The Cowboys had high hopes coming off dynamite rookie seasons for Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott, but regression from the former and a six-game suspension for the latter that was upheld after a lengthy appeals process left the team falling just a bit short of preseason expectations of fans in Dallas. Still, the team sports an exciting young core heading into the offseason. How can they get better? Let's dive in.

2018 draft picks

  • Round 1: Dallas
  • Round 2: Dallas
  • Round 3: Dallas
  • Round 4: Dallas
  • Round 5: None
  • Round 6: Dallas
  • Round 7: Dallas

The Cowboys currently own just six picks in the upcoming draft. In last year's draft, the team sent the Jets their 2018 fifth-round pick in order to select safety Xavier Woods in the sixth round in 2017. Woods has graded well in his rookie year for the Cowboys, per Pro Football Focus, and has played just over 50 percent of the team's defensive snaps through 14 games.

Biggest offseason needs

  • Tight end
  • Right tackle/guard
  • Defensive tackle
  • Linebacker

La'El Collins hasn't lived up to expectations in his first year at right tackle, and it may make sense for the team to shift him back inside, particularly if Jonathan Cooper isn't brought back after an uneven season. The rest of the offense is pretty set, though tight end could be a problem if Jason Witten doesn't play forever.

The Cowboys should move heaven and earth to bring Demarcus Lawrence back, which should make them pretty set on the ends of the defensive line, but David Irving could use some help next to him in the interior. Anthony Hitchens has settled in as the third linebacker next to Sean Lee and Jaylon Smith, but he's heading for free agency and should be retained. The Cowboys have a great collection of young talent in the secondary that should improve with experience, but expect them to try and improve depth anyway.

Prospects to watch

Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma 

If the Cowboys want to keep a semblance of the security-blanket presence Jason Witten provided for years, Andrews should be seriously considered ... as early as the first round. The 6-foot-4, 250-pounder has been the go-to chain-mover for Baker Mayfield, and he has impressive yards-after-the-catch ability.

Jamarco Jones, OT, Ohio State

Jones has a franchise offensive tackle combination of size and length. While his 2016 was shaky, he displayed improvement with balance in pass-protection.

Hercules Mata'afa, DT, Washington State

If there's one defensive coordinator who'll look past the fact that Mata'afa is a 250-ish pound defensive tackle, it's Ron Marinelli, forever a lover of defensive linemen capable of getting upfield in a hurry. With 10-15 more pounds, Mata'afa could, theoretically, hold up as a situational interior defender. He's the owner of the best burst among front-seven players in college football and likely won't cost an early-round pick.

Skai Moore, LB, South Carolina

Moore is highly productive off-ball linebacker who's been a steady producer in the SEC for four seasons. In his South Carolina career, he accumulated 346 tackles and a whopping 14 picks for the Gamecocks. He'd be a wonderful complement to Lee and Smith at the second level.