Dallas Cowboys Draft: 10 Defensive Tackles and their Potential Fit

Dexter Lawrence, Clemson

What’s Good: Strength, Technique, Size, Burst

What Ain’t Good: Production, Pass rushing

As I’ve mentioned before, Clemson’s defensive line was the epitome of the phrase “strength in numbers.” I pointed that Clelin Ferrel and Austin Bryant, while good productive players, had the benefit of other good people. Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence were a big reason why the Clemson defensive line was so dominant.

Lawrence is at his best when he plays inside. He has the size at 6’4″ and 342 pounds to play both 1-tech and 3-tech and has done both while at Clemson. Clemson has unreal burst for someone his size. He also has good strength and technique to stop rushes at the line of scrimmage or behind.

For all that Lawrence provides, he just doesn’t put up the production you’d expect. He only had 7 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks this season according to Sports Reference. Lawrence isn’t a good pass rusher and while that was okay in the Clemson defense, that isn’t a good look for teams needing to draft a defensive tackle.

What Lawrence does provide is a big body inside and will also have better production in the pros than in college because he won’t be surrounded by the same talent. Lawrence will provide effective run support immediately but he will have to work on his pass rushing in order to stay on the field longer at the professional level.

At this point the Cowboys shouldn’t feel compelled to draft someone one-dimensional like Lawrence because they have Antwaun Woods, Maliek Collins, and the recently signed Christian Covington. Covington provides the necessary run support at the 3 technique spot the Cowboys need hence selecting someone like Lawrence especially in the third round simply doesn’t make sense. But what if he falls further? Covington is only locked in for one year!