There's always a debate about whether or not a head coach and his staff are the most important part of an NFL team. Surely, ridiculously bad coaches are a detriment to any roster, but outside of that, just how much impact can a coach have? It's almost impossible to separate leadership and direction from roster talent. Fans in Dallas know that Barry Switzer was able to take Jimmy Johnson's roster and parlay that into a championship, just as fans in New England know the legendary Bill Belichick wasn't able to find success once Tom Brady left for Tampa and won a Lombardi trophy in Florida.
The ability of a front office to identify talent, and manage the roster as draft picks turn into veterans is probably more fundamental of a role in a team's success than the day-to-day coaching aspect. Which is why the Cowboys' money man Stephen Jones is the ire of so many corners of the Dallas fanbase. Will McClay seems to do an applaudable job of identifying talent when he doesn't need to bend to the whims of a coaching staff's insistence, but Jones' failure to win a negotiation or bring in outside talent seems to doom those efforts.
Nonetheless, the needs refresh every year and the best tool in an personnel director's bag is an ability to identify star players who are projected lower than where they should be. Finding gold where others see a reach is the fundamental gift that separates top evaluators from the rest.
This draft class has a definite, beauty-is-in-the-beholder's-eye feel to it. Seen as a lackluster class, franchises are going to move in and out of their draft slots and select players the draft boards think should be much lower. At the end of the day, it won't matter whether the Daniel Jeremiahs, Mel Kipers and their ilk feel about a pick. The GM that finds the DaRon Blands, Puka Nacuas and the like are the ones who will be revered when it's all said and done.
Reaching for players is one thing. Reaching for players and hitting? That's where front office legends are made. Looking at the consensus draft boards, here are three picks, seen as being outside the range of the Cowboys' first, second and third-round selections, we feel would shock the public but earn their adoration when it's all said and done.
Favorite Outside Top 20 pick for No. 12. Safety Malaki Starks, Georgia
Starks has Pro Bowl potential and has the ability to be a slot defender as well as a single-high or split safety; he's that talented. If Dallas doesn't resolve their nickel corner role with a high-pedigree player in post-draft free agency, Starks can start there as a rookie, no problem. If they have a NCB, he can replace Donovan Wilson or Malik Hooker, neither of which is a perfect fit in a split-safety system.
He's a highly intelligent defensive back who is strong in both coverage, range and tackling.
