Dallas Cowboys Complete 7-Round Mock Draft (Offseason Edition 1.0)
By Reid Hanson
Dallas Cowboys Pick 174
Khyiris Tonga, DT
BYU
We hit DT in free agency and we hit it again a couple picks ago when we drafted Alim McNeill. But when someone like Khyiris Tonga falls this far you simply have to jump on it.
The Dallas Cowboys have arguably the worst interior run-defense in the NFL and need massive upgrades just to reach an acceptable level of performance. They can no longer ignore the position and must invest in actual run-stoppers if they want to compete in 2021.
BYU DT Khyiris Tonga has declared for the NFL Draft. He totaled 130 tackles, 12 PD, 7.5 sacks & 2 FF in his BYU career. Tonga was the 8th leading tackler on BYU this season. pic.twitter.com/OGjGQS0G81
— Brendan Moore (@bmoorecfb) January 1, 2021
Khyiris Tonga is a beast of a man and can be inside force for Dallas on early downs. At 6-foot-4, 322lbs. Tonga is an immoveable object in the middle. He can play NT in a 3-4 or 1-tech in a 4-3. He can 1-gap or 2-gap. He can give you all the position flex you need from an interior linemen.
Dallas Cowboys Pick 185
Kuony Deng, LB
Cal
Another pet cat of mine is Kuony Deng from Cal. The former Last Chance U star burst onto the scene last year and has built up quite the impressive resume.
Kuony Deng was rated a zero-star recruit coming out of high school. Yes, zero.https://t.co/hZGoNcEUvC
— Cal Sports Report (@jakecurtis53) July 28, 2020
There’s questions as to where and how the 6-foot-6, 250 lbs. linebacker fits in the NFL. Some have him as an inside backer in a 3-4, others have him playing edge. Still, others feel he’s best at SAM in a 4-3. Regardless of where you see him best fit you have to love his measurables and highlights.
Deng is still raw as a player and will make mental errors but he has a high ceiling and is someone worth developing