3. Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama
For years now, the Dallas Cowboys have criminally neglected the safety position. For whatever reason, they kept looking for bargains there but would constantly tease their fans with star names. In 2018, they were flirting with the idea of trading for Earl Thomas but never did. Then when Thomas hit the open market, they kicked the tires but didn’t want to pay.
From there, they brought in Eric Berry for a physical but apparently that didn’t turn out well for the former Pro Bowler as not only did Dallas elect to pass on him, but he was out of the NFL for the entire 2019 season. Still, fans got a glimmer of hope from the big-name only to see them once again field the same unit from the previous year.
This season, that finally changed as they signed Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, who spent last year with the Chicago Bears. It wasn’t his best season but Clinton-Dix has been a star in the league, especially during his time with Mike McCarthy in Green Bay.
Even with him signed, Dallas could still land a safety at No. 17, should someone such as Xavier McKinney fall to them. Clinton-Dix is on a one-year contract and fellow starting safety Xavier Woods is entering the final year of his.
McKinney coming to Dallas would give them a great starter beyond this season and he’s versatile enough to play either free or strong safety — which means they can place him wherever they like depending on who they re-sign in 2020 — assuming they do keep at least one of their current starters.