Cowboys NFL Draft Needs by Position: Does Dallas Already Employ a Sleeper QB Behind Dak?

Dallas Cowboys 2020 NFL Draft Needs by Position: Does Dallas Already Employ a Sleeper QB Behind Dak Prescott?

The 2020 April NFL Draft will soon be upon us. The Dallas Cowboys have of course already started the process in preparation for the re-loading of the roster, with new coach Mike McCarthy set to blend his philosophies into the big board to be built by personnel boss Will McClay.

Today: Cowboys NFL Draft Needs by Position: Dallas Cowboys 2020 NFL Draft Needs by Position: Is The Offensive Line Already Deep Enough?

2020 DALLAS COWBOYS DRAFT NEEDS: QUARTERBACK

CURRENT PLAYERS AT POSITION: Dak Prescott (starter), Cooper Rush.

2020 FREE AGENTS: Prescott.

DRAFT NEED: Low.

THE BREAKDOWN: We all know the deal here. Prescott is going to be a free agent in March but the Cowboys aren’t going to let him go anywhere, not at this point. Prescott spend part of the year playing, frankly, at an MVP-caliber level.

Prescott is going to get a new long-term deal. The only questions are when and how much. Ideally, the Cowboys want this done before they have to use the franchise tag in March so that if they have to use it on Amari Cooper, they can. After all, Prescott and Cooper are the Cowboys’ top two free agents going into 2020 (and I broke all that down in my most recent Cowboys free-agent power rankings). (Being the final year of the CBA, there are two usable tags. But that's not Dallas' plan here.)

What is behind Prescott should concern you. Rush isn’t going to scare teams if Prescott gets hurt. Clayton Thorsen is on the practice squad and I'd argue the Northwestern product is not the emergency quarterback you want. (Though Fish tell me there are people at The Star who think highly of Thorsen.)

Does Dak Prescott's future start with the franchise tag and end with $40M APY? https://t.co/W4Wan7lToz

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) January 23, 2020

So the Cowboys’ biggest task this offseason (outside of actually signing Dak) is to find a quarterback to capably back up Prescott. And that quarterback shouldn’t be a rookie at this point. It makes more sense for owner/general manager Jerry Jones and the personnel team to find a veteran who can step in and keep the team’s hopes afloat if Prescott gets hurt.

Worth noting: New head coach Mike McCarthy comes from a Green Bay program that always tried to have more QBs in the pipeline. Smart.

Assuming the Cowboys sign Prescott to the long-term deal we all think he’ll get and the Cowboys agree they need a veteran presence behind Prescott for emergencies, then the need for and the likelihood of the Cowboys taking a quarterback in the 2020 Draft is low.