3 quarterbacks the Cowboys could take in the NFL Draft

The Cowboys unquestionably hit a home run with their first round selection of Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott, but it's who they didn't get that raised eyebrows late Thursday night. That's because according to reports, Dallas actually tried to trade back into the first round to draft quarterback Paxton Lynch.

Unfortunately for Cowboys fans, the Broncos beat them to it, but it's also clear that with Tony Romo getting up there in age, and coming off injury, Dallas probably needs to start thinking about its future at quarterback. They might not need a guy for the 2016 season, but they do need a long-term solution.

With the second round set to get underway, here are three guys they should consider:

While Cook might not have the long-term upside of the other guys on this list, he's also probably the most "NFL ready" right now. That's no small deal in Dallas, where Tony Romo is 36, and was limited to just four starts last season.  

For those who don't know much about Cook, he played in a pro-style offense at Michigan State, and to quote D.J. Khaled, all he did is "win, win, win" going 34-5 as a starter in East Lansing. That included wins in the Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl, two Big Ten championships and a college football playoff berth this past year, where the Spartans eventually lost to Alabama. In the process, he threw for 71 touchdowns, compared to just 22 interceptions.

However, for all the on the field success Cook has had, there are still questions.

Most center around his leadership ability.

Cook wasn't voted captain by his own teammates at Michigan State, and many questioned his overall demeanor throughout the draft process.

In terms of "high risk, high reward" there might not be many prospects left in the draft with higher boom or bust potential than the former Penn State signal-caller.

On the plus side, Hackenberg was projected as a potential first overall pick type talent following his freshman year at Penn State. That's big praise, but it was also warranted after he threw for 20 touchdowns in Bill O'Brien's pro-style offense.

Unfortunately for all that hype early, Hackenberg fizzled late. When O'Brien left for the Texas and James Franklin took over, Hackenberg's numbers plummeted. He threw for just 28 touchdowns and 20 interceptions during the last two seasons.

Add it up, and the question on Hackenberg becomes this: Did his production fall because of the coaching change from O'Brien to Franklin, as well as a lack of quality offensive line play due to NCAA sanctions?

Or did he simply regress as a player?

It's a question both the Cowboys, and everyone who is considering selecting Hackenberg have to be asking themselves heading into the second round.

Jerry Jones loves guys with star power, and there isn't a single player left in this draft who could turn into a bigger star than Cardale Jones.

He went to a glamour school (Ohio State), and led the Buckeyes to a National Championship, taking down Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon in the process. And not only did he win big games, but showed off a skill-set that no one else in this draft can match. Cardale likely has the strongest arm of any QB left on the board, and at 6'5 250 lbs., he isn't afraid to put his head down and pick up a first down with his feet as well.

Of course there are questions with Cardale, and most of them revolve around his play this season.

After earning the starting quarterback job at Ohio State, he never was able to duplicate his success from two seasons ago, and eventually lost the gig to J.T. Barrett.

Clearly Cardale needs to sit behind an established starter, and learn the playbook for a few years. And Dallas, where Tony Romo is entrenched as "the guy," could be the perfect spot.

Aaron Torres is a contributor for FOXSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Aaron_Torres or Facebook. E-mail him at ATorres00@gmail.com.