In the last week, the buzz around the Dallas Cowboys pursuing a pass rusher with the No. 14 pick in the first round has been growing.
Jerry Jones did little to squelch that talk in an interview Friday with the Dallas Morning News:
"I wouldn't want to get into it," Jones said when asked about the players the team is eying. "But certainly there are some people that can help teams in the NFL as an outside linebacker-type pass rusher. Yes, there are those."
By filling holes in their offensive line and defensive backfield in free agency, Dallas opened up room to go after the best available player on their board in the first round.
And as Jones notes, pass rushers are always at a premium, especially in the modern pass-first NFL.
If the Cowboys want to make a deep playoff run in the NFC, they're going to have to go through Eli Manning, Michael Vick, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees. Unless you have Deion Sanders lining up in the secondary, it's going to be a lot easier to beat an elite passing QB by hitting him in the face than running with his WR's.
Stay tuned to SB Nation Dallas' NFL Draft storystream for in-depth scouting reports on some of the pass rushers Dallas might target in the first round and check out Blogging The Boys for all your up-to-the-second analysis about America's Team.