3 players the Cowboys should draft over Michael Mayer in first round

1. Steve Avila, OG

Early in the draft process, Steve Avila was a late second-round to early third-round pick -- going in the 55-75 range at the beginning of March. Now, it appears that Avila is going to be a late first-round to early second-round pick in the draft.

There's a slight chance that he could make it to Dallas' second pick at 58, but if they want him, they'll select him at pick 26. We even saw it last year with Tyler Smith. Smith wasn't even talked about as a Day 1 prospect and the Cowboys came in to select their guy.

Avila would be the perfect addition to an already elite Cowboys offensive line. The TCU guard allowed zero sacks on 1,044 snaps last season and was named a Consensus All-American. He started all 15 games at left guard and would be a perfect replacement for Connor McGovern, who left for the Bills in free agency.

But what's interesting about Avila is his versatility on the offensive line.

He started 11 games at center for the Horned Frogs in 2021 and allowed zero sacks. Then as a sophomore in 2020, Avila made six starts at center, two at right tackle, and one at right guard. In his college career, he has played at four of the five offensive line positions.

That's the one thing the Cowboys loved last year from Smith; his ability to adapt and play different positions. He played snaps at left tackle, left guard, and right tackle in his first NFL season.

Smith gave the Cowboys flexibility last year, and while Avila comes in as an interior lineman, he has the experience to help the team all across the offensive line. The TCU prospect would also love to play for Dallas after living in Texas all of his life.

The Cowboys learned last year that they can never have too many offensive linemen. With Tyron Smith and Zack Martin both 32 years old, Dallas should continue to bolster its line. Avila is the perfect prospect for that: someone who has the talent and skills to contribute anywhere for a long time.