Cowboys Seven-Round Mock Draft: Speed & Trenches
The Dallas Cowboys did a wonderful job of filling holes and re-signing in-house free agents before the NFL draft. Trading for five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Stephon Gilmore and wide receiver Brandin Cooks were homerun moves by Dallas. Not only do these acquisitions provide veteran leadership, but they give the Cowboys multiple starters at positions that […]
The Dallas Cowboys did a wonderful job of filling holes and re-signing in-house free agents before the NFL draft.
Trading for five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Stephon Gilmore and wide receiver Brandin Cooks were homerun moves by Dallas. Not only do these acquisitions provide veteran leadership, but they give the Cowboys multiple starters at positions that were huge needs going into the offseason.
Re-signing safety Donovan Wilson, linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, edge rusher Dante Fowler, and nose tackle Johnathan Hankins was also huge for the Cowboys defense. This gives them three starters and a valuable rotational piece.
Dallas is now in a position to do whatever they desire in the draft, and let it fall to them as it may. Now, let's dive into this seventh-round mock for the upcoming 2023 season.
Round 1, Pick 26: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
Yes, the Cowboys got a receiver with a similar size and skill set in Cooks. However, some players just can't be passed up, and Flowers is one of them.
Flowers ran a 4.42 in the 40-yard dash so he has excellent speed, something the Cowboys desperately need on offense. He possesses great versatility with 1,767 snaps logged as an outside receiver and 797 from the slot according to Pro Football Focus.
James Foster of the A To Z Sports Film Room on what Flowers brings to the table
"Zay Flowers runs as complete of a route tree as any receiver in this class," Foster said. "He separates effectively at all three levels of the field and in college, he split time between lining up in the slot and outside. So, I think he's a fit for a wide range of teams because he offers positional versatility and within whichever team he gets drafted to he can run the entire route tree and be a fully productive member of that offense."
Bring Flowers in and the Cowboys have the best four-man attack at receiver in the NFL.
Round 2, Pick 58: Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor
Ika is a mountain of a man at 6'3" and 335 pounds. He packs plenty of power and is a space-eater that can take on double teams and provide great support against the run which is one of the Cowboys' weaknesses defensively as far as doing it consistently.
For his size, Ika shoots gaps very quickly and also has a strong initial punch off the line of scrimmage. It's not his strongest trait, but Ika can be a force rushing the passer from the interior which is where quarterbacks hate to get pressured from the most.
The aforementioned Hankins was a big free agent signing, but he's only under contract for one year. So, Ika would be an ideal fit for the long term.
Round 3, Pick 90: Cory Trice, CB, Purdue
Trice fits the mold of a Dan Quinn cornerback perfectly. He's 6'3 and 206 pounds with 32 3/8" inch arms and brings 4.47 speed to the table as well.
Quinn's scheme runs a lot of Cover 1 and Cover 3 looks. So, the length and speed of Trice plus his ability to thrive in press-man coverage is exactly what the Cowboys value in their cornerbacks.
Gilmore is in a similar situation as Hankins, they're only under contract for one season. If the Cowboys land Trice they can put him in a position to learn from Gilmore and set himself up to be a great compliment to Trevon Diggs and 2022 rookie sensation DaRon Bland for the foreseeable future.
Round 4, Pick 129: Ivan Pace Jr., LB, Cincinnati
Pace is a sideline-to-sideline linebacker with a high motor and a knack for making plays behind the line of scrimmage (recorded 41.5 tackles for loss in college). Also, Pace racked up 20 sacks on the collegiate level, doing so from the inside a lot of the time.
Pace has the athleticism and an uncanny ability to slip blocks and make plays. He's always around the ball (logged 261 tackles the last two seasons) and has the skill set to be effective in coverage as well.
Vander Esch and Damone Clark are the only linebackers that have shown any juice other than Micah Parsons, who now operates primarily as an edge rusher. Coupled with Jabril Cox still trying to find his way, Pace would be an excellent selection for the second level of the Cowboys' defense.
Round 5, Pick 169: Atonio Mafi, G, UCLA
The loss of Connor McGovern created a hole at left guard for the Cowboys, and Mafi is an extremely nice fit to counter that. At 6'3" and 338 pounds, Mafi is a freight train coming off the line of scrimmage with power and the skill set to pull and destroy defenders downfield.
Once Mafi gets his hands on a defender he's pretty much in a vice grip and he does a great job of finishing blocks with the opposition on the ground a lot of the time. Mafi also is a patient blocker which allows him to get the correct depth and then attack with force.
Mafi could come in and immediately win the starting left guard spot. This would give the Cowboys back-to-back hits on the offensive line with Tyler Smith showing last season that he's a stud at left tackle.
Round 6, Pick 212: Keaton Mitchell, RB, East Carolina
Mitchell gives the Cowboys exactly what they need on offense, more speed at the skill positions. He ran a blazing 4.37 in the 40-yard dash, and he averaged 6.5 yards per rush on the collegiate level.
If you think Mitchell is a one-trick pony you're sadly mistaken. He hauled in 60 receptions for 580 yards and three touchdowns in college. Mitchell's ability to make one cut and explode without losing speed makes him a dangerous weapon running on the edge and in the open field.
He would have to battle Ronald Jones, Malik Davis, and Rico Dowdle for snaps. However, with his explosiveness and elusiveness, Mitchell would be able to find a role in Dallas.
Round 7, Pick 244: Jonah Tavai, DT, San Diego State
Tavai may be undersized at 6'0" and 290 pounds, but don't let the fool you by any means. He has a very high motor and gets great leverage off of the line.
When it comes to making plays behind the line of scrimmage, Tavai was superb in college with 37 tackles for loss and 25 sacks. Also, Tavai is extremely versatile having played virtually every position on the defensive line.
The Cowboys need more on the interior of their defense and Tavai would provide another nice rotational piece in that area and on the edge.
So, there you have it. The Cowboys get much-needed speed on offense, build the trenches on both sides of the ball, and get help on the second and third levels of their defense. Now, let's go get the sixth Lombardi trophy.
