5 bold predictions for the Cowboys during the 2023 NFL Draft
By Randy Gurzi
2. Dallas finds a guard in Round 4 capable of playing right away
As good as this offseason has been, Jerry Jones always finds a way to mess things up. He tried more than once, starting with blaming Dak Prescott for their inability to pay skill players. He redeemed himself when they made the moves for Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore but then Jerry Jones’d it all up again.
Jones stated that Dallas plans to put Terence Steele on the bench and play Tyler Smith at left tackle with Tyron Smith moving to right tackle. This is one of the worst ideas ever since Steele was their highest-graded lineman last season, even earning a higher grade than Zack Martin from PFF.
It also means Tyler Smith won’t be starting at left guard, so they’re essentially opening up a hole in the starting five while demoting their best starter.
This could lead to them reaching for an offensive lineman in the 2023 NFL Draft as they aim to fill a self-created vacancy. The good news is, this bold prediction is that they decide to skip on a lineman early on — and they use their top picks on other needs first.
They then luck out with a starting-caliber guard in Round 4 as someone such as Curtis McClendon of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Nick Saldiveri of Old Dominion, or Antonio Mafi of UCLA comes in and gets the job done.