Mel Kiper Jr., Field Yates debate what the Cowboys should do with first-round pick in NFL Draft

Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates dove into all the options for the Dallas Cowboys with the No. 12 pick.

Kiper Jr. and Yates discussed multiple players that the Cowboys could select in the first round during their episode of ‘First Draft’ for ESPN on Monday. Yates began that “spirited debate” by having Dallas take a cornerback, specifically Michigan CB Will Johnson, because of their future needs at that position

“I think the Cowboys have a bigger need at corner than some do…Here’s where I landed with Will Johnson. For those that are wondering whether Will Johnson is fast enough to play as a true, man-to-man corner, the Cowboys would be the perfect fit, right. Matt Eberflus, their new defensive coordinator who was with the Bears last year, albeit if not for the full season? The Bears were tied for the highest percentage of snaps in zone coverage last year, right. So, if you’re concerned about Will Johnson’s speed? No big deal. If you’re not concerned about it then it allows you to open up the defense a little bit more. You don’t have to be as zone-heavy because you have this great player.”

Kiper Jr. didn’t mind that opinion although not being sure that Johnson would still be available at No. 12.

“I like Will Johnson. I have no problem with the player here,” Kiper Jr. said. “I don’t know if he’s even going to be there. I don’t know if he would. This kid is a heck of a football player.”

However, Kiper Jr. had several other options that the Cowboys could consider with their first-rounder. Those were specifically for weapons for them at either running back or wide receiver.

“I just wonder, when you do a mock look at this, will it be Ashton Jeanty? Would it be a T-Mac if he were there – Tetairoa McMillan from Arizona, what if he slides down this far? You know, you could say Luther Burden III?” Kiper Jr. wondered.

The focus as it went, though, of course, fell on Jeanty. Kiper Jr. wasn’t certain that it’s the direction they’ll go in, especially with the position’s depth in this draft. Still, he did see him very much as a possibility for Dallas.

“I think Ashton Jeanty is the interesting guy because they have – I’ve brought it up with Emmitt Smith and Zeke Elliott. But then you had Tony Pollard. So I don’t know what they’re going to think about it,” Kiper Jr. said. “We can wait for the running back? If you’re going to wait, this would be a great year to wait. There’s so many running backs that you can get in the third, fourth, fifth round that are going to be really good if you pick the right one. There’s going to be a lot to choose from. Stack them properly and you’ll get a heck of a back, like Tony Pollard turned out to be and in the fourth round when he came out of college.”

“I don’t know what they’re going to do,” Kiper Jr. said. “I think, when you look at Dallas, do they take Ashton Jeanty? Plug-and-play running back. They need him, alright. He’s kind of the missing link…Or do they say, no, we can get a running back.”

Yates was even less sure about a selection of Jeanty for the Cowboys. He thinks he’ll be one of the top rookies for almost any franchise in the league. That said, considering Dallas’ issues, he doesn’t know if using a top-dozen pick on him is the wisest thing.

“I’ll say this, though, on the Cowboys. This applies to not just them but any team that might take Ashton Jeanty early in the draft,” said Yates. “It’s not that I think taking Ashton Jeanty is the wrong decision. It’s the less right decision if that makes sense, right. I’m just not going to blame a team for taking a player who’s fourth on my big board at twelfth overall. Like, I think Ashton Jeanty, unless he gets drafted by the Baltimore Ravens or Philadelphia Eagles where he’s got Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley ahead of him? He’s going to be the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year basically right wherever he goes. Any team that has a legit starter is not going to be taking Ashton Jeanty.”

“I’m not going to totally begrudge or crush the Cowboys if they decide to go down that path and take him with the twelfth overall pick. I just think, for a team that does have a variety of needs and doesn’t necessarily have all the resources that other teams are going to be sending in free agency because the Cowboys have a lot of very talented players who already make a lot of money, or guys like Micah Parsons who will soon make a lot of money? They need to be, I think, more thoughtful in the draft about spending on premium positions as opposed to a spot in running back where, not just history has told us you can find good value later, but this draft class has told us you can definitely find value somewhere on day three.”

Dallas will have a lot to decide just outside of the top-ten come draft night. That’s clear and was made even more so with how many names were mentioned by both Yates and Kiper Jr. this morning.