Three NFC teams face glaring needs after draft

The domino effect of the NFL Draft doesn’t end once all the picks are made. Teams that neglect to address a weakness in the draft may be more likely to look at an unsigned veteran player for help before training camp starts.

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Here’s a look at a couple glaring areas of need for three NFC teams who could consider addressing their holes with veteran help.

Dallas Cowboys: Pass Rush

Improving a pass rush that generated 31 sacks (tied for 25th in the NFL) during the 2015 season was expected to be an offseason priority. There wasn’t much of an upgrade in free agency, since Dallas wasn’t a major player in the spending frenzy during the first couple days of the signing period. With defensive ends DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory facing four-game suspensions under the NFL’s substance abuse policy to start the season, addressing the pass rush early in the draft seemed to be a given.

A calculated risk was made by taking linebacker Jaylon Smith, a top-five talent, in the second round with the 34th-overall pick. There’s a good chance that the severe knee injury he suffered in the Fiesta Bowl will keep him out of action until 2017. If he can overcome the nerve damage from his injury, he could be the steal of the draft.

Maliek Collins was selected in the third round to provide pressure from the interior of the defensive line. The Cowboys didn’t get an edge rusher until the fourth round with Charles Tapper. He may get a baptism by fire while Lawrence and Gregory serve their suspensions, since bringing …

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