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By Jon Machota
Feb 20, 2023
Since Dane Brugler, The Athletic’s draft expert, published his Top 100 draft board last week, this seemed like a good time for our first Cowboys mock draft of the year. We’ll have full seven-round mocks in the near future, but this one will focus on the first three rounds.
The Cowboys have picks 26, 58 and 90 in those rounds. The picks below are made by using Brugler’s big board as a guide and Pro Football Network’s mock draft simulator.
Here are the results.
First round, No. 28 overall: O’Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida
Yes, the Cowboys have the 26th pick in this year’s draft. But the Cincinnati Bengals offered an interesting trade in the mock draft simulator when Dallas went on the clock at Pick 26. The Cowboys moved back two spots and also received the Bengals’ third-round pick, No. 92 overall. Dallas gave up Pick 26 and Pick 163. According to the NFL Draft trade chart, the two picks the Cowboys received added up to 792 points. The two picks the Bengals ended up with added up to 726.
https://theathletic.com/4199810/2023/02/15/cowboys-nfl-draft-big-board/
All of the top wide receivers and defensive linemen were off the board by Pick 26. The choice came down to an offensive lineman or cornerback. Several similar options were there, so trading back a couple spots made a lot of sense. Torrence ended up being the pick over Georgia CB Kelee Ringo.
One of the biggest reasons for the Philadelphia Eagles’ success this past season was the outstanding play of their offensive line. One of the biggest reasons the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl was because of their offensive line. If the Cowboys don’t re-sign left guard Connor McGovern, drafting a left guard becomes a priority. And in this scenario, picking Torrence seemed like a good value, especially for an organization that has had so much success over the last 12 years drafting offensive linemen in the first round (Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, Zack Martin, Tyler Smith).
Addressing outside cornerback wouldn’t be a bad decision here, either. Trevon Diggs is a two-time Pro Bowler. He’s entering the final year of his rookie contract. Dallas obviously wants to sign him long-term. But what if the two sides can’t come to an agreement? The Cowboys would be extremely thin at cornerback without Diggs. With him, they still need help at the position. DaRon Bland had an impressive rookie season. Dallas prefers him as an inside corner. Teams need three starting-caliber corners in today’s NFL. Kelvin Joseph and Nahshon Wright struggled when given the opportunity to start last season. Anthony Brown is an unrestricted free agent. Jourdan Lewis is entering the final year of his deal. Another young CB needs to be added, and at 6-2, 210 pounds, Ringo has the size the Cowboys covet.
Brugler ranked Torrence the 28th overall player in this class. He ranked Ringo 32nd.
“Considered a potential first-round pick last year, O’Cyrus Torrence didn’t necessarily need to transfer to Florida (from Louisiana),” Brugler wrote. “He wanted to prove himself against SEC competition, though, and that is exactly what he did with an impressive 2022 season. Torrence has the play strength and competitive appetite to be a plug-and-play starting guard.”
Others on the board at the time of the pick: Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah; Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland; BJ Ojulari, DE, LSU; Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State; Cody Mauch, G/C, North Dakota State.
Second round, No. 58 overall: Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan
The Cowboys need a game-wrecker in the middle of their defense. And at this pick, addressing defensive tackle seemed like the best option. Others on the board at the time: Gervon Dexter Sr., DT, Florida; Tuli Tuipulotu, DL, USC; Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College; Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA; Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin.
Defensive tackle has been a position of need in Dallas for most of the last decade. The Cowboys have not had a player there that has been close to the elite defensive tackles that we’ve seen in the Super Bowls the last few years. Players like Chris Jones, Javon Hargrave, Fletcher Cox, Aaron Donald, Vita Vea and Ndamukong Suh. Osa Odighizuwa is a good player, but the Cowboys need to do more to address the middle of their defensive line.
“The No. 1 player on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List, Mazi Smith has a rare combination of power and athletic traits,” Brugler wrote. “He probably will never be a lineman who fills up the stat sheet, but he is an immovable object in the run game and has the heavy hands and upper-body strength to toss massive guards.”
Ohio State’s Zach Harrison (Joseph Maiorana / USA Today)
Third round, No. 90 overall: Zach Harrison, DE, Ohio State
Brugler had Harrison as the No. 66 overall prospect on his big board. If the Cowboys can get a pass rusher that high on their draft board at Pick 90, that’s some good value. Harrison (6-6, 266 pounds) makes sense because teams can never have enough pass rush and the Cowboys need to be prepared for the future. DeMarcus Lawrence battled through injuries during his ninth season. Dorance Armstrong is entering the final year of his contract. Getting another young edge rusher to add to the mix with Micah Parsons and Sam Williams doesn’t seem like a bad idea.
Wide receiver is an interesting position for the Cowboys in these mock drafts. While it’s a need as we sit here today, will it be when the draft arrives? Maybe the Cowboys make a move for a veteran. Maybe they sign someone like Odell Beckham Jr. in free agency. If they don’t address it by the end of April, do they feel like any of the wide receivers they can realistically get in this class will make an immediate impact? If not, do they really need to add another Jalen Tolbert in the second or third round? Although Mike McCarthy was the head coach of the Packers when they drafted Randall Cobb, he seems to prefer the bigger wide receivers who can play on the outside and inside in his West Coast offense.
Others still on the board at Pick 90: Jayden Reed, WR, Michigan State; Zach Evans, RB, Ole Miss; Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa; Jammie Robinson, S, Florida State; A.T. Perry, WR, Wake Forest; Braeden Daniels OT/G, Utah.
https://theathletic.com/4170858/2023/02/10/dallas-cowboys-nfl-draft-tight-ends/
Third round, No. 92 overall: Luke Schoonmaker, TE, Michigan
Wide receiver, tight end, running back and quarterback all make sense for the Cowboys at some point. Schoonmaker, who Brugler ranked as his 100th overall player and seventh tight end, would be a nice addition if Dalton Schultz signs elsewhere in free agency. Schoonmaker is viewed as an all-around tight end who can help as a pass catcher and blocker. Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott might be back next season — maybe only Pollard. Running back could become a bigger need between now and April. We’ll likely know a lot more after the scouting combine in Indianapolis at the end of the month.
And it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see the Cowboys draft a quarterback in the mid-to-late rounds. Cooper Rush and Will Grier were the No. 2 and No. 3 quarterbacks behind Dak Prescott in 2022. Rush should get some better opportunities on the free agent market. Dallas will likely fill his spot by adding a rookie QB to compete for the backup job. Brugler only had four quarterbacks in his top 100 and all were ranked inside the top 15.
