Following Jason Williams, they chose Ball State offensive lineman Robert Brewster (6-foot-4, 325 pounds). He played tackle in college but projects to be a guard in the NFL. In the fourth round, the Cowboys snagged Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee. He is the first quarterback drafted by the Cowboys since Quincy Carter in 2001 and just the second since 1991.
And after trading down with Tampa Bay in the fourth round and gaining an extra seventh round pick, the Cowboys stayed closer to home with Texas Tech's Brandon Williams, who went to high school at Fort Worth South Hills. Williams played defensive end in college but he will move to outside linebacker in the NFL. Williams, who left Texas Tech after his junior year, recorded 13 sacks in 2008, earning first-team All-Big 12 honors.
The Cowboys finally make their first pick in the third round of the NFL Draft on Sunday, choosing Western Illinois linebacker Jason Williams.
The Cowboys are looking for interior line depth and want to groom someone to eventually replace left guard Kyle Kosier.
The 6-1, 241-pound Jason Williams wasn't invited to the combine. But his stock rose steadily in the days and weeks leading up to the draft after he clocked a time of 4.49 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the Western Illinois Pro Day.
The Cowboys used their second fourth-round pick to choose another linebacker, Oregon State's Victor Butler. He played defensive end in college but projects to an outside linebacker in the Cowboys' 3-4 scheme. He is versatile and he can get to the quarterback. Butler recorded 22.5 sacks the past two years, including 12 as a senior when he was named first team all-Pac 10.
The Cowboys finally addressed their secondary needs in the fifth round with the selection of Cincinnati cornerback De Angelo Smith and safety Mike Hamlin. Smith gives the Cowboys another body at a thin cornerback position, but he also will bring much needed help to the return game (he returned punts and kicks a senior).
They stayed close to home in the sixth round, taking TCU strong safety Stephen Hodge. While there is a question as to whether Hodge can play safety in the NFL or should move down to inside linebacker, his initial impact will be on special teams. He, too, visited the team facility two weeks before the draft.
The Cowboys' final selections were tight end John Phillips (Virginia) in sixth round, and Cincinnati cornerback Mike Mickens and Oklahoma receiver Manual Johnson in the seventh.
Mickens was projected to be a fourth-round pick by some analysts, so he should give the Cowboys a lot of value in the seventh. He was graded down because of a knee injury he suffered late in the season that kept him from working out at the combine. But Mickens led the nation in interceptions last year and was named all-Big East all four years at college. He could be the team's fourth cornerback next season.
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