Mock Draft Rebuild Series: Dallas Cowboys
Now that the NFL Season is over, what do we as football fans have to look forward to? First up is the NFL Combine, which starts on February 26th. After that, the 2024 League Year begins on March 13th, with Free agency opening up on March 13th at 4pm. The NFL Draft does not come until April 25th, and while there are a lot of events that are going to occur between now and then, today we will be starting our Mock Draft series.
In this series, we will mock draft every NFL team in a full 7 round draft with the draft picks that they have been assigned thus far. This series will only focus on the rookies in the 2024 class, and will not touch on free agency, or how teams may improve themselves outside of the draft. Note that the rankings of the rookies will progressively change between now and the draft, as players help or hurt their draft stock with the combine and their respective collegiate pro days.
To start this series, we will go division by division, doing all 4 teams in a single division before moving on. As a Dallas Cowboys fan, it is only right that we start in Arlington for this mock draft. We will be using the PFF (Pro Football Focus) Mock Draft simulator to assist us in this mock draft.
Round 1, Pick 24:
The Dallas Cowboys have more holes than some are willing to admit, and those holes are only going to get bigger after free agency initially hits. Tony Pollard and Tyler Biadasz are both expected to leave in free agency, and the defensive line was already a weak point at times last season. Tyron Smith hasn’t played a full season since 2015, and while he can still produce at a high level, his replacement will need to be drafted this year or next year if the Cowboys want to remain out of that purgatory of mediocre offensive line play.
Pick: Jackson Powers-Johnson, Center, Oregon
Jackson Powers-Johnson is an absolute monster on the interior of the offensive line, allowing 0 sacks, 1 hit, and 3 hurries in 3 seasons as a member of the Oregon Ducks. The Dallas Cowboy’s were the most dominant on the offensive side of the ball when they could run the ball effectively, and pass efficiently. Ever since Travis Frederick retired a few seasons ago, the Dallas offensive line hasn’t been the same. No disrespect to Tyler Biadasz, he is a very good player and will get paid decently well in free agency. Jackson Powers-Johnson has potential to be another All-Pro, elite caliber player on the interior of the offensive line. Pair him with Zack Martin, and Tyler Smith, and the Cowboy’s will be able to get back to their dominant ways in the run game.
Round 2, Pick 56:
Addressing the Offensive line in the first round wasn’t a flashy pick by any means, but it will pay dividends for the Cowboys when they need it most. This next pick won’t be flashy either. Dallas has gotten significantly better on the defensive side of the ball in the last few years. Drafting Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs, and Daron Bland helps, and adding Malik Hooker and Stephon Gilmore in free agency makes this defense one of the top ones in the entire league. What they have consistently struggled with is the defensive line, more specifically the interior of the defensive line. Drafting Mazi Smith in the first round last year was supposed to help that significantly, but his rookie year was one to forget. I think the Cowboys double dip on the trenches in the second round, solidifying the interior of this defensive line for next season.
Pick: T’Vondre Sweat, Defensive Tackle, Texas
Sweat is an absolute unit of a man, standing at 6’4, 362 lbs. At Texas, for his first two seasons, he had 1 sack, 4 hits, and 20 QB hurries. In his final season, he totaled 2 sacks and 3 QB hits, and while that may seem like a regression, he had 26 QB hurries last season alone, more than doubling his career total. Sweat isn’t a guy that is going to get you 10+ sacks a season, and that is fine, that is not what the Cowboys need him for. They need him to shore up the A and B Gaps on short down runs, and first down plays. Sweat also had a 91.7 PFF grade for his play last season, ranking him 1st out of 883 total Defensive Lineman in College Football. He would be a monster addition to the Dallas Cowboys defense, and would hopefully fill a massive hole in the middle of this defense.
Round 3, Pick 87:
Dallas has gone trenches in the first two rounds in the hopes that it will fill the holes that were made even more apparent last season. What holes remain after the first two rounds? With Pollard likely leaving in free agency, Dallas would need to address the Running Back position in the draft, and likely in free agency as well. Michael Gallup very well may be a post June 1st cut to save cap space, so Wide Receiver becomes a need once again. Linebacker is also a huge area of need with Leighton Vander-Esch’s neck injuries, and while this might be addressed in free agency, the draft can also play a part in it.
Pick: Marist Liufau, Linebacker, Notre Dame
Liufau is a solid Linebacker in the 3rd round of the draft, and, just like the previous 2 picks, isn’t flashy by draft standards. The Cowboys need a linebacker that can move in that second level while the defensive line does their job against the best offensive lines of the league. Liufau stands at 6’2, 239, and has played his fair share as an end line rusher to go along with his time as a box linebacker. Dallas doesn’t intend on using a first round draft pick on a linebacker, and unless Edgerrin Cooper out of Texas A&M falls to them in the second round, Liufau is a good option in the 3rd round to fill the need at linebacker.
Round 4, Pick 125:
Dallas’s offense is currently led by Dak Prescott, a former 4th rounder too. The 4th round can bring you a guy that can contribute on day 1 based on positional value, as well as someone who can flourish in the right system and take the league by storm in a few seasons. For Dallas, this is where they’d look to add someone to contribute on day 1. This 2024 Running back class is very deep and very talented, with guys who will see the field being drafted in the 5th round or even later. Dallas won’t wait until the 5th round to make that decision, they will make it here.
Pick: Trey Benson, Running Back, Florida State
At 6’1, 223 lbs, Benson stands near the larger end of the Running Backs that are in this draft class. Benson ran for over 1900 yards in his 3 seasons at Florida State, scoring 24 touchdowns for the Seminoles. What separates Benson is his usage, and how he can come into the NFL with fresh legs. In 26 games over his final 2 seasons, he ran the ball 310 times, an average of just 12 rushes a game. Benson hasn’t been run into the ground like most college backs, and he can come in and contribute day 1. I think the Cowboy’s will also address this position in free agency, adding a guy like Derek Henry to be your first guy, with Benson being eased into the NFL, eventually taking the reigns later in the season, or by his second year. While that may be the case, Benson can be a first and second down back in this league, and this is an opportunity that Dallas should not pass up.
Round 5, Pick 173:
Dallas’s 5th round selection does not come until the compensatory picks. At this point in the draft, it is about finding a potential gem player, or someone who you want to watch develop and see what they become. 5th round draft pick rarely become immediate starters, so hoping to find one at this point is a pipe dream. That being said, there is still room for contribution by this draft pick, and on this defense, that is never a bad thing.
Pick: Josh Newton, Cornerback, TCU
At 6’0, 190 lbs, Newton doesn’t have that elite size that you’d like to see in a cornerback, but some of that can be changed as he gets into an NFL workout regimen. Newton had a much better 2022 than a 2023, and that might be in part of how talented that 2022 TCU team was. That being said, he is still a very nice athlete. A much better man coverage corner vs zone coverage, Newton allowed an average of 50% completion against him this last season, giving up 303 yards and only 1 touchdown, with 1 interception. He also forced 10 incompletions this season, ranking him 73rd in that stat. Newton can come in and learn behind Trevon Diggs, Stephon Gilmore and Daron Bland, and he’d have a decent shot at making the 53 man roster at the end of training camp. Newton would make a nice addition to this secondary group.
Round 6, Pick 213:
Nearing the end of the draft, Dallas also does not have its own 6th round selection, rather just a compensatory pick, just like the 5th round. Depth is the name of the game at this point, and Dallas still needs depth at a lot of positions. Going back to the theme of the earlier rounds, Dallas goes back to the trenches with this selection.
Pick: Nathan Thomas, Tackle, Louisiana
The 6’5, 334 Rajun Cajun is a nice depth piece that can fill in at Left Tackle in the event of an injury. Thomas became the Left Tackle for the Rajun Cajuns in 2021, and has played every snap for the Cajun’s at left tackle since. In 2023, Thomas gave up 5 sacks, 2 hits, and 5 QB hurries in 410 pass block snaps. What Thomas has that makes him a nice selection, is his ability to run block. Thomas had a 76.1 run block grade, which puts him near the 90th percentile in tackles in 2023. Thomas also ranks as the 59th overall tackle out of 628 tackles in 2023, making him a very nice player. Don’t expect Thomas to become an every day starter right away, or an All-Pro caliber player, but he can still be a nice addition to this Cowboys team.
Round 7, Pick 242:
Versatility and depth is what teams like this late in the draft, and players that can come in and compete at different positions. This player can do just that.
Pick: Dominique Hampton, Safety, Washington
Dominique Hampton spent a lot of time at a lot of different positions for the Huskies, which will add to his draft stock. Hampton isn’t the best in coverage, nor is he the best tackler with 17 missed tackles last season alone, but that can be fixed once he is in the NFL. Hampton played a total of 973 defensive snaps for the Huskies last season. 366 snaps he was lined up deep, 296 snaps he was lined up in the box, 249 snaps he was lined up in the slot, 36 snaps he lined up at corner, and 26 snaps he was lined up at defensive line. Versatility is what NFL teams look for in the late round picks, and Hampton is just that: versatile. Look for Hampton to be a practice squad guy, that can fill in on the back end in a pinch if needed.
The Dallas Cowboys have holes just like every other NFL team. A draft class like this would go a long way to solidify the holes that they have, and would put them in a good spot going into the summer workouts. Up next in the NFC East: The Washington Commanders.
