Dallas Cowboys Complete 7-round Mock Draft: Fixing the trenches
By Reid Hanson
Dallas Cowboys Mock Draft
Round 2, Pick 56
DE Patrick Jones II
Pittsburgh
The Dallas Cowboys don’t have an immediate glaring need at defensive end, but just beneath the surface the need is there. DeMarcus Lawrence is locked up long-term and performing well, but things aren’t so secure on the right edge.
Randy Gregory is a beast and Cowboys fans should all expect his first double-digit sack season in 2021. But he’s not a full-time player and is best when he’s rotated and kept fresh. Additionally, he’s only signed for one more season and given the amount of time it takes for NFL pass-rushers to develop, it makes sense that the Cowboys start grooming someone now.
Much like the OT situation, many of the edge players that the Draft Network have slotted for later, are going to be long gone by the time the draft goes down. One player I foresee moving up the boards is Patrick Jones II.
Jones is the type of all-around talent that DeMarcus Lawrence is. He’s a splash play machine, racking up 17.5 sacks and 24 tackles for loss in the last 22 games played (1.86 splash plays per game). That’s elite production.
Like most edge players making the jump to the pros, Jones needs to hone his technique a bit and needs to add some more weight if he wants to be a full-time starter. But as-is, he’s an instant contributor on the EDGE and a nice player to rotate. He has high potential on the Dallas Cowboys and would be a great investment.