Von Miller was the second overall pick of his NFL draft. Joey Bosa was the third overall pick, Khalil Mack the fifth and Vic Beasley the 10th of their respective drafts.

All finished in double figures in sacks this NFL season. Miller was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2015, and Mack won the award in 2016. Bosa was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2016, and Beasley led the league in sacks last season with 15 1/2 for the NFC champion Atlanta Falcons.

The dynamic pass rushers who can have an immediate impact don't last long on draft day, which could be bad news for the Cowboys. They resemble the 1991 Cowboys. The offensive skill and blocking front is in place to contend for a championship. So is a supporting cast on defense. What the Cowboys needed then -- and what they need now -- is a blue-chip, Pro Bowl-caliber pass rusher.

The 1992 Cowboys traded for that pass rusher in Charles Haley then went out and won a Super Bowl that same season. Now the 2017 Cowboys need to find their own Charles Haley.

But there's one hitch. The NFC East champion Cowboys have the 28th overall pick. In 2011 and 2012, there were 10 pass rushers apiece drafted before the 28th pick. There were eight pass rushers selected before the 28th pick in 2013, six selected in 2014 and seven apiece in 2015 and 2016.

So don't look for the Cowboys to land the bluest of blue-chip pass rushers in this draft -- Myles Garrett, Solomon Thomas, Derek Barnett or Taco Charlton. Maybe not a Tak McKinley or a Tim Williams, either. But don't expect them to punt on the idea of landing an impact pass rusher. That's why you pay scouts. Pass rushers are out there. The best talent evaluators and the best drafters find them.

Jason Taylor, who retired after the 2011 season, is seventh all-time in sacks with 139 1/2, according to pro-football-reference.com. He forced 46 fumbles and is tied for second in NFL history with 29 career fumble recoveries. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility and will be enshrined this summer.

The Miami Dolphins found Taylor in the third round of the 1997 draft with the 73rd overall pick. Every NFL team had the chance to draft Taylor, and seven teams even took defensive ends ahead of him.

But the NFL draft isn't always about what you see in a player's tape. It's what you can foresee in a player's future. Then-Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson had that vision for Taylor, who played his college ball in relative obscurity at Akron.

"He was smart and a playmaker," said Johnson, who drafted Taylor. "He was undersized, which is why I waited until the third round to take him. He was raw but fit what I wanted in a pass rusher."

Undersized, indeed. Taylor stood 6-6 but was a beanpole at 243 pounds. Even Taylor didn't know where he fit in the NFL. But Johnson did.

"I didn't have a position," Taylor said. "I remember getting to Miami and asking [Johnson] where I'm going to play. He said, 'Your hand is going to be in the dirt. Don't worry about the call. Don't worry about all the other stuff going on. Just play hard, and find the football.'

"Early on in camp the guy ahead of me got hurt, and Jimmy just threw me in there as a starter and said, 'Look, just go.' He had the confidence in me to let me learn on the fly, make some mistakes, not really understand the game yet ... But he instilled that confidence in me that he has my back. The players believe in me, and [Johnson] thinks I can do this. Jimmy Johnson's name was huge when I came in. To have that confidence in my head coach meant a lot to me."

After a five-sack rookie season, Taylor was on his way. He became a Pro Bowler by his fourth season, an NFL sack leader by his sixth season and the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year by his 10th season.

Jared Allen led the NFL in sacks twice, including 22 in 2011. He was a fourth-round pick in 2004 out of Montana State. Robert Mathis led the NFL in sacks in 2013 with 19 1/2. He was a fifth-round pick in 2003 out of Alabama A&M. Elvis Dumervil led the NFL in sacks in 2009 with 17. He was a fourth-round pick out of Lousville. Clyde Simmons led the NFL in sacks in 1992 with 19. He was a ninth-round pick out of Western Carolina in 1986.

Haley was a fourth-round pick in that same 1986 draft out of James Madison. Now he has a bust in the Hall of Fame. So does Richard Dent, who was an eighth-round pick in 1983 out of Tennessee State.

Taylor and those other six players rose up from colleges that were not traditional football powers to become mid- to late-round NFL draft picks. All had 100-plus career sacks.

Some small-school pass rushers need to be scrutinized. I'd start at Youngstown State, which reached the FCS championship game. The Penguins had two pass rushers, and both were invited to the combine -- Derek Rivers with 15 sacks and Avery Moss with 11.

I'd swing by Northern Iowa to check out a non-combine player, Karter Schult, who led the FCS with 17 sacks. Northern Iowa, by the way, produced Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner. Samson Ebukam of Eastern Washington was another non-combine prospect. He had 11 1/2 sacks last fall. Remember, Mathis wasn't invited to the combine, either.

I'd also spend some time combing the Mid-American Conference, Taylor's old stomping grounds. Tarell Basham of Ohio, Keion Adams of Western Michigan and Patrick O'Connor of Eastern Michigan played in various college all-star games this postseason. Basham led the MAC with 11 1/2 sacks, and Adams led the conference with 18 tackles for loss. O'Connor collected 8 1/2 sacks. Only Basham was invited to the combine.

Also on my check list would be four other players who garnered combine invites: Keionta Davis of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Dylan Donahue of West Georgia, Trey Hendrickson of Florida Atlantic and Tanoh Kpassagnon of Villanova. Donahue had 13 1/2 sacks, Kpassagnon 11, Davis 10 1/2 and Hendrickson 9 1/2.

Never heard of any of them? Allen, Haley and Mathis weren't household names when they were drafted, either. There are pass rushers out there. The Cowboys need to find a couple in this draft. Dig deep, beyond the obvious. There is more than one round in every draft.

Listen to Rick Gosselin at 10:50 a.m. Tuesdays on Sportsradio 1310 AM/96.7 FM The Ticket with Norm Hitzges and Donovan Lewis.

Twitter: @RickGosselin9