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The way you feel about the Dallas Cowboys' 2013 draft seems to depend on the way you feel about how they handled the first round. Ashley Fox, feels they bungled it badly, and theorizes that they did so because Jerry Jones was distracted by his attendance at the opening of the George W. Bush Presidential Library earlier in the day.

Now, I understand that Jerry excels at making himself an easy target. And I like Ashley's work. But on this point, I couldn't disagree with her more strongly. The way the Cowboys handled the first round has all the hallmarks of a coherent plan. A distracted decision-maker would have stayed put and taken the highest player on the board at No. 18, even if he didn't think that player was worth such a high pick. What the Cowboys did made sense on a number of levels.

First of all, they trade down with the 49ers, getting the 31st pick of the first round and the 12th pick of the third in exchange for that No. 18 pick. The biggest criticism we've heard is that they should have been able to get more from the 49ers, but different draft-value charts say different things on that and it takes two sides to make a deal. If they didn't have a player they liked at 18 and they saw a chance to get two that they did, then there's nothing wrong with taking that deal.

The player they ended up taking at 31, Wisconsin center Travis Frederick, projects as both an immediate and long-term starter for the Cowboys at either center or one of the guard spots. The second criticism is that they reached for him -- that they could have had him in the second or maybe even the third round. But (a) no one knows that for sure and (b) the 31st pick is practically the second round anyway. It's not as though they took Frederick 10th overall (or even 18th, for that matter). The Cowboys absolutely, 100 percent, more than any team needed anything in this entire draft, needed to come out of the first round with a new starter on the offensive line. They did. And they got an extra third-round pick out of the deal and used it on Baylor wide receiver Terrance Williams, a new vertical threat for Tony Romo in the passing game.

PODCAST
Cowboys second-round draft pick Gavin Escobar joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss his strengths as a tight end, the stress of the draft process and the thrill of working with Jason Witten and Tony Romo. Listen

Along the way, they added second-round tight end Gavin Escobar, who also offers the opportunity to expand their options in the passing game and represents the successor to Jason Witten down the road. With their original third-rounder, they added physical safety J.J. Wilcox, who could push for a starting spot this year. In the fourth they added a cornerback, B.W. Webb, deepening a position at which there's no such thing as too many bodies. In the fifth they took a running back, Joseph Randle, who didn't miss a game in college, to back up the injury-prone DeMarco Murray. And in the sixth they took project linebacker DeVonte Holloman.

They filled needs at good value in rounds two through six, and their second and third picks of the draft will help them add layers to their offense, offering Romo more options from play to play and game to game as his receiving threats become more numerous and varied. If it weren't for the weird way the first round went down, people would be hailing this as a fine draft for the Cowboys. And frankly, too many people are overreacting too strongly to the way the first round went down.

PODCAST
Chuck Cooperstein, Matt Mosley and Glenn "Stretch" Smith discuss the Cowboys' draft picks and who was influencing Jerry Jones' decisions. Listen

This was a lousy draft class, people. A bad year. Very little, if any, top-level talent, and if you're picking 18th that puts you in a tough spot. Considering that, and the fact that they needed to get an offensive lineman in the first round, I think the Cowboys acquitted themselves rather coolly. I certainly don't think the way they operated their first round indicates distraction or the lack of a plan. Quite the contrary, in fact.

Fans might be happier today had they gone offensive line again in the second or third round, or if they'd found a defensive tackle early. They could have stayed put at 18 and taken Sharrif Floyd, and perhaps that would have been hailed as a coup, since Floyd had been projected to go much earlier. But this is the part I never get. All we hear going into the draft is how useless all of these projections are, and then while the draft is going on everybody wants to use them to critique the picks. There was some good reason Floyd fell all the way to 23, and Dallas was hardly the only team to pass on him.

If Frederick never starts a game, or turns out to be a bust, then obviously it'll be easy to look back and say the Cowboys bungled this. But in a bad draft year, why not take the players you like instead of the ones the mock-drafters told you to like? I think the Cowboys got five players who could contribute right away, and Frederick could start on their line for the next eight years. I honestly don't see what's to rip.

» NFC draft analysis: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

The draft started off heavy in the NFC East, as the three teams with first-round picks this year used them on offensive linemen. And while there were a few little surprises and treats along the way, it never really got hot. All four of the division's teams had workmanlike drafts that balanced need and value and didn't stray into any of the juicy storylines. No Manti Te'o, Geno Smith or Tyrann Mathieu for us.

PODCAST
Chuck Cooperstein, Matt Mosley and Glenn "Stretch" Smith discuss the Cowboys' draft picks and who was influencing Jerry Jones' decisions. Listen

There was a trade-down in the first round, as the Dallas Cowboys moved out of a No. 18 spot they didn't like and still managed to get their first-round offensive lineman, while adding a third-rounder to the mix. There were two trade-ups in the fourth round, as the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants maneuvered to add quarterbacks in surprising moves. And there were the Washington Redskins, without a first-rounder but fine with it because they have Robert Griffin III, who waited it out and got two talented safeties in the late rounds for a secondary that needs rebuilding.

We'll be breaking this all down for days and weeks and months, but here's a quick early look at the way the 2013 draft went in the NFC East.

BEST MOVE

In the absence of any earth-shaking moves in the early rounds by NFC East teams, I'm going to have to go with the Eagles taking tackle Lane Johnson at No. 4. They probably could have traded down and out of the pick, but this was a draft in which six offensive linemen went in the first 11 picks, and the value of the third-best tackle with the fourth pick was worth hanging in there. After what happened to their offensive line with injuries in 2012, the Eagles were wise to load up there, taking an athletic player who can start at right tackle right away and maybe move to left tackle down the road once Jason Peters is done. It also helps that Johnson is the kind of lineman who can move. If Chip Kelly plans to run a lot of read-option, or even a lot of bubble screens, Johnson's ability to get out and block at the second level is going to be a big help.

Also considered: The Eagles' trade-up for quarterback Matt Barkley at the top of the fourth round. ... The Redskins' getting two quality safeties in the fourth and sixth rounds in Phillip Thomas and Bacarri Rambo. ... The Cowboys trading down in the first round and getting wide receiver Terrance Williams with the third-round pick they added in that deal.

RISKIEST MOVE

There weren't any real big risks taken by NFC East teams with their most valuable picks in the first and second rounds, I didn't think. So I'm going with defensive end Damontre Moore, who went to the Giants in the third round. Moore is a big-time talent with big-time production numbers in college -- 12.5 sacks last year, 26.5 over the past three. But there are good reasons a player as good as he is was still there at pick No. 81, and in Moore's case those reasons include a marijuana bust and a reputation as a young man who struggles with attitude and work ethic.

Now, Moore is just 20 years old, and it's wrong to assume anyone that age will always be what he has been so far. But Moore is the player from this draft whose job it is to bolster the future of the Giants' pass rush with Osi Umenyiora gone and Justin Tuck aging. If he's a solid citizen and produces the way he did at Texas A&M, he's going to be a steal. If he's an attitude case who doesn't take to coaching and causes problems, the Giants are going to have to keep looking for long-term solutions at defensive end in the next several drafts. A third-round pick isn't too much to risk on a player with Moore's potential, but it's a pick with which the Giants could have found help elsewhere. So if he does flop, they will regret it.

MOST SURPRISING MOVE

The Eagles pulled the surprise of Day 3, moving up three spots to the top of the fourth round, where they selected USC quarterback Matt Barkley. Most analysts were convinced Kelly would seek a fast, athletic, running quarterback when he finally pulled the trigger on that position, but Barkley was a pro-style pocket passer at USC and doesn't fit the "system" everyone seems to be assuming Kelly is determined to run now that he's in the pros. As you know if you read this blog regularly, I think that's hogwash and that Kelly is smart enough to know that the best way to coach is to find talented players and figure out the best way to coach them -- not come wading in with your own "system" and only look for players who fit it.

Kelly knows Barkley from coaching against him in college, and Barkley is a guy who a year ago was thought of as a possible No. 1 overall pick. If 2012 was just a bad year for him and he ends up being a good NFL quarterback, nobody's going to care that he can't run the read-option. For a fourth-round pick and a seventh-round pick, which is what it cost the Eagles to move up and take him, it's a worthwhile risk. And it leaves Kelly with a lot of options at the most important position on his team as he begins his first offseason as an NFL coach.

The Giants pulled a surprise of their own later in the round, trading up six picks to select Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib to develop behind Eli Manning. The 32-year-old Manning hasn't missed a game since 2004, so it's unlikely Nassib sees the field anytime soon. But the Giants decided it was time to start thinking down the road at the position.

FILE IT AWAY

I liked the Cowboys' first round more than most people did, because I thought they absolutely needed to come out of that round with an offensive lineman, and they did. And while Travis Frederick may have been a reach at 31, reaching for an offensive lineman wasn't a bad move for this particular team in a draft in which eight offensive linemen went in the top 20 picks. They traded down from 18 and got the pick that netted Frederick and the third-round pick that netted wide receiver Terrance Williams, and they like that pair better than they liked what was available to them at 18.

But they won't have to look far to remember what might have been. The Giants took Syracuse offensive lineman Justin Pugh at 19, which means the Cowboys could have stayed put and picked up a better-regarded lineman than Frederick (though, obviously, not also get Williams in the third). If Pugh turns out to be a great player for the Giants and Frederick flops in Dallas, the Cowboys could end up regretting the Day 1 trade-down in the long run.

IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys draft is over but not forgotten, so there’s no time like now than to wonder about things that did and did not happen.

On to 5 Wonders:

** If the Cowboys are going to be a predominantly two-tight end team, like they say they are, then I wonder if they should have taken Notre Dame’s Tyler Eifert at No. 18 and risked the chance that Travis Frederick would be there at No. 47. If they had gone that route, they would have had the best tight end and best center in the draft with their top two picks. The Cowboys had their eyes on Justin Pugh with the No. 31 pick, but he went to the New York Giants at No. 19. They felt Frederick was the final offensive lineman in the draft capable of being a Day 1 starter and did not want to risk losing him or waiting until the second round. That’s a draft for need, which is OK at that point, but Eifert will be somebody worth watching for the next few years.

** I wonder if the Cowboys will alter how they will evaluate defensive lineman after what happened with Sharrif Floyd. He was among the top-10 players on their board, perhaps the highest rated defensive player, and he was staring them in the face with the 18th pick. And they passed on him. Then you hear about the kid’s arm length and lack of sacks. Well, those were things everybody knew before the draft. What it came down to was scheme fit and Floyd wasn’t deemed to fit in what the Cowboys wanted in 4-3 tackles. Had they stuck with the 3-4, then I can almost guarantee they would have selected him. If a player is not a scheme fit, then he just can’t be that high on their draft board.

** I wonder if Jerry Jones understands how even in points of praise he can also hurt. Take Tony Romo as an example. On Friday, Jones said Romo played a part in the selections of Gavin Escobar and Terrance Williams in the second and third rounds. Jones was attempting to show Romo was all-in. Well, what about the current players on the roster at those positions. Should they now think Romo didn’t like them as much? And then Jones said part of the quarterback’s new megadeal meant he had to spend “Peyton Manning time” at the facility. For those who questioned Romo’s commitment, that was all they needed to further their belief that Romo was not fully vested when Romo has always been a “football junkie.”

PODCAST
Did Jerry Jones call out Tony Romo? Fitzsimmons & Durrett react to exclusive audio of Jones talking about the quarterback's increased role, who will be calling plays for the Cowboys and the Peyton Manning-like time he anticipates Romo putting in. Listen

**Over the last two years every team in the NFC East has looked at a quarterback-of-the-future/present in the draft. Washington did it last year with Robert Griffin III and also took Kirk Cousins. Philadelphia traded up for the top pick of the fourth round to take Matt Barkley a year after they took Nick Foles. The New York Giants grabbed Ryan Nassib in the fourth round. And the Cowboys chose to pass on the position. Again. Romo turned 33 recently. Kyle Orton is signed through 2014. I wonder if next year is the year the Cowboys look to the quarterback position. No, I do. Really. I had no problem with the club not taking a QB this year, but had Barkley, Nassib and Tyler Wilson dropped to them in the fourth round, I wonder if they would have pulled the trigger this year. Since they passed on Landry Jones, I think we know he wasn’t their guy. Is it too early to think about A.J. McCarron or Aaron Murray or any other QB? And, yes, I realize Johnny Manziel could be draft eligible. A quick aside: For those wondering why the Cowboys didn’t go after Tyler Bray, think about it. His coach, Derek Dooley, is on this staff now. Don’t you think the team would need to know all (stress all) there would be to know? And if the kid panned out at Tennessee, then Dooley would still be the Vols coach.

** I hope Marcus Lattimore turns into a great success. His story would be a terrific inspiration for everybody. But he wasn’t what the Cowboys needed. I wonder if people realize San Francisco was able to take a flier on Lattimore, who is coming back from a horrific knee injury, because it had so many picks. The Niners had the opportunity to offer up a redshirt year for Lattimore. The Cowboys, who entered the draft with six picks and added one through a trade with the Niners, didn’t. They needed a running back to help right now and they got Joseph Randle in the fifth round. If Lattimore becomes a star, then good for San Francisco but I would not use that as a knock on how the Cowboys ran their draft.

IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys’ post-draft hype focused on how much this class would help immediately.

“We’ve got here seven players of what I think are going to start, compete, be productive for our football team this year,” player personnel director Stephen Jones said. “I don’t think any of these guys we’ve drafted come to mind, or when we look at them here, that they all can’t potentially be a starter on our football team.”

That statement was made with a loose definition of starter that includes the second tight end, second running back, third receiver and slot cornerback. Still, it’s pretty bold to predict that seven rookies will step right into significant roles with a team that has playoff aspirations.

How realistic is it? Let’s take an optimistic look at the impact each draft pick can make as a rookie:

Wisconsin C Travis Frederick (No. 31 overall): Jerry Jones has already anointed him as the “foundation” of the interior offensive line. He has significant experience at guard and center, but all signs are that he’ll be the starting center when the Cowboys opened organized team activities in May. The expectation is that Frederick will help give Romo “an extra half second,” as Jones keeps saying, and give a running game that ranked last in the NFC a major boost. Offensive coordinator Bill Callahan has compared him to Nick Mangold, a four-time Pro Bowler whom Callahan coached with the Jets.

PODCAST
Cowboys second-round draft pick Gavin Escobar joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss his strengths as a tight end, the stress of the draft process and the thrill of working with Jason Witten and Tony Romo. Listen

San Diego State TE Gavin Escobar (No. 47 overall): He’s not going to take Jason Witten’s job any time soon, but the Cowboys are committed to featuring Escobar in multi-tight end packages immediately and using those personnel groups often. He’ll line up all over the field, particularly flexed in the slot and split out wide, as the Cowboys try to create mismatches. The Cowboys are confident that Escobar will be a better receiving threat than Martellus Bennett ever was. The preferred comparison at Valley Ranch is New England’s Aaron Hernandez, who had 45 receptions for 563 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie.

Baylor WR Terrance Williams (No. 74 overall): The third receiver job is his for the taking. That would allow the Cowboys to continue using Miles Austin in the slot in three-receiver sets, as they have the last three seasons. The third receiver in this offense can get a lot of action, especially if the durability issues of Austin and Dez Bryant rear their ugly head again. Remember Laurent Robinson’s career year in 2011 (54 catches for 858 yards and 11 touchdowns)? Williams, who led the NCAA in receiving yards last season, has the same kind of frame and a knack for making plays downfield.

PODCAST
Chuck Cooperstein, Matt Mosley and Glenn "Stretch" Smith discuss the Cowboys' draft picks and who was influencing Jerry Jones' decisions. Listen

Georgia Southern S J.J. Wilcox (No. 80 overall): Can he step in as a starter after playing safety for only one season in college? He’ll have the chance to compete for a job, with Barry Church coming off a torn Achilles tendon, Matt Johnson having yet to play an NFL snap and stopgap veteran Will Allen signing for less guaranteed money than last year’s camp cut Brodney Pool. The Cowboys love the Senior Bowl star’s athleticism (4.51 40 and 35-inch vertical), intelligence and toughness.

William & Mary CB B.W. Webb (No. 114 overall): He’d need to be spectacular in training camp and preseason to beat out incumbent slot corner Orlando Scandrick. Webb should be the fourth corner and contribute on special teams this season. Ideally, he’ll perform well enough as a rookie to make the Cowboys comfortable clearing out some cap space by cutting Scandrick.

Oklahoma State RB Joseph Randle (No. 151 overall): Randle arrives at Valley Ranch as the No. 2 running back behind DeMarco Murray, and the Cowboys need him to be an upgrade over former first-rounder Felix Jones. There’s no reason Randle, whose Big 12 numbers compare favorably to Murray’s, shouldn’t be able to rush for 500 yards and add another 200 receiving as a rookie with a handful of touchdowns. If Murray misses any time due to injury, the Cowboys are counting on Randle to be the workhorse.

South Carolina OLB DeVonte Holloman (No. 185 overall): The Cowboys didn’t make much of a commitment to Justin Durant (two-year, $2.365 million contract), so it’s not as if the SAM linebacker starting job is all locked up. It’s a stretch, however, for a sixth-round pick who was a safety until his senior year of college to be an immediate starter at linebacker. Holloman needs to be a special teams force this season.

IRVING, Texas – When Terrance Williams, Joseph Randle and DeVonte Holloman return in two weeks for the Cowboys’ rookie mini-camp they won’t have to take long to get re-acquainted with the area.

Williams, a Dallas native anyway, Randle and Holloman spent their time before the draft training at Athletes Performance in Frisco.

“I know them very well,” said Holloman, the sixth-round pick. “Terrance is a real cool dude and so is Joe.”

The workouts got spirited with some friendly trash talking.

“We’ll find a way to get it settled in rookie camp,” Holloman said.

In a way they were teammates in the offseason, and now they are teammates for real.

“We never did, but we were real close and we’re good friends and this is a dream come true,” Randle said.

IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys brought their top three picks, Travis Frederick, Terrance Williams and Gavin Escobar, to Valley Ranch on Sunday for a meet and greet with the media.

Frederick and Williams were pre-draft visitors to the Cowboys’ practice facility, while Escobar made his first trek to the complex on Saturday.

“Feels great to be here,” Williams said. “This is a place I always wanted to be.”

Williams, a Dallas native, even offered up some advice for his new teammates.

“He already told us the traffic is terrible,” Escobar joked.

Frederick and Escobar are scheduled on flights to leave Dallas tonight. On his American Eagle flight from Madison, Wis., Frederick, all 312 pounds of him, was glad to have an open seat next to him but he wasn’t sure he would be so lucky on the return.

All of the players will be back in Irving for the rookie mini-camp from May 10-12.

IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys returned to the offensive side of the ball by taking Oklahoma State running back Joseph Randle with their fifth-round selection.

Randle led the Big 12 in rushing last season with 1,417 yards on 274 carries and had 14 touchdowns.

The Cowboys filled a need with Randle as a backup to DeMarco Murray.

Entering the draft, the Cowboys had Phillip Tanner and Lance Tanner as Murray’s backup and the club has not expressed a desire to retain free agent Felix Jones. Murray has missed nine games in his first two seasons because of injuries.

Randle has a similar build to Murray and the Cowboys were in the market for an every-down back than a niche back because of Murray’s durability issues. Randle did not miss a game at Oklahoma State, starting the final 26 games.

Like Travis Frederick, Terrance Williams, J.J. Wilcox and B.W. Webb, Randle was a pre-draft visitor to Valley Ranch.

IRVING, Texas – Since coining the term, “Romo friendly,” Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has had a funny way of showing that friendliness.

That’s changed in this offseason, and perhaps it has to do with the six-year extension Romo signed last month.

If the Cowboys’ first three picks are any indication, then Jones has taken a “Romo friendly” approach.

Quibble with what they got in return from San Francisco, but the Cowboys were able to address the interior of the offensive line with Travis Frederick with the 31st overall pick. Frederick will come in as a starter

“What he really is, is a foundation there in the middle that when we have him and (Tyron) Smith on the outside, we can fill in the blanks as we go along over the next few years, if he is the player we expect him to be there,” Jones said. “We needed that face. Romo called and said, ‘Thank you for my extra half second.’ That is going to mean more to us than anything I can say.”

Second-round tight end Gavin Escobar has to represent a significant shift in offensive philosophy. The Cowboys will be a heavy two-tight end team, but they say it will look differently than the ones they ran with previous second rounders Anthony Fasano and Martellus Bennett.

Escobar gives the Cowboys options, potentially down in the red zone, even if he is not a strong blocker at the moment.

Wide receiver Terrance Williams, the third-round pick gained in the San Francisco trade, is a potential big-play receiver. With the uncertain health of Miles Austin and Dez Bryant the last two years, the Cowboys needed to have a suitable outside receiver if their top-two receivers miss multiple weeks.

Williams caught 97 passes for 1,832 yards and 12 touchdowns at Baylor last season.

“I think he is a mature player,” coach Jason Garrett said. “He plays with poise, he understands how to run routes, and he’s very good at making contested catches. One of the big jumps for a lot of young receivers in the NFL is the physical nature of the game. Often times in college there is some space out there. You are going to get contested by corners in the National Football League. The size and strength that you need to go along with the quickness and speed is critical. Getting off a press and making contested plays at the top of the route. He has demonstrated all of that.”

It's the making-of-the-sausage aspect of the NFL draft that's the problem. If the Dallas Cowboys had begun this offseason with picks 31, 47, 74 and 80 and drafted these same four players, the fans' reaction would have been quite different (though they'd still probably be mad about having lost the Super Bowl). The reason everybody was so upset about the Cowboys' draft 24 hours ago was this trade they made with the San Francisco 49ers in the first round and the idea that they didn't get enough in return for the No. 18 pick.

But from here? From the tail end of Friday night, with three rounds and four Cowboys picks in the books? To me, it looks as though the Cowboys are having a pretty good draft.

The first and most important thing they needed to do, above all else, was find offensive line help in the first round, and they did. You might not like Travis Frederick as a first-rounder, but the fact is this draft was weak at the top. And if you're sifting between sub-optimal options, why should you feel compelled to pick the guy other people have agreed to like as opposed to the guy you like? "Trust your board," is every team's pre-draft mantra, and if the Cowboys' board called Frederick their answer, there's nothing wrong with taking him with the 31st pick.

What happened next seemed weird because it was offense again with the first two picks Friday night. A team that has Jason Witten used its second-round pick on a tight end its fans had never heard of, Gavin Escobar, instead of a safety or a tackle or another offensive lineman. So the crying began anew, as well as the same old jokes about how the owner needs to fire the GM when we all know there's no chance of that ever happening. Then, in the third round, with the pick they got in that first-round trade, they went offense again, taking Baylor wide receiver Terrance Williams.

But then a funny thing happened. The outlines of the plan began to congeal in front of everyone's eyes. And through the prism of a pick that finally felt like a really good one, it all started to make sense. The Cowboys just signed their franchise quarterback, Tony Romo, to a gigantic contract extension. When you do that, you're inclined to build up the offense around him. And by taking an interior lineman in the first round and a pair of dynamic passing-game weapons in the second and third, that's what the Cowboys were up to in the early part of the 2013 draft.

Recall the common complaints about the Cowboys' offense. (The non-Romo ones, if you will.) It's unimaginative. It stalls in the red zone. It doesn't have a reliable No. 3 wide receiver, and its No. 2, Miles Austin, is always hurt. The picks of Escobar and Williams address all of that. Escobar is a considerably better player than James Hanna, last season's sixth-round pick, and the ability to put him on the field along with Witten will offer the Cowboys options they didn't have on offense last season. Escobar is a reliable pass-catcher who can outfight defenders for the ball in traffic, and that will serve him and the Cowboys well up and down the field, but especially in the red zone. Williams is a big-play outside receiver who allows them to use Austin in the slot when they go three wide and can be a game-breaker if teams overcommit to Dez Bryant on the other side. They have found fresh options that offer more variety for an offense that too often limits its quarterback's options in key spots. And by taking the lineman first, they've helped shore up Romo's protection, as well.

Some wanted a running back, but you can always get one of those, and there are still plenty on the board with four rounds to go. Some wanted a tackle or a guard, and I couldn't have argued if they wanted to overaddress the line. But you're more likely to find a usable offensive lineman in the fourth or fifth round than you are to find a big-play tight end or receiver there. Eric Winston and others remain on the free-agent market as possible answers at tackle. They did something about the line with their first pick, and the opportunity to do more exists for them.

Some wanted defense in the second round -- a three-technique defensive tackle or a playmaking safety. They ended up with a physical safety in J.J. Wilcox with their original third-round pick, and they like what he offers in terms of upside. But the basic theory with the Cowboys defense appears to be that the changes on the coaching staff, the switch to a 4-3 front and improved health will deliver improvement. They lost six defensive starters to injury last season, and if those guys all come back and thrive in their new 4-3 roles, those are their big additions on defense.

No, spending the early part of the draft on help for Romo was a completely worthwhile choice of priorities for the Cowboys, who came out of the first three rounds with three offensive players they like and can find multiple ways to use (plus that new safety). They're focused on putting Romo and coach Jason Garrett in the best possible position to succeed by expanding the boundaries of the offense's capabilities from play to play and week to week. If you're Romo and Garrett right now, you're thinking up new plays and personnel formations that weren't available to you last season when Bryant, Austin and Witten were your only reliable pass-catchers, and you're excited.

The draft is about hope that things will get better. A look back at the first three rounds offers the Cowboys a number of ways to imagine a more fun and productive offense. It doesn't really matter how it started or how they got here. So far, the Cowboys have to feel as though they're having a pretty good draft.

IRVING, Texas -- As far as Jerry Jones is concerned, his first-round trade-down deal was further justified Friday night.

The Cowboys took Baylor wide receiver Terrance Williams with the No. 74 overall pick, which they acquired from the San Francisco 49ers along with No. 31 (Wisconsin center Travis Frederick) in exchange for the 18th pick.

Jones wanted to make sure the media knew that Williams was way higher than 74th on the Cowboys’ draft board.

For that matter, Jones said that the Cowboys considered San Diego State tight end Gavin Escobar a bargain with the 47th overall pick.

“If you look at those first three picks, if you could see our draft boards, you could see beginning in the early 20s those first three picks right there within about four of each other,” Jones said. “Those first three on our draft board are right there in that early-twenty area.”

Frederick, whom Jones refers to as “a foundation in the middle” of the offensive line, was No. 22 on the Cowboys’ board. Escobar and Williams were actually in the mid-20s. The Cowboys gave 19 players first-round grades, so they considered their top three picks all high second-round talents.

IRVING, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys' third-round pick, wide receiver Terrance Williams from Baylor, said he's not afraid to take on press coverage, something he might face once his NFL career starts.

"Seeing press is not my biggest fear," Williams said Friday night. "At times I saw it in college, I destroyed it. I'm really not worried about press that much. I know how to beat it and I'm pretty sure they will teach me ways to beat it more, and I'm just trying to get better and learn from Dez Bryant, Miles Austin that will mean the world to me and get me ready for press coverage."

When Williams was redshirted in 2008, he simulated Bryant, who at that time played for Oklahoma State, in practice as the scout team wide receiver.

"Just watching him play, back in college when I was on scout team, I had to be him and that's somebody that I really, really liked," Williams said. "I'm going to get a chance to play beside him and that means the world to me because now I get to learn from one of the best, and somebody who can help me throughout this whole process, and he can bring the best out of me and I'm just ready to get to work and play football now."

Williams set career-highs in catches (97), yards (1,832) and touchdowns (12) in his senior season. While he didn't return kicks his senior season, he averaged 22.6 yards per return in his redshirt freshman and sophomore seasons. Williams said he's willing to return to that role with the Cowboys.

"It feels like a dream to be drafted by a team I grew up watching," said Williams, who graduated from W.T. White High School in Dallas. "I always liked (them) and to get a chance to play for them means the world to me."

IRVING, Texas -- Since Art Briles took over Baylor’s football program, the Bears have had some of the most explosive offenses in college football.

The Cowboys hope Terrance Williams continues this recent trend.

While Robert Griffin III receives most of the attention, Baylor has had some pretty good wide receivers the past two years.

Tennessee took Kendall Wright in the first round last year (No. 20 overall), and Cleveland used a second-round pick in the supplemental draft on Josh Gordon.

The Cowboys considered using a pick in the supplemental draft on Gordon last year but did not want to use a second-rounder like the Browns.

Wright caught 64 passes for 626 yards with four touchdowns. Gordon caught 50 passes for 805 yards and five touchdowns.

“When players like Josh and Kendall continue to make plays and plays, that just lets me know that we can fit right in, too,” Williams said. “When they call my number, that’s my chance to make plays.”

Pick: Baylor WR Terrance Williams, No. 74 overall

Pros: Big receiver (6-foot-2, 208 pounds) who was tremendously productive as a Baylor senior, catching 97 passes for a nation-leading 1,832 yards and 12 touchdowns. Doesn’t have blazing speed (4.52 40-yard dash), but he’s a glider with big-play ability. Has good body control and balance.

Cons: Needs to improve as a route runner. Not an explosive athlete. Has to make the transition to the NFL after playing in a spread offense at Baylor and not facing much press coverage. Has reputation for being inconsistent with effort. Has small hands (8.6 inches).

Cowboys fit: Williams can play outside in three-receiver sets, when Miles Austin shifts to the slot. He could potentially be a starter opposite Dez Bryant in the future if the Cowboys decided to part ways with the pricey Austin.

Could have had: California WR Keenan Allen, Georgia DT Johnathan Jenkins, Alabama DT Jesse Williams, Arkansas-Pine Bluff OT Terron Armstead, Texas A&M DE Damontre Moore

IRVING, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys drafted Baylor wide receiver Terrance Williams in the third round on Friday night. Williams is one of two picks in this round for the Cowboys.

The Cowboys acquired this pick in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday which got the Cowboys center/guard Travis Frederick from Wisconsin.

Selecting Williams gives the Cowboys three offensive players taken in the first three rounds of this draft. Frederick was taken in the first round on Thursday and tight end Gavin Escobar was picked up in the second round on Friday night. Williams, 6-2, 210 pounds, is a smooth athlete with good speed (4.52 40 in the combine). Scouts admire his ability to find the quarterback when he's under duress.

His size could be a problem, especially if he runs routes across the middle and has to face linebackers and safeties. Williams, from W.T. White high school in Dallas, was considered one of the better receivers in college football.

Getting Williams adds some depth to the wide receiving corps. There is no question that Dez Bryant's status is secure, but the Cowboys expressed some concern about Miles Austin's health, dealt with hamstring injuries the last few seasons and Dwayne Harris, Cole Beasley and Danny Coale are also on the roster battling for playing time.

Harris emerged as the No. 3 receiver toward the end of the season but now has some competition.