Elliott should be the Offensive Rookie of the Year front runner. He's a do-everything running back who immediately jumps Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden on the depth chart. If you assume Smith can come back in 2017 and play like he did at Notre Dame before his injury - and that is a bold assumption - the Cowboys got a likely top 10 pick. He did everything the Fighting Irish asked him to do. The Cowboys got help up front with Maliek Collins and Charles Tapper, but did they wait too long to get pass rushing help in the draft? Grabbing Rico Gathers in the sixth round was worth the flyer. His size is impressive, but we'll see if the former basketball player can make the conversion.
—Dan Kadar, SB Nation
He can run with power and vision, can play a role in the passing game and is an accomplished pass protector. The knock, of course, is that in today's NFL you don't draft running backs this high and the Cowboys have a pretty crowded backfield with Darren McFadden, Alfred Morris and Lance Dunbar. But a player with Elliott's talent, behind an offensive line like Dallas has, could be transcendent.
Smith was a top five type talent that fell down the board after a gruesome knee injury put his career in jeopardy. He is likely going to be unable to play in 2016, a gamble given the Cowboys needs on defense this season. If Smith recovers from his knee injury, the Cowboys got a steal, people compare him to guys like Luke Kuechly. He's a fast linebacker that can go sideline to sideline and he doesn't need to come off the field, he's a three-down guy. The Cowboys team doctor performed the knee surgery on Smith, and the hope is the nerve damage will regenerate and he will recover fully. Still, it's a gamble from a franchise that has never been shy of taking a gamble.
The Cowboys have now addressed the running back position with first round pick Ezekiel Elliott. In the second round, Dallas took a flyer on Jaylon Smith who won't hit the field this year, but is a long-term investment at linebacker. Now they have added an interior defensive lineman in Maliek Collins. The Cowboys still have needs at defensive end and in the secondary, they could also use another wide receiver and a quarterback with an eye towards the future.
Tapper is a versatile end with a big physical build. He has some athleticism but needs to work on his technique. Pad level and hand placement are two of the criticisms, but obviously something that can be fixed with coaching. There is a lot of raw potential with Tapper.
Prescott was once thought of as a running quarterback who could throw a little. That is no longer the case as his final years in college showed he's a well-rounded talent. He certainly has the physical traits to make life difficult for NFL defenders, and he also has a big arm. He would benefit from sitting in a system for a few years while refining his technique and footwork, something he can do in Dallas.
Brown is better in zone coverage and is a willing tackler. His team was poor in pass coverage but he managed to stand out. On the downside he gave up a lot of touchdowns and received far too many penalties.
Frazier is a reliable run defender, but what Frazier can do on special teams is probably what's going to keep him on the roster. And with Barry Church potentially hitting free agency next year, getting a strong safety makes sense.
The Dallas Cowboys used their third pick in the sixth round to select Darius Jackson, a running back out of Eastern Michigan. This is a little bit of a surprising pick for Dallas considering they already drafted Ezekiel Elliott, and have Darren McFadden, Alfred Morris and Lance Dunbar already in the stable. The Cowboys were obviously impressed with his Pro Day numbers and his combination of size and speed.
Gathers hasn't played football since he was 13 years old, is a standout basketball player from Baylor and is trying to follow the likes of Antonio Gates and Jimmy Graham by making it to the NFL at tight end despite his lack of football experience. For the Cowboys, this is a high ceiling, low risk player. And with your last pick in the draft, why not take a flier on a guy that is 6'6, 273lbs and who can run and jump. The Cowboys worked him out prior to the draft, so they know what they are getting, and they saw enough to invest their last pick in this prospect.