Best overall Day 2
McShay:
Dallas Cowboys
Chidobe Awuzie, CB, Colorado; Jourdan Lewis, CB, Michigan (pick Nos. 60 and 92)
Lewis is maybe the best value pick in this entire draft. I had him ranked No. 35 overall and the Cowboys snagged him midway through the third round. Both Lewis and Awuzie landed on my 2017 All-Tape Team, and they fill big needs in the secondary for the Cowboys, who let Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne leave in free agency. They're also two of the best cornerbacks in this class against the run. Awuzie shows very good awareness in zone coverage, which makes him a good fit for Rod Marinelli's Cover 2 scheme in Dallas. I understand why Lewis fell to the third round with off-field issues lingering, but he's one of the most instinctive corners I've studied in years. He has an uncanny ability to read receivers and anticipate their breaks.
Kiper-
Dallas addressed its biggest need on Day 2, taking cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie (No. 60) and Jourdan Lewis (No. 92). Awuzie is the best tackling corner in this draft and Lewis is one of the best true cover guys. Lewis dropped because of a misdemeanor charge of domestic violence, for which he pleaded not guilty last month.
Pete Prisco's Grade: A
"Getting a player this talented in this spot is a big time steal for the Cowboys."
Instant analysis
It's no secret that the Cowboys' priority in this year's draft is fixing their unreliable defense. So, it's not surprising to see them take Awuzie late in the second round. It is, however, surprising that Awuzie wasn't already off the board at this point.
In his last two seasons at Colorado, Awuzie notched three interceptions, 18 passes defended, and 18 tackles for a loss. He's also a capable blitzer, evidenced by his eight sacks in the past two years. Awuzie can help a team as a gunner. Teams don't draft players for special teams only, but it's a nice bonus.
As my colleague Jared Dubin noted, Awuzie was also fifth among cornerbacks in SPARQ. That's becoming a trend in Dallas, as Byron Jones and Kavon Frazier also placed highly in SPARQ.