3 Cowboys whose stock is soaring after the NFL Draft

2. Mazi Smith

The Cowboys did not spend a first or second day pick on a defensive tackle. Instead they waited until the seventh round to draft Justin Rogers out of Auburn. With Johnathan Hankins now in Seattle as well, the starting position for the man in the middle of that defensive line is Mazi Smith's to lose. Osa Odighizuwa plays the same position as Smith but Mazi was brought in last year to be the future run-stuffer on the defensive line.

Last year Smith only saw three starts as a rookie mostly due to Hankins being injured. When he was on the field, the former Michigan Wolverine did little to make an impact. He only had one sack all season with three quarterback hits. When Hankins returned from injury, he was immediately given his job back. Going into his sophomore season the hope is that Smith took lessons from the veteran Hankins to get ready to be a full-time starter.

For the second year in a row last year the Cowboys run defense came up small in big games. The two most notable came in Buffalo and in the playoffs at home against Green Bay. Since the team did not address defensive tackle in this year's draft with a high pick, it shows the front office still believes Smith was the guy worth taking in the first round last year. His value has certainly gone up this offseason with the expectations of being a consistent starter on a line that is loaded with talent.