The Dallas Cowboys looked to be considering a trade back scenario when they were on the clock in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but ultimately they decided to pick at 56. Marshawn Kneeland was the selection, ranked number 32 overall by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler which is a high vote of confidence, and it felt a bit odd in the overall landscape of where the Cowboys are at right now.

While Kneeland certainly offers a lot of potential and has traits that can seemingly be developed (his size alone is impressive, but that he was so productive at Western Michigan while still learning how to rush is exciting), it is an interesting selection in the second round.

Ideally you walk away with someone in the second round who you can plug and play right away. With DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons as the team’s primary edge rushers (not to mention Sam Williams), snaps will be hard to come by for Kneeland, similar to how they were for Williams throughout his rookie year of 2022.

In fact, we are just now entering a point in time where Williams is expected to see a legitimate workload and a big reason for that is the departure of Dorance Armstrong in free agency. It seems as if the Cowboys are looking at the future in a similar way with Kneeland because this coming year is the final one on DeMarcus Lawrence’s contract.

It is a good and wise thing that the Cowboys are planning for the future so soundly, and taking swings at important positions like pass rushers is certainly not a bad thing. But again, you would have liked to have seen someone who can offer a little bit more right away given the amount of needs the team entered the draft with. Also if we are going to subscribe to a methodology of being forward-thinking (which we should!) how about applying that same disposition to contract extensions?

This discussion is not meant to take away from Kneeland as he is indeed a fun player who can potentially turn into something exciting for the Cowboys; however, this seems about 2025 more than anything barring any sort of surprise.

DeMarcus Lawrence was a second-round pick himself 10 years ago. My how time flies.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wheeled and dealed in the first round of the NFL Draft Thursday night, and came away with what he hopes is a future franchise quarterback and a top edge rusher.

The Minnesota Vikings moved up to the No. 10 pick, and with it, drafted Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Later, they moved up from No. 23 to No. 17 and took Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner. It’s Kevin O’Connell’s firm belief that in a normal draft not littered with offensive talent, Turner otherwise wouldn’t have been available in that spot.

The Vikings introduced both McCarthy and Turner at TCO Performance Center on Friday. It was a long day of waiting for McCarthy, who was one of several quarterbacks who he says wanted to come to Minnesota. He got his moment.

“It was definitely better than what I expected. I woke up that morning and felt like my stomach was in my throat. It’s once in a lifetime, when that phone call came it was something different,” McCarthy said. “Now it’s just let’s get to work.”

McCarthy threw for 2,991 yards, 22 touchdowns and four interceptions to lead Michigan to the national title. He beat Alabama and Turner in the College Football Playoff semifinals on New Year’s Day.

“Game wrecker. We knew No. 15 was somebody we were going to have to worry about,” McCarthy said.

They’re now teammates.

“I’m going to be honest, J.J. definitely hurt my feelings January 1. After the game I kind of unfollowed him on Instagram, I was a little salty,” Turner said. “We’re teammates now. That’s my ride or die now.”

McCarthy said several teammates have already reached out to him, including Justin Jefferson. The “J.J. to J.J.” puns are already flying.

“Surreal. He already let me know I go by Jets, so we don’t get any confusion there,” McCarthy said. “He told me confidence is key in this league.”

Turner comes to the Vikings after 14.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks for the Crimson Tide last year. He joins a defense that added Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Dinkel and Blake Cashman in free agency. What’s Turner looking forward to in playing for Brian Flores?

“The sacks that are produced by him and how he frees his pass rushers up to make a lot of plays,” Turner said.

His football career changed in ninth grade. Growing up in youth football, he was an offensive skill position player. His high school coach, Patrick Surtain, asked him to switch to defensive end for one play. It was a sack.

“That one rep changed my whole football career. Ever since then, my hand was in the dirt,” Turner said.”

The Dallas Cowboys did what they hoped to do entering the first round—they traded out of pick No. 24 with the Detroit Lions to get another top-100 pick. The Cowboys traded No. 24 and a seventh-round pick in 2025 to get No. 73 in the third round from the Lions. The Lions overpaid for the pick but were eager to select one of the top cornerbacks in Terrion Arnold. Credit to Patrik Walker for proposing the trade in his mock draft this week.

So where did America’s Team go? With the 29th pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected offensive tackle Tyler Guyton from Oklahoma. At nearly 6’8” and 322 pounds, the team gets an absolute mountain of a man at offensive tackle. On the first day of practices at the Senior Bowl, Guyton was the talk of the town.

There might not be as much of a ripple effect as people could expect. Guyton is still raw as a player. He has all the traits to be an All-Pro tackle, but there’s still a way to go in his development. That doesn’t mean he can’t start from day one, but he might take time to develop. If the worst happens, Tyler Smith could move to the left tackle and let T.J. Bass and whoever else compete at left guard while Guyton gets a bit more seasoning.

From listening to the Dallas Cowboys Draft Show, it sounds like the team was willing to select Guyton at pick No. 24. Instead, they took him five picks later while also picking up an extra third-round pick. There’s not a lot to be upset about, especially with the way the Cowboys have been able to develop first-round offensive linemen over the years (Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, Zack Martin, Tyler Smith).

So what’s next?

Needs entering Day 2: RB, C, LB, DT, CB, WR

Day 2gets more interesting for the Cowboys now that they pick three times at No. 56, 73 (from the Lions), and 87. The last time Dallas gained another third-round pick in the first round was in 2021 from the Philadelphia Eagles to take Osa Odighizuwa, and that’s turned out pretty well for them.

Jane Slater of NFL Network connected running back Jonathan Brooks to the Cowboys early in the draft process and doubled down on that potential before round one.

Dallas won’t be taking Brooks in the first round, but could they trade up from No. 56 and use draft capital from next season to do so? Michael Gehlken noted that it could be a possibility with the potential compensatory picks coming their way in 2025.

If there’s no running back they love in the second round, the team could prefer to take a linebacker if players like Junior Colson, Payton Wilson, or Edgerrin Cooper are there. The third round could be an area where Dallas double dips at the offensive line if they feel like a center prospect is too good to pass up, and having the extra pick allows them to even take a look at running backs if they haven’t hit that position yet.

All of the possibilities are on the table now that the Cowboys filled their need at left tackle and can go into day two with three picks looking to fill more needs as we get closer to the 2024 season.