5 players the Cowboys should draft in the first round

4. Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama

During last year’s draft, Jones nabbed a high-potential cornerback in the second round with Trevon Diggs. Coming out of Alabama, he was coming off two strong final seasons as a junior and senior.

It took Diggs some time to acclimate to the NFL, but he did fight through early growing pains to play well at the end of the season. In coverage, he allowed a 54.8 completion percentage against on 84 targets (31st in the NFL), and he picked off three passes.

Diggs was a solid addition, and he can continue to develop into a  top-level starting corner. The same may not be said for the team’s other corners, which is why drafting Patrick Surtain II may be wise in this situation.

Surtain, like Diggs, attended Alabama, playing three seasons for the Crimson Tide and starting 40 games. In 2020, he was named a Consensus All-America and also the SEC Defensive Player of the Year.

According to The Draft Network, Surtain is a lengthy corner who plays well in press-man coverage. A man-to-man, physical corner is something this team’s defense could desperately use to take away the opponent’s best receivers and give those pass rushers time to get into the backfield.

Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis are both unrestricted free agents this offseason. In terms of dollars, Lewis may return, but Awuzie has a projected market value on Spotrac of $8.5 million a year.

With money a bit tight and a potentially mammoth deal heading Prescott’s way, drafting Surtain to replace Awuzie is cheaper and provides a higher potential.