The Cowboys sat on the clock – for their entire ten minutes – with Blaine Gabbert as a trade chip and had the potential to move down with all of their potential targets still on the board. Instead, they took the best player on their board who also happens to play at their biggest need position.
↵This team simply is not going to challenge for a Super Bowl – no matter how much the pass defense does or doesn’t improve – until it fixes its offensive line, and drafting someone who fits Smith’s profile is a great start.
↵Anthony Castonzo and Nate Solder may not have vastly inferior grades on the Cowboys’ board, but Smith was their top rated player. When you have the opportunity to pick in the top ten, you want to add impact caliber talent and assets, and Smith was their best opportunity to add that.