Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Dallas Cowboys urged by analyst to make this 'smart' move in NFL Draft

Originally posted on NFL Analysis Network
By Matthew Schmidt | Last updated 4/15/24

The Dallas Cowboys have reached a stalemate with Dak Prescott in contract negotiations, leaving the status of the quarterback position in question for the club beyond 2024.

The Cowboys seem prepared to allow Prescott to play out the final year of his deal next season, which would mean he would be able to test the free-agent market next March.

While it may have seemed unthinkable a few months ago, momentum seems to be building toward Dallas potentially going in a different direction from Prescott in 2025, and former NFL linebacker and current Fox Sports analyst Emmanuel Acho thinks the team needs to start making arrangements now.

During a recent episode of FS1’s Speak, Acho said that the smart thing for the Cowboys to do in the NFL Draft is select a quarterback.

Acho says that while it is certainly not Dallas’ modus operandi to take quarterbacks high in the NFL Draft, it would may serve the franchise well to learn from other squads like the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs, who used first-round picks on signal-callers in spite of having a very capable one on the roster.

The question is, who could the Cowboys take?

Dallas owns the 24th pick in the first round, meaning that the top four prospects—Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels and J.J. McCarthy—are out of the question. Oregon’s Bo Nix will probably go in the teens, and trading up from No. 24 to that spot may prove difficult.

That likely leaves Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., who is projected to be either a late first-rounder or a second-round pick.

Would the Cowboys—a ballclub that is trying to win a Super Bowl now—seriously ignore other needs on their roster in order to prepare for Prescott’s potential exit?

It’s certainly an interesting suggestion from Acho, and it’s one that Dallas may have to take into consideration.

Of course, if the Cowboys do select a quarterback in the first round, they would essentially be telling the world that they plan to move on from Prescott after next season, and Dallas may not want to do that.

This article first appeared on NFL Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: