The last three months have provided hints about what the Cowboys might do with their No. 4 overall pick in the draft.

Less than four weeks from one of the biggest drafts in recent club history, the Cowboys have a plan in place, although their draft board is still very much a work in progress.

The Cowboys have been executing their plan during their predraft prep work, dropping crumbs along the way.

One warning: Sometimes those crumbs are intentionally left behind to form a smokescreen for teams. That's why assumptions this time of year can be misleading.

Nevertheless, you don't need the name from the Cowboys' draft card to know what the club is generally looking for with its first pick.

Though the Cowboys haven't been big spenders in free agency, they've done enough to keep themselves from reaching for need.

But defense trumps offense when evaluating what the Cowboys could still use most in 2016.

The Cowboys added defensive line help in signing tackle Cedric Thornton and end Benson Mayowa. But they've combined for only six sacks in eight seasons. That means the Cowboys still need to upgrade their pass rush, which keeps them in play for Ohio State's Joey Bosa or Oregon's DeForest Buckner at No. 4.

The Cowboys re-signed Morris Claiborne to a one-year deal but did little else to help their secondary in free agency. They brought in three cornerbacks -- Nolan Carroll, Leon Hall and Patrick Robinson -- for visits but didn't sign any of them.

Florida State's Jalen Ramsey is projected as the top defensive back in this year's draft and remains a strong consideration for the Cowboys. Some scouts believe Ramsey is a better fit in the NFL at safety.

Last year, the Cowboys used their first-round pick on Byron Jones, who played cornerback and safety as a rookie. Jones said this week it "would be cool" to add Ramsey.

"I hear nothing but good things about the kid. He's a good player," Byron Jones said. "It would be cool to have him. I'm keeping my trust in the front office. They'll get the right guy."

Perhaps a bigger decision for the Cowboys, however, is whether to take a quarterback in this year's draft and just exactly when to do it.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones vowed one of his biggest priorities was to upgrade the backup quarterback position after three starters combined to go 1-11 in place of the injured Tony Romo in 2015.

Thus far, the Cowboys haven't added a quarterback to the roster, sticking with Kellen Moore and Jameill Showers behind Romo.

Just because the Cowboys didn't sign a veteran quarterback in free agency, however, doesn't mean they will use their first-round pick on one.

A few weeks ago at the NFL owners meetings in Florida, Jones wasn't definitive, but he made it sound like the Cowboys wouldn't be drafting a quarterback or a running back fourth overall.

Jones has said time and time again that he believes Romo still has another four to five years left in him despite his recent collarbone woes.

Perhaps he and Romo are the only two buying into that evaluation. But this much is clear: The Cowboys will soon need a quarterback to replace Romo.

That's why the Cowboys have done more homework this offseason on draft-eligible quarterbacks than at any time under coach Jason Garrett.

The Cowboys have held private workouts for the top six projected quarterbacks: California's Jared Goff, North Dakota State's Carson Wentz, Memphis' Paxton Lynch, Michigan State's Connor Cook, Penn State's Christian Hackenberg and Mississippi State's Dak Prescott.

That prepares the Cowboys for taking a quarterback within the first three rounds.

The Cowboys put Lynch through a thorough workout in Florida just after the owners meetings. The club had pretty much everyone there other than Garrett's family dogs.

Goff, Wentz and Lynch -- the quarterbacks widely regarded as the three best in this year's class -- all have flaws and none is a sure bet. If teams pass on a quarterback early, one is sure to fall.

The Cowboys could be in position to take the best defensive player available at fourth overall and still have a chance to draft Lynch, either early in the second round or late in the first round (with a trade to move up a few spots).

Lynch is a quarterback who needs some time to develop in a pro-style offense. That would also give the Cowboys time to formulate an exit plan for Romo.

"When you've got this high a pick and you have the circumstances we're in right now with where we are as a team and with the quarterback, you've got to look at what's available to us for sure and knowing that with these qualities of picks you can get some contributions -- immediate contributions -- and [they] should be significant," Jones said.

"I couldn't tell you at all how we might make the decision. This is one of those that might not be made until we're down to the last 10 seconds on the clock."

Twitter: @DMN_George