Although there are players who remain on the open market the Dallas Cowboys could sign, free agency is more than two weeks old and the draft is less than a month away. The roster has holes that need to be filled, so that’s not to say free-agency signings — if the Cowboys make any — would be for nothing. But in terms of high-impact solutions, the draft is where most of the attention is at in this point in the offseason.
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The Cowboys are set to enter the draft with seven picks. They don’t have a fourth-round pick because of the Trey Lance trade and gained a fifth- and sixth-round presence by virtue of compensatory picks after they traded away their own last year for Stephon Gilmore and Brandin Cooks.
Using the Pro Football Network draft simulator, let’s run through a full seven-round mock and look at how the Cowboys can potentially upgrade their roster.
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Round 1, Pick No. 24
Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
There were offers made to trade back a few picks to the basement of the first round, and it’s worth entertaining. The Cowboys have a lot of holes, whether it’s positions that need starters or more depth, and they don’t have a ton of draft picks, so adding to the arsenal is intriguing.
But the Cowboys have a glaring need on the left side of the offensive line and have expressed the desire to keep Tyler Smith at left guard. There is a pretty clear line in the sand with this draft class in that there are the top six offensive tackles and then a drop-off. Guyton is toward the bottom of that top six.
Guyton primarily played right tackle at Oklahoma, but he has the tools to make the switch, just as Tyron Smith did a decade ago following his career at USC. The Cowboys are open to developing a player with those tools on the other side. With five tackles already off the board at this point, Guyton was the only player left who could confidently profile as the Week 1 starting left tackle.
If Jackson Powers-Johnson had been available, the decision would have been much harder between him and Guyton. Powers-Johnson is arguably the top center in this class, and the Cowboys have the option to kick Tyler Smith out to tackle and play T.J. Bass at left guard. Without Powers-Johnson on the board, the offensive line selection came down to Guyton or Graham Barton. How deep the center class is and how thin the tackles class is tipped the scales to taking Guyton at No. 24.
Round 2, Pick No. 62 (trade)
Sedrick Van Pran, C, Georgia
Moving back six spots meant the ability to swap the fifth-round pick with the Baltimore Ravens and gain their third-round pick at No. 93, so that was a pretty easy trade to make, especially with no player with blinking lights still on the board.
There are a few things Van Pran will need to clean up, but he comes from championship pedigree and has shown the ability to handle business in the run game and pass protection. His size isn’t ideal (6 foot 4, 298 pounds) and is a reason why he could be available at this point, but his skill helps him overcome some of that. If Guyton is the first pick and Smith remains at left guard, playing in between Smith and Zack Martin would be a huge luxury for a rookie going against NFL defensive tackles.
Trade: Cowboys send Nos. 56 and 174 to the Ravens for Nos. 62 and No. 93.
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Round 3, Pick No. 87
Braelon Allen, RB, Wisconsin
The Cowboys didn’t do much in free agency to compensate for the loss of Tony Pollard. Aside from re-signing Rico Dowdle, they are essentially beginning from scratch at the position. There are still some veteran running backs available, but the Cowboys also seem content to be young and inexperienced at the position.
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Allen is a complete back, capable of running inside or bouncing it out. His production in college speaks for itself (35 touchdowns in three seasons), but it’s his tools that make him an exciting fit in the NFL. He’s one of the youngest running backs in this draft class at 20 years old.
Allen may not be the lead back immediately, but he has the potential to develop into one. In the meantime, he can make for an effective duo with Dowdle and potentially a dynamic trio if Malik Davis emerges. Hunter Luepke should be an asset in the run game as well as the passing attack and offer some margin for error as a new-look rushing attack finds its way.
Round 3, Pick No. 93 (trade)
Jeremiah Trotter Jr., LB, Clemson
The Cowboys weren’t just missing production from linebacker last year, they were lacking warm bodies capable of playing the position. This is the one position they actually did go out and address in free agency by signing Eric Kendricks, but Kendricks is more of a Band-Aid than a long-term plan.
Trotter would have the benefit of playing a sheltered role in Dallas, getting his feet wet on special teams and learning from a veteran in Kendricks, who knows the new defensive coordinator’s defense well. He can also lean on other young guys like DeMarvion Overshown and Damone Clark. If Overshown turns out to be as advertised, he’ll be the face of that position in Dallas for years, and Trotter should have an opportunity to be an effective sidekick, like the Luke Kuechly-Thomas Davis days in Carolina.
Round 6, Pick No. 216
Mohamed Kamara, edge, Colorado State
Getting a player like Kamara at this point in the draft would be exciting for the Cowboys. Even as he dealt with a lot of change in college — three head coaches at Colorado State — Kamara was a consistent player and produced well in rushing the passer.
Like many players in the trenches, Kamara’s measurables (6-1, 248) not being up to par is a reason why he could fall. There’s always some level of mystery at this point in the draft, but Kamara’s resume provides enough that he has a solid chance at carving out some sort of role on the team, especially if he’s looked at to be a complementary piece on a defensive line that already has high-end talent in the rotation.
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Round 7, Pick No. 233
Jamree Kromah, DT, James Madison
Playing defensive tackle requires a lot to make the jump to the NFL, as the Cowboys are already seeing with Mazi Smith. It’s highly unlikely that a Day 3 pick at the position would be an instant part of the equation, let alone a Group of 5 player like Kromah. However, Kromah had a sneaky good season, overshadowed a bit by the effectiveness of his teammate Jalen Green, who had a statistically superior season.
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Kromah’s greatest asset is his versatility. At James Madison, he played everywhere on the defensive line, overpowering offenses from the interior and using his speed and athleticism on the edge. Obviously, he’s not going to be that same player at the NFL level, but he offers the opportunity for NFL teams to mold him into wherever they need him most and/or where he can be most effective.
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Round 7, Pick No. 244
Darius Muasau, LB, UCLA
This is a spot I would have loved to take a flier at a number of positions, including the secondary, wide receiver or even quarterback. However, there just wasn’t anybody on the board who felt compelling enough. Muasau is a solid player, and linebacker is a spot the Cowboys can use as much talent to sift through as possible.
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(Top photo of Braelon Allen: Dan Sanger / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
