Cowboys 7-round 2024 mock draft: Filling holes and spreading the wealth

Round 3: Pick 87: DT Michael Hall Jr

Hall was a consideration in Round 2 so the fact he fell all the way to Round 3 is too good for Dallas to pass up. The undersized DT from Ohio State who’s rated as the 16th DL by NFL Draft Buzz and the 79th player overall on Dane Brugler’s top-100 list, presents tremendous value here even if he doesn’t solve the obvious need for size inside.

Hall’s film, workouts and athletic testing all say top-50 player. But his size and length are going to scare some teams away so he’s been slipping from time to time in simulations. At 6-foot-3, 290-pounds, Hall is still plenty big to get the job done inside. He’s not a candidate for 1-tech but he could certainly split time with Osa Odighizuwa at 3-tech. Considering Odighizuwa has broken down from a full time workload in each of his three NFL seasons, this could be just what the Cowboys need to maximize the effectiveness of the 3-tech position.

Given Dallas’ complete absence of a 1-tech, the Cowboys still need to move Mazi Smith back to the girthier position and also need to find a veteran free agent somewhere to cover the loss of Johnathan Hankins.

Hall is an ultra-explosive player who will attack plays and disrupt the backfield. His biggest negative from a scouting perspective is his endurance but assuming he’s in a rotation with Odighizuwa, that won’t be a problem in 2024.