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Cowboys not looking to take injury risks in this year's draft
Would the Cowboys look at a player like Michigan tight end Jake Butt, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his final game but could be ready training camp? Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
7:00 AM CT
FRISCO, Texas -- Jerry Jones never could quite get himself to say it at the time, but when the Dallas Cowboys selected Jaylon Smith in the second round of last year's draft, they knew he would need a redshirt year, so to speak.
Smith suffered a serious knee injury in his final game for Notre Dame that included nerve damage in his left knee. While some teams took Smith off the board, the Cowboys felt confident Smith would be able to play again in part because one of their physicians, Dr. Daniel Cooper, performed the surgery.
Smith spent his rookie season on the non-football injury list, but the Cowboys believe he will be ready to contribute in some form in 2017.
NFL draft home page »
• 2017 NFL draft order »
• Mel Kiper Jr.: Mock 3.0 »
• Todd McShay: Mock 3.0 »
• Todd McShay's Top 32 »
• Mel Kiper Jr.'s Big Board »
• McShay: Top prospects by position »
• Mel Kiper Jr.: Top 10 by position »
• Pro day schedule for prospects »
• Underclassmen who have declared »
• NFL draft player rankings »
Would the Cowboys consider taking risks on talent in this upcoming draft even if they might not be 100 percent ready for Week 1?
Tight end Jake Butt suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his final game for Michigan, but could be ready for the start of training camp. He would fit a potential need for the Cowboys even with the ageless Jason Witten signing a four-year extension on Tuesday.
Cornerback Sidney Jones has first-round talent, but suffered a torn Achilles in his pro day workout at Washington. That is normally a long recovery and the team might be leery of selecting a cornerback, despite their need, with that type of injury. Another top cornerback, UCLA's Fabian Moreau, suffered a torn pectoral in his pro day that required surgery. He is looking at being ready by training camp as well.
The Cowboys have a history of drafting injured players.
In 2011 the Cowboys drafted linebacker Bruce Carter in the second round despite a torn ACL that kept him out for the first six games of his rookie season. In 2010, they drafted Sean Lee in the second round despite knowing he had a partial tear to his ACL. Lee eventually suffered a full tear in 2014 and missed the season. In 2015, they drafted linebacker Mark Nzeocha in the seventh round despite a knee injury that kept him out for most of his rookie season.
With the defections of Barry Church, Brandon Carr, Morris Claiborne, Terrell McClain, Jack Crawford and J.J. Wilcox, and Nolan Carroll and Stephen Paea as the best additions, the Cowboys will need to find players that can help immediately.
It even has the ultimate gambler, Jones, thinking conservatively.
"Drafting a player this year that is going to be redshirted high, with some of our needs, that gets problematic a little bit," Jones said in this Star Telegram story. "Doing a Jaylon this year when we are probably going to get a chance to get a player that's got a chance to play. We've got to play young."
Would the Cowboys look at a player like Michigan tight end Jake Butt, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his final game but could be ready training camp? Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
7:00 AM CT
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Todd ArcherESPN Staff Writer
FRISCO, Texas -- Jerry Jones never could quite get himself to say it at the time, but when the Dallas Cowboys selected Jaylon Smith in the second round of last year's draft, they knew he would need a redshirt year, so to speak.
Smith suffered a serious knee injury in his final game for Notre Dame that included nerve damage in his left knee. While some teams took Smith off the board, the Cowboys felt confident Smith would be able to play again in part because one of their physicians, Dr. Daniel Cooper, performed the surgery.
Smith spent his rookie season on the non-football injury list, but the Cowboys believe he will be ready to contribute in some form in 2017.
NFL draft home page »
• 2017 NFL draft order »
• Mel Kiper Jr.: Mock 3.0 »
• Todd McShay: Mock 3.0 »
• Todd McShay's Top 32 »
• Mel Kiper Jr.'s Big Board »
• McShay: Top prospects by position »
• Mel Kiper Jr.: Top 10 by position »
• Pro day schedule for prospects »
• Underclassmen who have declared »
• NFL draft player rankings »
Would the Cowboys consider taking risks on talent in this upcoming draft even if they might not be 100 percent ready for Week 1?
Tight end Jake Butt suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his final game for Michigan, but could be ready for the start of training camp. He would fit a potential need for the Cowboys even with the ageless Jason Witten signing a four-year extension on Tuesday.
Cornerback Sidney Jones has first-round talent, but suffered a torn Achilles in his pro day workout at Washington. That is normally a long recovery and the team might be leery of selecting a cornerback, despite their need, with that type of injury. Another top cornerback, UCLA's Fabian Moreau, suffered a torn pectoral in his pro day that required surgery. He is looking at being ready by training camp as well.
The Cowboys have a history of drafting injured players.
In 2011 the Cowboys drafted linebacker Bruce Carter in the second round despite a torn ACL that kept him out for the first six games of his rookie season. In 2010, they drafted Sean Lee in the second round despite knowing he had a partial tear to his ACL. Lee eventually suffered a full tear in 2014 and missed the season. In 2015, they drafted linebacker Mark Nzeocha in the seventh round despite a knee injury that kept him out for most of his rookie season.
With the defections of Barry Church, Brandon Carr, Morris Claiborne, Terrell McClain, Jack Crawford and J.J. Wilcox, and Nolan Carroll and Stephen Paea as the best additions, the Cowboys will need to find players that can help immediately.
It even has the ultimate gambler, Jones, thinking conservatively.
"Drafting a player this year that is going to be redshirted high, with some of our needs, that gets problematic a little bit," Jones said in this Star Telegram story. "Doing a Jaylon this year when we are probably going to get a chance to get a player that's got a chance to play. We've got to play young."
