Cowboys Address Positional Voids but Skip Running Back in Draft

Rewrite of Dallas Cowboys article on NFL draft picks:
The Dallas Cowboys entered this year’s NFL Draft with seven selections but ended up making eight choices after trading back in the first round. The team opted to address numerous positional voids, including some vacant by departing veterans; however, they failed to select a running back during the draft.
The Cowboys kicked off their picks on Thursday night when they selected Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton with the 29th overall pick in Round 1. The Manor, Texas native and former TCU player moved to Oklahoma after transferring from his previous university. At 6-foot-8 and weighing over 300 pounds, he played right tackle for Sooners but Dallas coaches envision him filling the void left by future Hall of Famer Tyron Smith at left tackle in the near future.
In Round 2 (56th overall), Marshawn Kneeland was selected from Western Michigan to bolster their defensive line after losing Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler during free agency last year. Prior to finding success on defense, Knealand spent time playing tight end in high school before transitioning into a standout player at the position for his college team.
The Cowboys continued with Cooper Beebe from Kansas State as their first pick of Round 3 (73rd overall). The Big 12 Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year during each of the last two seasons, he played tackle in college but is better suited to play interior positions at the professional level. With Tyler Biadasz’s departure this offseason and a need for a center on their roster, Beebe could potentially fill that position or slot into guard roles alongside veteran players such as Zack Martin or Tyron Smith.
After picking up Liufau from Notre Dame in Round 4 (128th overall), the Cowboys targeted Marist Liufau due to his impressive performance during college football games against Stanford last year, which earned him a finalists position for Dick Butkus Award contenders at linebacker.
The team then drafted Caelen Carson from Wake Forest in Round 5 (168th overall). The cornerback missed the Senior Bowl due to injury but has since recovered and is eagerly anticipating learning under Cowboys’ standout defensive backs Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland.
The Cowboys then opted for Ryan Flournoy from Southeast Missouri State in Round 6 (216th overall). The wide receiver caught a total of 118 passes, amassing over 1,800 yards with thirteen touchdowns during his time at the university level. Will McClay expressed excitement about Flournoy’s performance at NFL Combine events and described him as an exceptionally big, fast, physical receiver who has a high potential for growth in Dallas.
The team then selected Nathan Thomas from Louisiana-Lafayette with their final pick of the draft (230th overall) after he had initially been anticipated by several to feature highly enough within Round 4 selections. The defensive tackle may not be an outstanding athlete, but his size and strength could prove useful in Mike Zimmer’s defense scheme for Dallas Cowboys.
The team failed to select a running back during the draft despite having seven picks available initially; however, they still possess high-performing talent options from their 2016 draftees Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard that could potentially fill this void in future seasons.