2018 Dallas Cowboys Mock Draft: Four-Round Prediction

The Dallas Cowboys finished the season 9-7, but missed the playoffs and experienced plenty of disappointment. The 2018 NFL Draft will be crucial in helping improve heading toward next season.

The Dallas Cowboys have had an eventful year, but not in the most positive light. The season was wrought with distractions, disappointing defeats, stagnant offenses, and impressive individual performances. It was a roller-coaster season, in every sense of the word.

Ezekiel Elliott’s suspension dominated the headlines. Week in and Week out, Zeke was fighting for his season and filed appeal after appeal. In the end, the suspension was upheld, and he missed six weeks of the season. During this six weeks, the Cowboys went 3-3. However, the three losses became one of the most embarrassing stretches in team history, losing 92-22 overall. While Elliott’s absence was definitely part of the problem, injuries to Tyron Smith and Sean Lee contributed to the poor performances.

It wasn’t all bad though, as DeMarcus Lawrence had the breakout season that so many Cowboys fans have been hoping for. He finished the regular season with 14.5 sacks, tied for 2nd in the NFL.  He was credited with a qb “pressure” for nearly 11 percent of his pass rushes, the highest percentage in the NFL. For most of the season, Lawrence looked like a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. David Irving stepped up as well, despite missing a lot of the season with a suspension and injuries. The Cowboys’ young secondary improved dramatically over the course of the season and look primed for a bright future.

A lot happened in 2017, but it only makes the 2018 draft that much more crucial. The Dallas Cowboys will have to find guys who can make a big impact early. Lucky for them, they’ll have a slew of comp picks due to the number of departing free agents last year. Using them wisely will make all the difference in reversing the negativity from this season.