line.
