How do the Dallas Cowboys surprise second-day draft picks fit with 2024 team?

Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft was about multiple picks, not one specific pick for the Dallas Cowboys.

After trading back in the first round from No. 24 to 29 with the Detroit Lions, netting an extra third-round pick while also filling a need by taking to Oklahoma left tackle Tyler Guyton, the Cowboys took advantage of their extra draft capital with three picks that should make impacts in 2024.

The Cowboys started off with Western Michigan defensive end Marshawn Kneeland with their first pick on Friday, the second round, 56th overall.

While possibility an unknown among Cowboys fans, Kneeland was a favorite for draft experts because of his physical and violent pass rushing style.

At 6-foot-3, 275 pounds, he runs the 40-yard dash in 4.75 seconds. He will give the Cowboys immediate rotational depth at defensive end behind DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons, while helping third-year veteran Sam Williams replace the departed Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler, both signed with the Washington Commanders in free agency.

Kneeland did not have a lot of communication with the Cowboys in pre-draft process and was surprised by the pick, though he did meet with them informally at the NFL Scouting Combine.

How does he describe his game?

“Violent, physical, high motor, high effort. I always find a way to get to the ball,” Kneeland said.

Cowboys vice president of player personnel Will McClay compared Kneeland to Lawrence in his passion and relentless play.

“The thing that attracted us to D-Law back when he was coming out was the incredible effort that he played with,” McClay said. “It’s that same effort that you see on Sundays now still after as many years as he’s played — that shows he loves the game. That attraction, that’s something that you put in your rolodex, and you go, ‘If I see that, I know what it looks like and what it can do.’

“So, just watching [Kneeland] play, he’s bouncing off of people. He’s chasing screens down. All of those things are some of the things that D-Law did when he was at Boise State. And plus, there is rush upside. There is ability to play outside and control the C-gap and to rush inside. So, there’s a lot of things that you can count on because that motor is always going to be there.”

The Cowboys followed with Kansas State guard Cooper Beebe with their first pick in the third round, 73rd overall.

A two-time, back-to-back Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year, Beebe was the first consensus first-team All-American offensive lineman in Kansas State football history.

He is experienced and versatile with more than 40 career starts and playing experience at left tackle, left guard, right guard, and right tackle.

“I would say I’m a pretty nasty guy,” Beebe said. “I’m a dude that tries to dirt people anytime I can.”

The big question: Can Beebe be option for the Cowboys at center?

The Cowboys lost center Tyler Biadasz to the Commanders in free agency.

Brock Hoffman, an undrafted free agent from 2022, is the current projected starter.

He will have to hold off competition from the 6-4, 335-pound Beebe, who worked at center during the pre-draft process with offensive guru Duke Manyweather next to the Sports Academy next to the Cowboys headquarters at the Star in Frisco.

“It is definitely something we’ve talked about,” Beebe said of possibly moving to center. “I’m gonna do whatever the team needs me to do to win.”

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said Beebe will definitely be a part of the center competition.

“Obviously, he has played mostly at guard, but he has played them all,” McCarthy said. “That was part of the evaluation. He is someone we are very, very excited about. Yes, he will definitely have an opportunity to compete at center.”

The Cowboys finished Friday by drafting Notre Dame Marist Liufau with the No. 87 overall pick in third round.

It’s another pick at a need position for new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer who wants to get bigger at linebacker and better against the run.

Liufau was actually better at Notre Dame against the pass than he was against the run. Most experts had him going in the sixth or seventh round.

Clearly, the Cowboys felt different.

“Football player number one,” McClay said of Liufau. Versatility. In this day and age, and Coach McCarthy will talk about players doing two things, defensively the way they used him at Notre Dame with being able to rush off the edge and being able to play stacked as a linebacker.

He has 34” arms; able to match tackles. He plays all over the field and can drop in coverage. The multiplicity and the number of things he can do at a high level was attractive.”

Liufau, a two-year starter at Notre Dame, said he is a violent and physical linebacker who can run sideline to sideline.

He should make an immediate impact on special teams.

“I know it will be my ticket on the field as a rookie,” Liufau said. “That’s one of my first goals to excel on special teams and earn the respect of the team and organization.”

Owner Jerry Jones was excited about what two defensive players the Cowboys added on Friday.

“Both those defensive players have a high energy level,” Jerry Jones said. They are all over the place. Of course, DeMarcus Lawrence will run. If he runs out of the stadium, Lawrence will run him down. Both of those guys, the way they play the game, will add energy to the game.”

The Cowboys wanted to get bigger in the offensive line and bigger on defense to help both sides in the run game.

They accomplished that on Day 1 and Day 2 of the draft.

But it was the improvements to the offense line that ruled the first two days.

Guyton and Beebe have a chance to start in 2024.

The linchpin to all was the trade on Thursday that gave them the extra third-round pick. They had opportunities to trade back on Friday but they stayed patient and made their picks.

“I think we gotthe most out of that 24th pick in the first round by getting two offensive linemen,” Jerry Jones said. “We weren’t even trying to be coy about our interest in offensive linemen. This is the year to be interested in them because of the depth in the draft, and we took advantage of that in every respect with a great trade. All that was well thought out, well executed on. When I look at what we did with that 24th pick to get these two linemen, if you want to look at it like that, that is pretty good execution.”

The Cowboys do not have a fourth-round pick tomorrow because of their trade for quarterback Trey Lance so it will be long time before they may pick in the latter part of the fifth round.

It’s one reason the Cowboys never considered moving back up the draft and risk giving up a pick or trading down and risk losing one of the players they took.

“We just felt like this draft was a draft that we had players that were there for us,” vice president Stephen Jones said. “We felt like the draft, the middle of the round is strong. Obviously, we’re not going to have the four and we’re way down at the bottom on the five, but we just felt like being patient was the right way to go. The biggest thing we were considering every step of the way was maybe how to pick up one or two more picks along the way. But like I said, we just thought so much of the guys we’ve picked, we didn’t want to take that chance to lose them.”

Jerry Jones has no regrets about making that trade for Lance.

“I’d walk out there to give that four for Trey Lance today,” Jones said.

The Cowboys missed out on getting a running back and will likely target that position on the final day of the draft. Top options include Tennessee’s Jaylen Wright, Kentucky’s Ray Davis, Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen and Oregon’s Bucky Irving.

But the Cowboys still have an ace in the hole in former two-time NFL rushing champion Ezekiel Elliott.

Jones are keenly interested in signing Elliott and bringing him back to the roster. And they see him as a player who has starter capability.

“As recent as the end of the year (last season), I saw Zeke play (with the Patriots) and I’ll tell you, he’s good enough to be a starter (in 2024),” Jones said.

The Cowboys finish the draft on Saturday with pick No. 174 in the fifth round, 216 in the sixth round and 233 and 244 in the seventh round.