Michigan's David Ojabo is one of the best edge rushers in the 2022 NFL draft. Many believe he'll be a top 15 pick in April, but predicting where players will fall in the draft can be difficult because there as always surprises.

ESPN's Todd McShay is one of the most trusted individuals when it comes to evaluating college prospects. Many believe the Cowboys will go linebacker or offensive guard in the first round. However, in McShay's latest mock draft, he has America's Team taking Ojabo to bolster their pass rush.

McShay on why Ojabo fits with the Cowboys:

"Dallas drafted a star in Micah Parsons last April, but the linebacker was forced into more of an edge rush role last season due to injuries. The question for Dallas is where does it want to predominantly play him going forward. In my eyes, the key is to answer that question and then focus on the other area. Free Parsons up to be even more dominant. The Cowboys could look hard at the linebacker crop and let Parsons rush the QB more, but it'd be difficult for them to pass on Ojabo. Parsons had 13 sacks, but Randy Gregory (six) and Dorance Armstrong (five) were the only other Dallas players to have at least four — and both are free agents. Ojabo's 11 sacks tied for 11th in the nation last season, and his lightning-fast first step and high-end instincts create problems for blockers."

And here's what The Draft Network's Kyle Crabbs had to say regarding Ojabo:

"Michigan EDGE defender David Ojabo is sure to elicit excitement from NFL decision-makers and coaches alike given his raw tools and the bright flashes of high-level understanding of the game that peek through on film. Ojabo is very green in the grand scheme of things; he didn’t play organized football until his junior year of high school after being born in Nigeria and moving to Scotland at the age of 7. And yet, Ojabo is still very much a high-impact defender and shows surreal natural feel and instincts for the game despite the lack of experience—his nose for the football and brilliant rush counters are awesome to take in. And with a high school background in track (he won a prep state title in the 100m dash in 2018 with a 10.93s time), Ojabo has freakish burst and range as an athlete to help make an impact on the perimeter as both a pass rusher and in pursuit. Ojabo isn’t a perfect prospect, but his ceiling may be as high as any 2022 pass rusher not named Kayvon Thibodeaux, and prospects with these kinds of physical gifts don’t last very long in April. Teams that implement wide-angled rushers will find great temptation in Ojabo’s game and will be best positioned to find an every-down role for him early in his NFL career as he continues to add seasoning and better understanding of the snap-by-snap workings of the game. The only thing standing between him and dominance as an EDGE rusher is more experience—finding a secure path to getting that experience will depend on his pro landing spot. I would consider that variable to be the biggest, most serious threat that could contribute to any variance in outcomes he’ll see as a pro player."

Click here to accept Marketing cookies and load this content

Linebackers Leighton Vander Each, Keanu Neal, Luke Gifford, and Francis Bernard are all free agents. Also, starting guard Connor Williams will hit the open market next month which is why linebacker and guard have been the main picks for the Cowboys in the first round by most as previously mentioned.

The uncertainty of DeMarcus Lawrence when it comes to his cap number as well Randy Gregory and Dorance Armstrong. The latter two players will hit free agency, which makes edge rusher a position the Cowboys need to address in the draft.

Ojabo would be a welcomed addition to the Cowboys' defense and a nice shiny toy for defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to play with. If this is the route the Cowboys go, and they're able to restructure Lawrence's deal which will aid in retaining Gregory and Armstrong, Dallas will have a nice foundation at defensive end in 2022. Especially when you factor in veteran Tarell Basham and Chauncey Golston, who will only be in his second season.

Feature image via Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports