Archer: Could Cowboys go DT in first round with Carl Davis?

Cotton

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Could Cowboys go DT in first round with Carl Davis?

Todd Archer, ESPN Dallas Cowboys reporter

As names of the Dallas Cowboys' national pre-draft visitors to Valley Ranch kept coming out, I took note that none of them were defensive tackles.

Iowa DT Carl Davis is an intriguing prospect with good size and quickness off the ball. Matthew Holst/Getty Images
It seemed to fit with the Cowboys’ philosophy since the switch to the 4-3 in 2013. They just don’t value defensive tackles in the first round. That’s why I’ve generally downplayed mock drafts that had the Cowboys selecting players like Jordan Phillips or Malcolm Brown in the first round.

But the Cowboys made a late addition to their pre-draft visitors last week by having Iowa’s Carl Davis stop by Valley Ranch.

In the Cowboys’ defense the three technique is the key position. Think of how well Jason Hatcher and Tyrone Crawford have played there the last two seasons. Crawford excelled there despite not having much practice time at the spot at all and is viewed as a cornerstone piece.

In the draft breakdown series about Davis, I wrote that I liked him more as a nose tackle than a three-technique. In the ESPN Insider breakdown of Davis, they gave Davis’s pass-rush ability an above average rating, however, they were concerned he had just 3.5 sacks. At the Senior Bowl, Davis flashed potential.

Crawford is a free agent after the season. The Cowboys would like to sign him to a long-term deal, but the best way to approach the future is to consider the worst-case scenario. Davis could offer the Cowboys position flexibility in 2015 and slide over to the three-technique in the future should Crawford not be retained.

At No. 27 in the first round, the Cowboys are at the mercy of the draft board. In all likelihood they will be picking a player with a second-round grade on their board in that spot. They tend to have anywhere from 15-20 names in the first round. Just because they get a second-rounder at No. 27 isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Travis Frederick had a second round grade and he was named to the Pro Bowl last year.

Could Davis be the pick in the first round Thursday? If the Cowboys are wiped out at running back, cornerback and defensive end, then he could be. His visit to Valley Ranch shows there is some legitimate interest.
 

boozeman

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Would not be my favorite, but if the alternative is reaching for a CB or something, I could live with it.
 

ravidubey

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If the two big RB's are gone, then trade down and grab Ajayi with the new 2nd or Dave Johnson in the 3rd if there's better players than Ajayi when we draft in the 2nd.

NFL will overdraft the RB position this year, and so Dallas needs to aggressively secure a RB regardless of any pre-draft notions of ranking, just like they did with Frederick in 2013.

Outside of that it has to be BPA defense.

2nd round DT > 2nd round CB
2nd round CB > 3rd round DT.
 

Cowboysrock55

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I love Carl Davis but I'm an Iowa fan so I'm a little biased. It's interesting to see the rankings that experts have for him. Some have him easily as a first round talent and others barely have him in the second round if at all.

I did watch every game he played in college and the talent is immense. There were games where he kind of disappeared though. I think someone like Marinelli would be perfect to get the most out of him. Especially if you pair him on the D-line with a guy like Hardy who brings a ton of energy.
 

GShock

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Wouldn't that be the anti-Marienlli pick though? Talented but disappears and doesn't seem to give full effort? How could that possibly be the pick in the first?
 

Cowboysrock55

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Wouldn't that be the anti-Marienlli pick though? Talented but disappears and doesn't seem to give full effort? How could that possibly be the pick in the first?
Marinelli gets players to maximize their potential by getting them to go 100 miles an hour at all times and by rotating heavily on the D-line. He is the perfect motivator for a guy like this. We aren't talking about one of these big slob type players.
 

Smitty

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Doesn't Ajayi have a knee issue now?

I want Tevin Coleman if we are targeting a RB after a trade down.
 
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