Cowboys are clearly not sold on key player they made a huge bet on last year after latest Combine reports
The Dallas Cowboys are in an awkward spot at defensive tackle as they just invested a first round draft pick in a defensive tackle in 2023 when they selected Mazi Smith out of Michigan but still have a glaring need at the position. To make things even worse, it's difficult to know for sure if […]
The Dallas Cowboys are in an awkward spot at defensive tackle as they just invested a first round draft pick in a defensive tackle in 2023 when they selected Mazi Smith out of Michigan but still have a glaring need at the position.
To make things even worse, it's difficult to know for sure if that's a result of Mazi underperforming as a rookie or if it's a result of Mazi being harmed by the coaching staff requesting him to lower his weight.
Smith, who was drafted in large part thanks to his size and what he could do with it, had a wrench thrown into his plans and was playing a different brand of football that he had in college due to Dan Quinn's love for agile players, something set to change for Mike Zimmer's defense.
Now, the Cowboys are looking at an NFL Draft class with strong DT candidates and they face a dilemma: Do they partly give up on Mazi and target a defensive tackle even if it means taking one in the early rounds? Or do they bet on a player they know little about, especially at a heavier class?
One thing is clear though, the Cowboys are far from being sold on Smith, whose second year in thew NFL might not lead to a starting role that easily.
Cowboys are formally meeting with five defensive tackles at the Combine
Below is a list based on reports from DallasCowboys.com writer Nick Harris, who has done a great job keeping tabs with these interviews.
- McKinley Jackson, Texas A&M
- Maason Smith, LSU
- Ruke Orhorhoro, Clemson
- Kris Jenkins, Michigan
- T'Vondre Sweat, Texas
Keep in mind, five defensive tackles being formally interviewed is a high number, as NFL teams are allowed a maximum of 45 formal meetings at Indianapolis, which are limited to 18 minutes each.
For contrast, the Cowboys are formally meeting with three linebackers in Edgerrin Cooper, Junior Colson, and Ty’Ron Hopper.
Cowboys have serious complaints about specific aspect of organization
Something to keep an eye on.
