Top 5 2023 NFL Draft prospects for Cowboys to keep an eye on

After the debacle that was the 2009 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys switched their philosophy when it came to player selection. That change might not have been made public but when we hear Jerry Jones complain about missing out on Johnny Manziel and Paxton Lynch while ending up with Zach Martin and Dak Prescott instead, we see the shift was taking the decision out of his hands.

The results speak for themselves as Dallas is now one of the better teams in the league when it comes to drafting players, especially in the first round.

We know it’s early, but it’s always nice to look ahead with college football around the corner. Let’s look at five players that the Cowboys’ front office could be looking at as options to continue to build their roster.

5 2023 NFL Draft prospects the Cowboys should keep an eye on

5. Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor

For years, the Cowboys have been gashed up the middle and they continue to think they can fix this by adding mid-to-late round picks in the draft. This season, they’re hoping that Arkansas product John Ridgeway (who they took in Round 5) can be the nose tackle they’ve been missing.

But what if he’s not?

Dallas, like many other teams, refuses to use an early pick on a nose tackle with the logic that they won’t really be on the field for third-down passing plays. But wouldn’t it make sense to consider such a player if it meant there were more third-down passing plays and fewer third-and-short situations following a couple of strong runs?

While that might not convince this front office, perhaps a defensive tackle such as Siaki Ika could change their minds. The Baylor product is a beast at 6-foot-4 and 350 pounds.

A former LSU Tiger, he transferred to Baylor and proved that he can not only shut down the run, but he can generate pressure on the quarterback as well.

Ika finished the season with 3.5 sacks and had an impressive 33 pressures as well. Adding such a player could truly help Dallas win at the line of scrimmage.