:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49431573/usa-today-9273076.0.jpg)
With the No. 4 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Cowboys drafted Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott. Dallas will probably say he was the No. 1 player on their board. Perhaps that was the case. Or maybe not. According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Cowboys wanted the player the Philadelphia Eagles drafted at No. 2 ... North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz.
Rap Sheet said on NFL Network that Wentz would have been DAL' pick if he was there at 4.
— Greg Richards (@igglesnut) April 29, 2016
Would've been curious to see teams scrambling if Carson Wentz was there at 2 prior to Eagles trade. Saints love him, Cowboys do, too. Alas.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 28, 2016
This isn't the first instance where the Cowboys have been linked to Wentz. Check out this tweet back from the Senior Bowl.
During #SeniorBowl weigh-ins, a #Cowboys staffer next to Jason Garrett said "There's your guy" and smiled as Carson Wentz stepped on stage.
— Josh Sánchez (@jnsanchez) January 26, 2016
It's possible the Cowboys' interest in Wentz at No. 4 is what motivated the Birds to trade up from No. 8 to No. 2. There was also talk of Philadelphia moving up to No. 3, which is one spot ahead of Dallas. The problem there is that the Cowboys could have traded up to get ahead of the Eagles.
Dallas has a long-term need at quarterback. Tony Romo recently turned 36 and he's dealt with injury issues in recent seasons. This could have been a rare chance where the Cowboys were high enough in the draft to get a passer for the future.
The Eagles have high hopes for Wentz. It'll be interesting to see if they were right and if the Cowboys will one day kick themselves for not being aggressive enough to go get him. Or maybe Dallas made the right pick by just taking Zeke. We'll see!
...
UPDATE: There's even more evidence the Cowboys were chasing after a quarterback ... and missed.
The #Cowboys tried to trade back into the first round, and I'm told it was for #Memphis QB Paxton Lynch. They couldn't do it.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 29, 2016