Cowboys get new coach great welcome gift in latest 2025 mock draft but there's a big problem with it
Every time I come across a mock draft where Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty isn't the pick for the Dallas Cowboys, I get excited. That's not to say I'm anti-Jeanty, it's just that it feels like a rarity to find a mock going a different direction. That's why I had to write about A to […]
Every time I come across a mock draft where Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty isn't the pick for the Dallas Cowboys, I get excited. That's not to say I'm anti-Jeanty, it's just that it feels like a rarity to find a mock going a different direction.
That's why I had to write about A to Z Sports' Destin Adams' latest mock draft in which Jeanty went off the board at 10th overall. As a result, the Cowboys ended up getting new OL coach Conor Riley a great welcome gift in LSU's Will Campbell, who many analysts consider the top tackle of the class.
Below is Adams' breakdown of the pick.
After no offensive lineman went in the top ten, we have back-to-back off the board. Many around the league view Will Campbell as the top tackle in the class. And would slide in as a day-one starter for the Cowboys, opposite of 2024 first-round pick Tyler Guyton. – Destin Adams
The Cowboys aren't strangers to picking first-round offensive linemen so even though they've done so in two of the last three years, it's a very realistic scenario for Dallas.
With that being said, picking Campbell would provide the Cowboys with an interesting conundrum: Where should they play him? Obviously, they should already have something in mind for him once they turn the card in with his name, but it will basically come down to two things:
What position do they envision Campbell being best at? And, who would they rather have him replace; Terence Steele (RT) or Brock Hoffman (RG)?
There's a big problem when it comes to the LSU product. Campbell checks just about every box to play tackle in the NFL except for one that concerns analysts: Arm length.
Campbell's arms are under the extraofficial 33-inch requisite many NFL teams are rumored to use. Obviously, the shorter the arms, the harder it is to deal with edge rushers as both players fight for space. In the simplest of terms, a longer arm means you can get to your landmark quicker.
"There are very few guys that (have less than 33 inches arm length) that are successful offensive tackles at the NFL level," Ryan Roberts said in the A to Z Sports Film Room show. "When you combine the fact that you have sub-33-inch arms and I don't think you have great bend, I prefer (Campbell) inside at guard because I think the power profile, the physicality – I think that's where it's best unlocked."
The Cowboys have shown they're willing to bet on tools at the NFL Draft, particularly with offensive linemen, so it wouldn't be a surprise for them to see him as a guard. In which case, he would likely be taking Hoffman's spot, who played well enough filling in for Zack Martin to be considered the projected starter. However, Campbell's first-round talent could make him an upgrade.
If the goal, however, is to replace Steele at right tackle, the vet could become a potential cap casualty who could open up $4.6 million if cut ($14M if designated as a post-June 1st cut), though the benefit of releasing him post-draft would be limited given free agency frenzy happens in March.
Whatever the plan ends up being, you can be sure Cowboys OL coach Conor Riley would be ecstatic about the selection.
NFL Draft expert shares insight on top prospect Ashton Jeanty that will be music to the Dallas Cowboys’ ears
Jeanty’s stock is rising for a reason.
