Dallas Cowboys Complete 7-Round Mock Draft (Offseason Edition 1.0)
By Reid Hanson
Dallas Cowboys Pick 42
Azeez Ojulari, EDGE
Georgia
The Dallas Cowboys don’t have a glaring need at defensive end. They have a need – it’s just not nearly as significant as defensive tackle. The problem is, there wasn’t a ton of value here at DT and Azeez Ojulari is a candidate for “steal of the draft”.
Besides, rookie defensive tackles rarely work out well and Cowboys fans know first-hand it takes two or more seasons for an interior defensive lineman to develop. That’s why the Cowboys will likely use free agency to find their front end starter and not the draft.
The purpose of mock drafts isn’t to predict, per say, but to find value and outline different avenues of success (or failure) for Dallas to navigate a complete 7-round draft.
The Dallas Cowboys have two clear starters on the edge in DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory. But Gregory is only signed through 2021 and behind him on the depth chart are a lot of unknowns. Grooming his potential replacement now is good for the long-term and the short-term. After all, you can never have too many pass-rushers.
Azeez Ojulari might be the most physically gifted edge rusher in the draft. The Georgia pass-rusher has elite Gumby bend turning the corner, developed hand technique and a decent sized arsenal of moves. Ojulari ranks in the top-20 on my early big board and it seems shocking sites consistently have him slotted in the second, but that’s where he is and I have no problem adjusting my draft strategy to get the best player available.