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Dallas Cowboys 2018 NFL Draft: Analyzing Mel Kiper’s first mock

By Steven Mullenax

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 27: The Top Draft prospects pose on stage prior to the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 27: The Top Draft prospects pose on stage prior to the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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With the 19th pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, ESPN’s Mel Kiper believes the Dallas Cowboys will select a defensive tackle in his first mock of the new year.

The Dallas Cowboys have several issues to hammer out this offseason. That process has already begun in Dallas the recent mass exodus of several members of their coaching staff. Free agency will soon follow with the NFL draft on the horizon.

As it pertains to the latter, there are a lot of decisions to be made between now and late April that will determine the Cowboys needs heading into the draft. As it stands right now, positions like wide receiver, defensive tackle, safety and offensive line appear to be at the top of Dallas’ to-do list.

Owning the 19th overall selection in the first round of the upcoming draft means the Cowboys may not have many options when their number is finally called late on day one. And America’s Team may be forced to simple go with best player available, especially if a top-tier prospect falls into their lap.

But according to one longtime draft guru, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., the Cowboys could fill a major need on their roster while also landing a quality player in Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea.

"“The Cowboys took a step backward in 2017, and it was a regression across the board,” wrote ESPN’s Mel Kiper in his first mock draft of 2018. “Receiver could be a target here, along with offensive tackle. But what’s tough to find on the free-agent market is a disruptive defensive tackle, which Dallas just didn’t have. Vea is a freakish talent at 6-4, 346 pounds who can be a three-down player and add an interior pass-rush presence.”"

At times last season, the Cowboys struggled to contain the run. Specifically when Pro Bowl linebacker Sean Lee was sidelined due to injury. But the fact Dallas didn’t have a true one-technique at defensive tackle was also to blame. The addition of a player like Vea would elevate that concern.

Best described as a refrigerator with arms, Vea’s presence in the interior of the defensive line should actually free up the Cowboys linebackers to make even more plays on the ball. And his solidifying presence might also spark fellow defensive tackle Maliek Collins’ play, as the second-year defender is coming off a down season.

Next: Cowboys 2018 Draft - Positions off limits in 1st round

But the Dallas Cowboys have been hesitant to invest in a one-tech defensive tackle in the past. And I’m not sure anything has changed in Big D. Unless Dallas feels that Vea will have an Aaron Donald-type impact, I fairly confident the team feels they can find an effective interior defender in the later rounds.

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