NFL
By: Greg Rector
Fans of the Dallas Cowboys are of course divided on who is the best option for the upcoming NFL draft with the 26th pick in the first round. As I have written about often this draft season knowing anything with certainty in the draft class isn’t happening.
Make no mistake as I have written about before there is very little chance that one Jerry Jones would bypass taking Bijan Robinson (Texas) running back if he fell to the 26th pick. However, in my final Dallas Cowboys mock draft, Robinson is off the board mostly for the reason it saves me from the unending debates over positional value versus drafting the BEST PLAY AVAILABLE regardless of position.
In this final Dallas Cowboys mock draft I am not making any trades either, I’m going to let the draft board fall and take the best player available in my opinion in all seven rounds. Here are the seven draft selections I am making for the Dallas Cowboys at the 2023 NFL Draft. I will add my own scouting evaluations.
Round One Pick 26
Michael Mayer TE – University of Notre Dame.
6’4 1/2″ 249lbs
Mayer is a combination player who will immediately be impactful as a run blocker and while he is not the spectacular receiver type of tight end Mayer is a very dependable receiver, some scouts have said he has the best-receiving hands in this draft class, who will feast on underneath routes to keep the chains moving. I know many folks will say my bias toward the Fighting Irish is shining through with taking Mayer.
Much like in 2016 when I was beating the drum for a certain Notre Dame offensive lineman named Zach Martin to be the Cowboys pick. Mayer may not be flashy but he will be effective, including when tasked with helping the offensive line in pass blocking. Selecting Mayer will improve the depth of the TE room and allow both of last year’s rookie TEs (Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot) to develop as well. I hear McCarthy doesn’t use TEs talk quite a bit by those who don’t want a tight end in the first round, he was in a different era and had different personnel in terms of depth at Green Bay that doesn’t mean he won’t use more “12” personnel sets now. As he said you use the players you have on hand and put them into the best situations to succeed.
Round Two Pick 58
Keeanu Benton DT University of Wisconsin
6’4″ 309lbs
Many Dallas Cowboys fans have screamed for years about not paying attention to the defensive tackle position. I couldn’t go there in round one so Russell Maryland (1991) will remain the last DT drafted in round one by the Dallas Cowboys. Plenty of talk about Mazi Smith (Michigan) as a possible choice even in round one, however, I let the board fall and land the Wisconsin Badger who has been solid for four seasons in a very tough conference. Benton is a brute plain and simple, the trait I love to see in a defensive tackle. He needs some work on his pad level and snap quickness but in terms of being a run-stuffing A-B gaps player, it won’t be hard to see Benton be impactful immediately in the defensive line rotation.
Round Three Pick 90
Wanya Morris OT – Oklahoma
6’5″ 308lbs
I have openly not been very high on the interior offensive linemen in this draft class and that’s a common feeling across the scouting/mock draft community. We are also in an era of versatility is almost a must on the offensive line. There are very few Trent Williams and Tristan Wirfs out there. So the ability to play both tackle and guard or guard and center is a more valued commodity. The highest-moving player in the draft right now is Darnell Wright (Tennesee) who plays both tackle spots and can also play guard. Well in Morris (a former Volunteer as well) you have that same ability as he has played left and right tackle at Tennesee and Oklahoma. Morris may not have had the media attention of his former teammate or his teammate this past season at Oklahoma (Anton Harrison) but he could bolster the overall depth of the Dallas Cowboys offensive line.
Round Four Pick 129
Chase Brown RB – University of Ilinois
5’9 1/2″ 209lbs
If you follow my articles here at Team NBS my affection for Chase Brown as a football player has already been stated along with his brother Sydney (Safety) In a very deep running back class there are going to be plenty of options and while doing this mock the likes of Tyjae Spears Devon Achane and Tank Bigsby were off the board. So I had no trouble selecting Brown here. He needs to improve as a pass blocker no different than Tony Pollard had to, but if you want another explosive back the Dallas Cowboys would have one in Chase Brown.
Round Five Pick 169
McClendon Curtis OT/OG – Chattanooga
6’5″ 325lbs
So how did the Dallas Cowboys last year in taking an offensive lineman from a smaller school last year? Some guy named Tyler Smith from Tulsa right? Do you want versatility? Well, Curtis started out as a right guard and then made the position switch to left tackle. Oh, that means he gets the footwork difference hmmm. McClendon Curtis also held his own at the Senior Bowl and if watch his tape the young man is a mauler. He just didn’t go up against the big named schools. Hate to break it to y’all but one Zach Martin isn’t getting any younger. If you watch his 2021 tape as a right guard he was very good as well. At this point in the draft, you are looking for developmental prospects and Curtis fits the bill to a tee. Between Morris and Curtis, the nervous nellies in the Dallas Cowboys fanbase should be appeased there is depth if needed, I will remind those folks that the Cowboys also have Matt Waletzko OT (6’8″ 325lbs my favorite project pick last year and who is now healthy. Inside the Star at Frisco, they are high on Waletzko. Can never have too much depth.
Round Six Pick 212
Clayton Tune QB – University of Houston
6′ 2 1/2″ 220lbs
Everyone knows that the Jones family has been committed to drafting a quarterback this year. I am not going into all the possible reasons why. Clayton Tune fits the bill for a developmental; quarterback. He was a four-year starter and showed the ability to overcome adversity something all good backup quarterbacks need to have in their makeup.
Round Seven Pick 244
Troy Brown LB – University of Mississippi
6’1″ 220lbs
At this point of the draft, you are looking for special teams and developmental contributors. I believe Brown fits that quite nicely. He was on the Butkus Award (best linebacker) watch list and has shown enough on tape for me to give him an opportunity with the Dallas Cowboys.
