In a perfect world, every Dallas Cowboys draft pick would enter the NFL and provide value commensurate with their draft slot, but that rarely (if ever) happens.

Some will underperform compared to the expected value of their draft slot -- typically referred to as a "bust" -- and others will outperform their slot -- usually labeled a "steal."

Not all draft picks are created equal. In theory, the best players are selected first, meaning the expected value added by a first-round pick should exceed that of a second-round pick and so on. So the expectations of each prospect are based upon where they are selected.

Recent history suggests the Cowboys are one of the better drafting teams in the league. They have more than a fair share of steals, including Dak Prescott (fourth round), Xavier Woods (sixth round) and Anthony Brown (sixth round), but even they have a handful of busts on their ledger, including Gavin Escobar (second round) and Morris Claiborne (first round).

Let's keep things positive and take a look at the two Cowboys draft picks who are most likely to outperform their slots.

Connor McGovern, OL

Finding an offensive lineman with starting-caliber upside in the third round is always good value. With some refinement in a few key areas, Connor McGovern could become even more than that.

New #Cowboys iOL Connor McGovern drives the slanting 3T to the ground on this zone read. Has a tendency to pop up out of his stance a bit though. pic.twitter.com/niLL8Pk6ff — John Owning (@JohnOwning) April 27, 2019

His skill set is built on a solid foundation of functional athleticism, strong hands, anchor ability and toughness. The areas in which McGovern struggles (footwork and initial pad level) can be fixed with time and experience, setting the stage for the Penn State product to be effective after some seasoning.

At this point in his development, McGovern already possesses NFL-caliber run-blocking ability, as he can create movement at the point of attack, steer defenders out of a hole and create vertical displacement with double-teams.

McGovern's needs to clean up his footwork in pass protection. Doesn't cover enough ground with his first step, lets his outside knee get outside his foot, heel clicks then establishes a good base. Want him to play properly balanced throughout his steps/set. pic.twitter.com/8cmK7oVTOK — John Owning (@JohnOwning) April 27, 2019

His pass blocking needs work, as his inconsistent footwork makes for too much variance in his performance from snap to snap. McGovern allowed four sacks in 2018; among interior offensive linemen in the 2019 draft with 250-plus pass-blocking snaps last season, he ranked 94th in pressure percentage allowed and 130th in sacks percentage allowed, according to Pro Football Focus.

Poor footwork often leads to improper weight distribution, which can often make him off-balance when engaged with defenders. McGovern also has a bad habit of oversetting shaded defenders, which opens up the inside move.

He's a little slow with his post foot to react to the inside move, but I like how McGovern recovers inside then maintains balance to stay square when Dre'mont Jones looks to spin back outside. pic.twitter.com/Lo6wkBcH2d — John Owning (@JohnOwning) April 27, 2019

Luckily for him, he's often bailed out by his unique ability to recover after he's initially gotten in poor position. It's not always pretty, but McGovern's functional athleticism and toughness enable him to get the job done even when his footwork puts him in a bad spot.

His recovery ability bodes well for his pro career because it means he's advanced in his ability to solve problems on the fly. Most NFL offensive linemen can make blocks when everything's perfect, but the difference between the average and great linemen is the ability to execute assignments when circumstances aren't ideal.

McGovern showing off his anchor against Anthony Nelson. Short little hops backward as he lifts help dissipate the forward momentum of the rusher. pic.twitter.com/hXEON2MLaC — John Owning (@JohnOwning) April 27, 2019

On top of that, McGovern's anchor ability indicates that he should be productive in the league. He possesses advanced technique to stymie bull rushes, executing short hops backward while his arms perform a lifting action to stop the forward momentum of pass rushers.

While quick interior rushers will likely give McGovern issues until he cleans up his footwork, he shouldn't have much trouble against power and bull rushers because of how refined his anchor is.

The last trait that should allow McGovern to outperform his third-round slot is his ability to sustain blocks once he's latched on to the frame of defenders. His grip strength is evident on film.

While he could stand to be more assertive with his hands, once McGovern gets a hold of defenders, it's over. His tape is chock-full of snaps where defenders are desperately flailing their arms in hopes of disengaging his blocks, to no avail.

The Cowboys confused many by selecting an interior offensive lineman in the third round, but the value McGovern provides was just too much to pass up.

As things stand now, McGovern appears poised to back up the center and guard positions in Year 1 before sliding into the starting left guard position in Year 2 once Connor Williams moves to right tackle to replace La'el Collins, who will likely depart in free agency.

With Williams destined to be the starting right tackle, there's a chance the Cowboys could rip the Band-Aid off and move Williams to the outside in 2019, allowing him to begin the tough transition sooner. In this scenario, McGovern would immediately slide into the starting left guard spot while A) Williams backs up Collins as he refines and gets comfortable with the movement patterns and technique of a right tackle, or B) Collins gets traded before the regular season, allowing Williams to slide into the starting right tackle spot this year.

Either way, McGovern appears destined to start and, with some refinement in his footwork and initial pad level, can be a Pro Bowl-caliber guard for the Cowboys.

Not bad for a third-round pick.

Mike Weber, RB

Players selected in the seventh round are usually fringe roster players who'll make the lion's share of their minuscule impact on special teams. If a prospect can develop into a contributor on offense or defense, then that's a home-run selection.

So it wouldn't be surprising if Mike Weber significantly outperformed his seventh-round draft slot.

While Weber will likely cut his teeth on special teams, he also has a good chance of winning the battle to be Ezekiel Elliott's primary backup. Even though the Cowboys selected running back Tony Pollard in Round 4, the Memphis product projects as a change-of-pace back who will be utilized in a variety of roles on offense -- primary backup not being among them.

New #Cowboys RB Mike Weber taking on a free blitzer in pass protection. pic.twitter.com/xAH0WRG6PD — John Owning (@JohnOwning) April 29, 2019

Weber's well-roundedness as a running back makes him the perfect backup to Elliott. Weber is a likable runner who possesses above-average ability in pass protection and as a receiver out of the backfield. At 5-foot-10, 211 pounds, Weber is a three-down runner in every sense of the term who could do an admirable job of filling in for Elliott when called upon.

If Elliott is forced to miss significant time because of injury, Weber's presence will allow the coaching staff to keep the offense largely the same because he does many of the same things Elliott does (just not to the same level of effectiveness).

Weber lacks the creativity and athleticism to be a consistent big-play threat, but he rarely leaves yards on the field, as the Ohio State product possesses very good vision to go with notable contact balance -- an extremely valuable skill set behind one of the best offensive lines in football.

Consistency is key in a backup and, quite frankly, it's tough to find a more consistent running back in the 2019 draft, as evidenced by the fact that Weber finished second in the class in rush success rate in 2019.

He may not have a defining trait that you can hang your hat on, but he doesn't have any crippling weaknesses either, which should make his transition to the NFL seamless.

Elliott's presence places a ceiling on Weber's potential impact on the offense, but Weber's well-rounded skill set also gives him a much higher floor than most seventh-round picks.

Whereas Elliott's absence would cripple the offense in the past, the addition of Weber should adequately protect the team in the future, which is much more value than most seventh-rounders provide.

Enjoy this post?

More film studies: Reviewing all 8 of the Cowboys' 2019 draft picks

Twitter: @JohnOwning