NFL Draft 2016: Dallas Cowboys take Dak Prescott as heir apparent to Tony Romo

The Dallas Cowboys may have found their heir apparent to Tony Romo with the drafting of Dak Prescott in the fourth round.

It was expected the Cowboys would take a quarterback at some point in the 2016 NFL Draft. Prior to the trades by the Rams and Eagles to get the top two picks there were questions about the Cowboys taking Cal’s Jared Goff at No. 4 overall. Goff ended up going first overall but the point was the Cowboys needed to have a succession plan in place for Tony Romo.

The veteran quarterback was limited to four games last year with a broken collarbone and has lingering back issues that can’t be discounted for a 36-year-old who holds the keys to the franchise.

Dallas needed an insurance policy in case Romo gets hurt again this year, but most importantly, needed a quarterback they can develop this year and next year while Romo still has some game left in him.

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Dallas filled other needs early in the draft as they gave Romo a playmaker who could contend for the NFL rushing title in Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott in the first round and took a gamble on Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith who is expected to miss the 2016 season as he recovers from knee surgery suffered in the Fiesta Bowl.

But when the third day got underway, the Cowboys didn’t waste any more time as quarterbacks started to fly off the board and took Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Dak Prescott.

The two-time First-Team All-SEC selection was the best player in program history and led the Bulldogs to the No. 1 ranking last year for the first time in program history.

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The Cowboys and assistant coach Wade Wilson seemed enamored with Prescott throughout the pre-draft process and they may have done more homework on him than Elliott or Smith.

There’s a lot to like about Prescott who has the dual-threat ability as a runner who can pick up tough yards on the goal line and pick up chunk yards on designed runs. He isn’t a finished product as a passer, but there are a lot of tools for Wilson and Jason Garrett to work with to develop as he sits behind Romo.

Prescott’s best traits he’ll bring to the Cowboys isn’t the stuff you see in the box score. It’s the intangibles he brings. He’s a first-rate leader who elevated the play of his teammates, he earned two degrees as a student, he has the respect of his teammates and coaches and has overcome a lot in his personal life.

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Cowboys fans should feel happy with this pick, but they should also hope Prescott doesn’t have to start in the near future because that would mean Romo got hurt again. But the Cowboys protected themselves in case that happens by taking Prescott who can play now if necessary, but will be much better if he is given the time to adjust to the NFL.

Which is why going to Dallas is a perfect fit for the best player in Mississippi State history.