2023 NFL Draft: Full list of Cowboys draft picks, including possible team fits, remaining needs, more

The Dallas Cowboys entered the NFL Draft 2023 in a great spot. They essentially brought all of their starters back on defense after a great period of free agency plus the trade for former Defensive Player of the Year cornerback Stephen Gilmore. Gilmore closed a significant gap to Trevon Diggs defensively in the Cowboys secondary. Dallas’ biggest offensive need was also addressed, a legitimate No. 2 wide receiver versus CeeDee Lamb, with the trade takeover of Brandin is cooking.

Given these developments, the Jones family, Jerry and Stephen, decided to go for a “needs-based” choice rather than a “best available player” selection as they went with Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith with their 26th overall pick. Players in potentially more impactful positions such as edge rusher (Georgia’s Nolan Smith and Clemson’s Myles Murphy), cornerback (Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr.), and tight end (Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer) were also available for Dallas.

Yes, starting defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins is 31 years old and has a one-year contract, but after the Cowboys crushed free agency and having hit home runs on each of their last three picks in the first round (Pro Bowl wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons, and offensive lineman Tyler Smith), Dallas had higher hopes for this pick. While Quinn has worked on this defense for the past two seasons, Smith could easily make a solid contribution to the Silver and Blue sooner rather than later.

The second round was the same story for the Cowboys, another “needs-based” selection from Michigan with their second-rounder, the 58th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, in tight end Luke Schoonmaker. With the departure of Dalton Schultz to the Houston Texans on a one-year, $6.3 million free agency deal, the Cowboys were left with Jake Ferguson from the 2022 fourth round (19 catches, 174 receiving yards, and two career receiving touchdowns) ), 2022 undrafted free agent Peyton Hendershot (11 catches, 103 receiving yards and two career receiving touchdowns), and 25-year-old Sean McKeon (two catches and 11 career receiving yards) in the tight finishing position.

Given that state of their cramped endroom, Schoonmaker comes off the board, making him the fifth player at his position to be selected in the 2023 NFL Draft. The roster makes him the Cowboys’ most drafted tight end since Gavin Escobar was 47th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. He set or tied numerous career highs during his senior season with the Wolverines with 35 receptions, 418 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in an offense built around grounding Big Ten opponents into submission with their run play. Schoonmaker can separate his routes and he has a vise-like grip when securing the football. He’s also an incredibly powerful blocker, both in-line and in space. However, cleaner does not really pose a threat after the catch. Jerry Jones can now tick the tight finishing position, but the choice is probably a bit of a range given the player chosen.

Jerry Jones and the rest of the Cowboys front office chose to close shop with another defenseman on Friday, selecting Texas Longhorns linebacker DeMarvion Overshown with their pick in the third round, the 90th overall pick.

Overshown is strong in the chase when it comes to playing against the run, and he’s a big hitter for his 6-foot-3,229-pound height. He is a former safety who plays the run better than he defends in pass coverage. However, he is quick and fast enough (4.56 40-yard dash) to act as a skilled quarterback spy for the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback and Jalen Hurts, the 2022 NFL MVP runner-up, and for the quarterback Daniel Jones with double threat from the New York Giants. He will come in and compete for the photos of the late Anthony Barr. The big question is can he become a more reliable tackler? He had a missed tackle rate of 12.7%, a figure that is way too high. If there’s a defensive coach that can help him get a better footing in that area, it’s Dan Quinn.

Cowboys team needs: OG, S, DL, LB, RB, C, TE (through Josh Edwards)

Cowboys 2023 draft picks

How Tony Pollard’s future could affect Cowboys draft approach

Cowboys Pro Bowl runs back Tony Pollard, who led the NFL in scrimmage yards per touch (5.9) in 2022 among players with at least 200 touches and comes off a broken fibula suffered in the playoffs loss of the division in Dallas at the San Francisco 49ers, will play a major factor in how Dallas approaches the running back position in the upcoming draft. He turns 26 on April 30 and enters the 2023 season at the franchise tag at a fully guaranteed salary of $10.09 million.

“It’s going to be a tough decision as we move forward where Tony will be, Pollard, and how he fits in,” Stephen Jones said Monday. “He will be here this year, and he has a franchise and that shows what we think of him. We also look forward to keeping him here for the next three or four years.”

Though the Cowboys, after coming just short of former Dallas and running back Ezekiel Elliott’s huge contract after selecting him fourth overall in 2016, seem in no hurry to trade to run back early.

“What I would say to you is… you really think we should get a second contract out of that deal,” said Stephen Jones. “So, does it affect you when you think about backing up that high? Yeah. If you really start looking as you go through the draft down you’d like to hope that you’ll have success that player gets a second contract, but in my opinion not so necessary that you necessarily have to get that second contract.”

Here’s a look at a few other draft angles from the Dallas Cowboys that CBS Sports has covered leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft.

Day 3 (rounds 4-7) of the 2023 NFL Draft kicks off Saturday, April 29 at noon ET.