Dallas Cowboys 7-Round Mock Draft: Upgrade the attack
Zack Shackleford, OT, Texas
The Cowboys do have a need at interior offensive lineman. The interior offensive linemen currently under contract are: Zack Martin, Travis Frederick, Connor Williams, Connor McGovern, and Cody Wichmann.
The depth behind the starting linemen have yet to play meaningful snaps for the organization and re-signing Xavier Sua-Filo or Joe Looney could get expensive. (However, I’m sure the Cowboys realize the necessity of keeping Joe Looney in Dallas)
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Enter Zack Shackleford. The senior started at center for the Longhorns the past three seasons and anchored a physical yet explosive offense. In a conference filled with the best passing offenses in the country, the Longhorns commitment to running the ball stands out. Much like when former Longhorn teammate Connor Williams entered the draft, Shackleford is a bit lean and lacks some strength to play at the next. While his hand placement, base, and lateral quickness are good for a center, his lack of lower body strength will cause him to fall to later rounds.
If Shackleford was available for the Cowboys to draft in the seventh round, I’m sure he’d be a player the player personnel department will love. He was a team captain, he was revered for his leadership, and he improved as a run blocker every year in Austin. Shackleford could be someone who makes a name for himself during training camp in the heat of competition for the final roster spots.
This concludes a weird mock draft. As mentioned at the beginning of the piece, this mock wasn’t designed to fix every need at the highest level available, it was designed to get some of the most fun players in this draft in a Cowboys uniform. After all, who wouldn’t want to see the Cowboys offense continue to be one of the best?