How do the Cowboys fare in way-too-early expert 2023 mock drafts?

We know. You thought Dallas Cowboys mock drafts were behind us until February of 2023. Surprise! With the downtime of the NFL offseason, some of the draft experts around the football world are submitting their (admittedly) way-too-early mock drafts for next season.

One of our own writers even took a crack at a three-round mock draft after the 2022 NFL Draft as well.

While it is indeed too early to think about all of this now, it is nice to see what talent is out there and what some analysts believe the Cowboys may be thinking or going for in 2023. So before we even get to see what our 2022 rookies do, we wanted to look at some mock drafts and see who may be piquing the front office’s interest next year.

A look at who the Cowboys are “picking” in the latest way-too-early 2023 mock drafts

Of course, a ton of this could change. These players may not even decide to enter the draft and we have no idea what the most pressing needs for Dallas will be until we see them play in 2022. But let’s take a look!

ESPN – Noah Sewell, ILB, Oregon:

In Matt Miller’s latest mock draft, he has Oregon’s ILB Noah Sewell. The Duck is seen as one of the top linebackers in all of college football entering his third year with Oregon. Sewell was Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2020 and was part of the All-Pac-12 team last season. His 6-3, 251-pound frame is excellent for a linebacker and he’s also incredibly quick and versatile like current Cowboys LB Micah Parsons.

PFF – Eli Ricks, CB, Alabama:

Michael Renner has the Cowboys taking 6-2 cornerback Eli Ricks. Ricks transferred from LSU to Alabama after earning All-SEC and AP All-America honors during his freshman season with the Tigers. Perhaps (sadly) the thing that ties him most to Dallas is his poor off-the-field behavior. The Cowboys have a tendency to draft players with questionable character and Ricks was recently arrested for speeding and marijuana possession.

Bleacher Report – Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson:

Sticking with the defensive side of the ball, Alex Ballentine chose Trenton Simpson for the Cowboys. Ballentine praised the ACC linebacker for his quick first step and bend. The Tiger had six sacks last season. With Leighton Vander Esch only signing a one-year deal, the Cowboys need to fill that role if LVE is out the door.

DraftWire/USA Today – Brandon Joseph, S, Notre Dame:

Luke Easterling thinks that Dallas should draft for the secondary. Joseph just transferred to Notre Dame from Northwestern after being selected AFCA All-America First Team (unanimously), AP First Team, AP All-Big Ten First Team, and named AP Big Ten Newcomer of the Year. He’s had nine interceptions in two seasons thanks to great tracking ability and strong hands.

It’s certainly interesting to see that most mock drafts have the Cowboys sticking to the defensive side of the ball next year. For now, these are four names to keep an eye on when watching Saturday football.