Jerry Jones: Dallas Cowboys 'all-in on the draft'

FRISCO, Texas - The Dallas Cowboys enter Thursday's NFL Draft with the 24th selection in the first round.

Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones held court with reporters ahead of the draft with executive vice president Stephen Jones and head coach Mike McCarthy at his side.

Most mock drafts have the Cowboys taking an offensive lineman on Thursday night.

Jerry Jones said, as a former offensive lineman himself, he's not afraid of beefing up the roster with a big man up front.

"It's fun to be able to take a good offensive lineman," he said.

After that, the Cowboys have 6 more selections, one in the 2nd round, one in the 3rd, one in the 6th and two in the 7th.

There are many voids to fill when you consider the Cowboys have had 10 departures in free agency.

They need a running back, defensive tackle, linebacker and it wouldn't hurt to have another wide receiver.

The Cowboys, who historically have drafted well, can't afford to miss in a draft like this, especially because they are leaning on the guys they already have.

Dallas has only signed two players in free agency, linebacker Eric Kendricks and running back Royce Freeman.

Fans may not want to hear this, but Jerry says they're pleased with the roster as it stands now.

"We're very proud of our personnel. Very proud of this roster. Very much think this roster, without knowing right now how much the rookies are going to contribute," said the Cowboys owner. "We will have young players step up. No names that become names, because names have left and are off the roster."

"We feel great about what we've been in free agency. All-in. All-in. All-in. We're all-in with these young guys coming on and we're all-in with this draft," Jones continued, mirroring his comments at the Senior Bowl.

The group was also asked about the upcoming contract extensions for star players.

"When you're talking about big contracts like Dak, CeeDee and Micah, those things don't happen overnight," said Stephen Jones. "Those things take time. There's timing based on what other teams are doing at their position."

When asked if the Cowboys would consider drafting a quarterback to replace Dak Prescott, Jerry did not shy away from the question.

"We want Dak Prescott, and that's that," he said.

Some fans on social media were not thrilled with what they heard in that news conference.

Cowboys Draft Picks 2024

Round 1: 24th pick
Round 2: 56th pick
Round 3: 87th pick
Round 5: 174th pick
Round 6: 216th pick
Round 7: 233rd pick (via Las Vegas Raiders)
Round 7: 244th pick