Although the Cowboys did not make their first pick until the third round, they still addressed many needs including those on the offensive line and in the secondary.

Dallas opened up the selection process at number 69 (round 3, pick 5) with an outside linebacker from Western Illinois, Jason Williams. The athletic, 6’1”, 241lbs Williams brings with him speed and quickness and could rush off the edge opposite DeMarcus Ware.

Next with the 75th pick (round 3, pick 11), the Cowboys addressed their aging offensive line by selecting 6’4”, 325lbs OT Robert Brewster from Ball State. Brewster will most likely move to Guard for the ‘Boys and instantly become one of the bigger players at his position in the NFL.

At pick 101 (round 4, pick 1), Dallas looked to solidify the backup quarterback spot by drafting a tough minded, developmental project in Stephen McGee out of Texas A&M. Spurred on by an excellent pro day performance, McGee earned the right to become a Dallas Cowboys quarterback by portraying the traits and physical tools to be a serviceable NFL quarterback.

With the 110th ( round 4, pick 10) selection in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Cowboys went with the defensive front seven once again by choosing DE Victor Butler out of Oregon State. The 6’2”, 248lbs Butler also had a great pro day after only starting one year in college to jump onto the Cowboys draft board. He will look to contribute on special teams in year one and has similar skills to Elvis Dumervil of the Denver Broncos.

Next the Cowboys took yet another defensive end in Brandon Williams (6’5”, 252lbs) with the 120th (round 4, pick 20) pick. Williams is out of Texas Tech and he was an underclassman that may have benefited from an additional year of college ball, but nonetheless he was drafted and has a chance to earn a living. Williams will fit the Cowboys 3-4 scheme nicely and will be playing with a chip on his shoulder to prove that he made the right choice by leaving school early.

With pick 143 (round 5, pick 7), the Cowboys selected cornerback DeAngelo Smith out of the University of Cincinnati. Smith stands at 5’11” and weighs 194lbs so he is a good sized corner. He excels in zone coverage and is very aggressive at jumping routes. He could see time at safety or corner for the Cowboys defense and might see time as a nickel back right away.

Pick 166 (round 5, pick 30), Dallas selected free safety Michael Hamlin (6’2”, 214lbs) from Clemson. Hamlin may be the steal of the draft for the Cowboys, but only time will tell on that. He is a rangy safety that likes to hit but does not have blazing speed.

At 172 (round 5, pick 36; compensatory), the Cowboys wanted to somewhat challenge incumbent kicker Nick Folk by drafting USC kicker David Buehler. In a somewhat surprising pick, the Cowboys made a selection for a position that wasn’t exactly a need as Folk won kicker of the year just two years ago.

Pick 197 (round 6, pick 24) addressed the safety position once again with TCU product Stephen Hodge (6’0”, 234lbs), although Hodge was really picked for his special teams prowess. Dallas had a major deficiency in special teams last season and used a lot of the later rounds in the draft to address that.

Pick 208 (round 6, pick 35) was the selection of a potential third string tight end in John Phillips (6’5”, 251lbs) out the University of Virginia. Phillips is a good blocking tight end and will fill the spot vacated by Tony Curtis nicely.

At pick 227 (round 7, pick 20) the Cowboys may have landed a gem in the ultra athletic cornerback out of the University of Cincinnati, Mike Mickens. He has the potential to be the third corner over Bearcat teammate and the Cowboys fifth round selection, DeAngelo Smith. This will make for an interesting dynamic in training camp and should prove to be entertaining to watch unfold.

The final selection of the Cowboys was pick 229 (round 7, pick 20) and they selected wide receiver Manuel Johnson (5’11”, 189lbs) out of the University of Oklahoma. Johnson may be a better pass catcher than fellow Sooner teammate Juaquin Iglesias who went in round three to the Chicago Bears. Johnson is a small receiver but that has not stopped pass catchers from being successful in the league before.

Overall Grade: A-

The Cowboys did a nice job of drafting based on needs for next season and not down the line. They addressed their needs at offensive line and on the defense. They made concise choices with an apparent game plan intact. If the draft takes shape come August like it did in April, then look for the Cowboys to finally get that playoff victory that has eluded them in over a decade.

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