Will DeMarcus Lawrence's suspension affect Cowboys' draft plans?

Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence is facing a four-game suspension, the Dallas Morning News said, and it'll be interesting to see if that affects Dallas' draft plans.

Lawrence, a talented player who had eight sacks last year in his second NFL season, violated the NFL's substance-abuse policy. He'll join fellow defensive end Randy Gregory on the suspended list for the first four games of the season.

Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa will likely be available with the fourth pick, which the Cowboys own. This seems like much more relevant information now that we know of Lawrence's suspension.

The Cowboys are in good position, when it comes to the draft. Although they would have looked at either Carson Wentz or Jared Goff had either quarterback fallen to the fourth pick, that's not an option anymore after the Philadelphia Eagles traded up to No. 2. The quarterbacks will go 1-2, which means the next few teams in the draft will have quality non-quarterback options available.

Depending on what the San Diego Chargers do at No. 3, the Cowboys could be choosing between Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey or Bosa at No. 4. A lot of people like Ramsey and think he could be the best player in the draft, regardless of position. But will being without Lawrence and Gregory for a quarter of the season — a season in which the Cowboys should think they have a reasonable shot of being a contender again, like they were in 2014 — force their hand?

If the Cowboys think the two players are close, maybe they'll have to go with Bosa (who is a fine prospect, our Greg Cosell had an in-depth breakdown of him here). Lawrence's suspension is just another variable in what is developing into a crazy draft.

- - - - - - -

Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab