Cowboys 7-round 2024 NFL Mock Draft after losing Tyron Smith
By Randy Gurzi
Round 5, Pick 174: Curtis Jacobs, LB, Penn State
Seeing Leighton Vander Esch leave is tough but his health is far more important. Adding Eric Kendricks might not have seemed to move the needle much but it does at least soften the blow of losing LVE. The Cowboys can now feature three starting linebackers — Kendricks, Damone Clark, and DeMarvion Overshown.
Depth remains an issue and it would be wise to groom someone to eventually replace Kendricks. Enter Curtis Jacobs from Penn State.
At 6-foot-1 and 241 pounds, Jacobs has the size to play on early run downs. He also has the speed, which he proved when he ran a 4.58 in the 40-yard dash. This hasn't always translated well to the field which could be due to a lack of trusting his instincts. The talent in there, and if they can get him to react more than process, he could be a solid addition.
Round 6, Pick 216: Jowon Briggs, DT, Cincinnati
Another need for Dallas will be at defensive tackle but they end up waiting until Round 6 in this mock. Hopefully, Mike Zimmer will move Mazi Smith back to his natural 1-tech spot, which will help, but they're still going to need more talent in the middle.
Here, they go with Jowon Briggs from Cincinnati who had 14.5 tackles for a loss and eight sacks in his three seasons at Cincy. He's listed at 6-foot-1 and 310 pounds, putting him on the shorter side for a D-tackle, but he can develop into a rotational piece.