With my big board set, it is now time to unveil my pre-draft rankings for each position that the Dallas Cowboys could choose from. With so little time and so many positions, I am going to start with the areas the Cowboys could hypothetically take at the tenth spot.
My intent with this three-part series is to provide a quick snapshot of players the Cowboys could take. The debate whether to take a certain player or wait for another in a deep class will arise and anxious to hear which you prefer.
With the repeated talk over the same prospects at ten, I am simply going to give a small breakdown of where I have these individuals based on position.
The Dallas Cowboys can get away with not drafting an offensive tackle in the first few rounds because of the likely return of bookends Tyron Smith and La’el Collins. Their swing tackle of the year is recently signed Ty Nsekhe while Brandon Knight and Terrance Steele have a year of experience to build on.
There is also a case for drafting a top lineman to brace the inevitable loss of All-Pro and probable Hall of Fame tackle Tyron Smith.
This year’s offensive tackle group is really deep and especially talented. There are a few prospects that probably would be projected to be selected higher than they likely will but that has to do with the depth of this draft.
That is a perfect recipe for the Cowboys as having one of these talented men fall far enough, even at ten, where the talent might be too much value to pass up.
5 – Liam Eichenberg
Depending on who you ask, there are people who think Notre Dame Tackle Liam Eichenberg looks like your prototypical left tackle. Others will tell you that he is strictly a right tackle so needless to say I spent the most time on this prospect than most.
There were times where his footwork is graceful for a six-foot-six 300-pound lineman but were also times where he abandoned his technique. The fact that he is coming from what has been a lineman factory as of late might make some people more comfortable selecting him even though he has workable flaws.
Eichenberg is graceful with his footwork but so is his punch which is not a good thing. The player simply needs to get stronger. After my film work on the guy, he is more of a get-in-the-way blocker at this point.
His pass set and technique are NFL ready but he tends to catch his defender rather than punch his defender back. I have no doubt that after a full NFL offseason he can gain the required functional strength to combat the bull rush.
Eichenberg does a great job against smaller quicker defenders making me feel like he could come in and start for a team that employs a heavy pass game.
His run blocking needs refinement also as his get-in-the-way method is fine but he won’t consistently push his defender back from the line of scrimmage. Functional strength is where this prospect is going to struggle. Teams that employ a heavy zone-blocking scheme would be an ideal fit.
If the Dallas Cowboys were to select Eichenberg his role would almost immediately be labeled as the swing tackle with a promised future. Depending on where they draft him, it would almost immediately shine a spotlight on current left tackle Tyron Smith.
I believe Eichenberg is strictly a left tackle at this point that wouldn’t offer any immediate position flex. This move would raise eyebrows and create an unnecessary headline.
Eichenberg reminds me of fellow Golden Domer Mike McGlinchey of the San Francisco Forty-Niners. McGlinchey was able to transition to the right side after gaining much-needed NFL strength.
Liam Eichenberg should be selected late first round to middle second-round player. There is no doubt Eichenberg will be one of the top fifty players selected on draft day.
4 – Jalen Mayfield
Michigan tackle Jalen Mayfield has been lost in the shuffle which means there is going to be a team that drafts their future starter with a top 50 selection. The former Wolverine is a solid prospect that will be placed on someone’s line then forgotten about for ten years.
The first thing that stands out is his instant pass setup. He almost leaps into his pass set and is almost always the first lineman in his stance. He was so fast that I would sometimes see him pop into his stance then look over to the guard and see him set up as well.
Mayfield stands at six foot five and weighs 320-pounds and knows how to use his body. His hand placement could use some refinement but showed that even when a defender could get his hands into his body, Mayfield had the strength to anchor down and stymie the bull rush.
Mayfield is also one of the best-run blockers in the entire NFL draft which is is a huge plus. You may be asking if this guy has the tools to be an instant starter, why isn’t he talked about with the other tackle prospects?
The answer is simple. He is strictly a right tackle and played right tackle at Michigan. He has enough athleticism to play on the left side in a pinch or get through a game or two but his future is on the right side or guard.
Mayfield tends to get antsy and lunges at his defender which oftentimes gets him in trouble. He also needs to sustain his blocks a bit longer.
The Miami Dolphins who employ the only left-handed starting quarterback in this league could be a logical landing spot as the right tackle is more important for that simple fact.
The Dallas Cowboys once drafted Notre Dame’s left tackle and turned him into an All-Pro right guard. As more and more teams started following the blueprint of taking a college team’s best left tackle and turn him into a guard, I can definitely see a team doing the same with Mayfield.
If drafted by the Dallas Cowboys, I can already envision the left guard battle that would ensue with current left guard incumbent Connor Williams. There could even be a scenario down the road where he is asked to move back to the right and shift current right tackle La’el Collins to the left side and replace future Hall of Fame tackle, Tyron Smith.
This gives the team options for the future while upgrading the now.
3 – Christian Darrisaw
Virginia Tech offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw was probably the leading candidate to be the best offensive tackle in his draft class and although I have him ranked third overall, it has nothing to do with his play.
Darrisaw is going to make a football club very happy in the first round. Darrisaw is your prototypical left tackle that carries a bit of a mean streak. The six-foot-five 322-pound tackle looks like a mauler but plays more like a technician.
Perception is probably the main reason why he is listed as the third-best tackle in this draft and not in the conversation with the top two players on my board. When you first see him, you expect to see something spectacular but he merely goes out and plays well without it looking difficult.
As I said, expectations are hurting his draft stock but wanting flashy as opposed to just good every day is a great way to be on the unemployment line in the NFL and is a mistake I am not going to make.
If Darrisaw finished his opponents with more splash, the NFL draft narrative would read something to the likes of “the big three at tackle”.
Darrisaw reminds me of former Washington tackle Chris Samuels which is funny because I actually mocked Washington to take him with the 19th pick.
Darrisaw in Dallas does present a dilemma though. Darrisaw playing guard to me is a bit of a waste of his talents as I see him as a pure left tackle. He could play on the right side but that leaves the question about what to do with the two current starters.
Sure Tyron is starting to wind down but he will still be the team’s starting left tackle. Of all of the prospects on this list, Darrisaw is the least likely to become a Dallas Cowboys draftee.
2 – Penei Sewell
Penei is my third-ranked overall prospect in the entire draft but second on my tackle list. In an effort to confuse you, even more, I do not have the top tackle in my top five overall prospects.
Sewell is high on my list because his athleticism is so elite that I can honestly say I have not seen his movement skills in a lineman, ever. I never thought I would use the change of direction term on a lineman but that is exactly what he can do.
Sewell is a six-foot-five 331-pound behemoth of a man whose athleticism is unrivaled. He has the ability to easily get to the second level and crush his assignment but also has an uncanny ability to peel off of a double team and find another body to pancake.
At this moment, Sewell could slide into a starting lineup and play extremely well.
The reason I have Sewell as the second-best tackle in this draft is that his technique, namely his footwork, needs to be looked at carefully. Sewell has more of a shuffle than a kick slide. The reason I say take a look is that it works for him.
I’m sure there are still technician truthers out there that say Patrick Mahomes shouldn’t have multiple releases and throwing angles but it works for him. Sewell sorta falls in that category also but I have doubts whenever a player moves away from the traditional teachings of football.
The Dallas Cowboys faithful can already see him playing left guard for America’s team. I can also see a scenario where comparisons to Larry Allen will be prematurely unveiled but his play at that position would probably be warranted.
His fiery play and attitude would be needed as much as the inside push he would provide. It is funny to think of a rookie lineman coming into the NFL and punching people back but he absolutely has the ability to do so.
He keeps his head on a swivel but seems to feel the blitz like a sixth sense. Sewell has even turned to pick up a blitz without the defender actually being in his view before the play.
Sewell does tend to lunge at defenders and likes to hit passerby’s before the whistle blows mean he wants to hit people but that excess will have to be reeled in a bit in the NFL.
1 – Rashawn Slater
At six foot three and 305-pounds, this lineman is the smallest of all the top prospects but he is certainly the best when the tape comes on. The undersized Northwestern product plays the part but falls short of the preferred measurables.
Either way, Slater is the best left tackle in this draft and will more than likely become the top instant plug-and-play candidate this year. His projected ability to play every position but center is also appealing to teams that have players they aren’t comfortable with within their current position.
Slater has good footwork and a smooth kick slide that looks effortless but ready. His fist packs a punch but also knows when and how to attack his opponent. If you asked me who I thought would become the best tackle in this draft and my answer would have no hesitation.
His passing setup has just about everything you would hope in a prospect. His run game blocking does leave a bit of meat on the bone as he doesn’t have the overpowering strength.
Slater has an attitude about him when he pass blocks but could use more of that confidence in the run game. His functional strength is fine but he doesn’t have the finishing power like Sewell before.
He would be able to hold up through the season strength wise but a regular NFL offseason with proper strength and training program could allow Slater to become the punishing player some might envision when projecting his ceiling.
Slater to me is the offensive line version of Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald. An undersized player whose smaller stature and athletic ability could allow him to instantly win the leverage battle in most matchups.
Slater with the Dallas Cowboys would probably have the same path as Sewell before him. An instant starter at left guard whose future at the position is tied to the playing status of Tyron Smith.
The NFL draft is loaded with offensive tackles which makes me believe a few teams could pass on the top ones and still get a good one in round two. Names like Alex Leatherwood from Alabama and Oklahoma State’s Tevin Jenkins are also prospects to watch as the second wave of tackles is very undecided.
Samuel Cosmi from Texas, USC’s Alijah Vera-Tucker, and Walker Little from Stanford are all players that multiple teams would probably be thrilled to draft. If the Dallas Cowboys bite on one of the top two in this draft I certainly wouldn’t be disappointed but I would understand if they do pass on the position as this year’s tackle class is loaded.