Dallas Cowboys Draft: 5 Offensive Linemen for 5 Rounds

Jake Hanson, Oregon

Round Grade: 6th

Value: Correct

Percent Probability: 80%

The last interior offensive linemen available was another Oregon Duck. After redshirting his freshman season, Hanson played center for four straight seasons and was an honorable All-PAC12 mention in each season. In Eugene, Hanson played a lot of games, which means teams have a lot of film on the redshirt senior.

At 6-foot-4, 303 pounds Hanson isn’t particularly dense or strong for his size. Against bigger and powerful rushers, he struggles to take them one-on-one. Even with his motor and intelligence, he simply didn’t have the athleticism to consistently win matchups against powerful defenders. His lack of power showed in the running game as he struggled to move defenders when drive blocking.

However, the center still showed good technique that will warrant consideration from teams. He possesses great hand strength as he grabbed onto opposing shoulder pads with ease. His footwork is consistent as he moves through blocks. Compared to his teammate Lemieux, Hanson showed the consistent ability to laterally move with success.

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Currently, Hanson is at his best when he can double team defenders with his guards. As someone not strong enough to deal with an interior rusher, Hanson will struggle at the next level if he has to play against lineups with a nose tackle. It is typical of teams to draft athletes in the later rounds with the hopes of playing them on special teams or developing them into premier talent. In the case of Hanson, Hanson is a technically sound athlete with little athletic upside.

Even so, he could still help the Cowboys. This late in the draft, the expectation is the Cowboys would be drafting a backup lineman. Hanson does provide some positional versatility so he can play all the interior offensive line positions. If he were to work on getting stronger, he could certainly be a productive backup lineman for the team that will have aging linemen by the time of Hanson’s second contract.

Of course, this is assuming the Cowboys haven’t already cut him by then…

While the loss of Travis Frederick will hurt the team, the depth the Cowboys have should be able to play near the level of Frederick from last season. If the team still felt that wasn’t going to be attainable, an IOL on day 2 seems like the right time to grab a starting-caliber lineman.