NFL Draft 2017 News: Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders, Green Bay Packers Eyeing Defense?

With most of the top free agents having signed new contracts, NFL teams are now looking towards the 2017 draft to improve their rosters. That includes playoff teams that won’t have high first-round picks because of impressive regular seasons.

The Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers are in similar positions with less than two weeks remaining until the draft. All three teams have selections in the bottom third of the draft after failing to reach the Super Bowl.

Oakland and Green Bay have been linked to running backs, but the three teams seem to all have similar needs. They’ll likely be going with a defensive player in the first round, hoping to take one step closer towards playing in Super Bowl LII.

Dallas Cowboys

After losing safety Barry Church and cornerback Morris Claiborne in free agency, Dallas’ biggest glaring weakness is their pass defense. Even though it improved last year, the Cowboys’ ability to slow down opposing quarterbacks still left little to be desired in 2016. Twenty-five teams allowed fewer yards through the air, and opposing quarterbacks averaged a more than respectable 94.1 passer rating.

As a result, most mock drafts have the Cowboys taking either a pass rush or a cornerback at No.28 overall. USC’s Adoree’ Jackson and Alabama’s Marlon Humphrey are options for Dallas in the secondary. In terms of players that can get to the quarterback, Wisconsin linebacker T.J. Watt and Missouri linebacker Charles Harris might make sense. The Cowboys might be hoping for the chance to draft Takkarist McKinley, but there’s a good chance he’ll be selected in the middle of the first round.

Oakland Raiders

Even with NFL defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack on the roster, the Raiders made the playoffs because of their offense. That’s why Oakland stood no chance to do any damage in the postseason when quarterback Derek Carr suffered a season-ending injury. The team allowed Brock Osweiler to post a 90.1 passer rating, and arguably the NFL’s worst starting quarterback won a postseason game on Wild-Card Weekend.

Drafting four spots ahead of Dallas, Oakland will consider the same cornerbacks. Kevin King of Washington is also an option, and some draft experts expect him to go to either the Raiders or Seattle Seahawks at No. 26. But after signing safety Reggie Nelson and cornerback Sean Smith last offseason, the Raiders could look to improve their linebacking corps. Temple’s Hasson Reddick and Florida’s Jarrad Davis are possibilities at No.24.

Green Bay Packers

Just four spots ahead of the second round, the Packers’ first-round selection will be based very much on what happens in front of them. Green Bay will consider Humphrey, but they might go with Colorado’s Chidobe Awuzie or Florida’s Quincy Wilson if other top cornerbacks are off the board.

T.J. Watt might be a good fit for the Packers, though he might not be around when they are ready to pick. That could make someone like Michigan State defensive tackle Malik McDowell an intriguing pick for Green Bay, who certainly doesn’t need to improve greatly on offense. Aaron Rodgers led the Packers to the NFL’s fourth-highest scoring average in 2016. The Packers beat the Cowboys 34-31 in the divisional round of the playoffs.