Dallas Cowboys 7-Round Mock Draft: Trading up for a Quarterback

Dallas Cowboys Round 3, Pick 99

Walker Little, OT

Stanford

All reports indicate Tyron Smith and La’el Collins are on track to be 100 percent well before Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season. While I have no reason to doubt those reports, Tyron’s injury history and Collins’ conditioning reputation can’t be ignored.

We took the opportunity to go QB in Round 1.  We felt obligated to go CB in Round 2. In Round 3 we grabbed a LB with our first pick and now look to a high risk/high reward OT with the second pick in the third.

Ideally, I want my pet cat OT, D’Ante Smith. Sadly, Smith is gone in most scenarios so I’m forced to go to Plan B.

Walker Little is one of the best OTs in the entire draft. At 6-foot-7, 309 lbs, he’s well-built for either spot. The former 5-star recruit projects as a cornerstone left tackle in the NFL. He’s athletic, refined, and strong enough to be an elite edge pass-protector and should be able to buy Justin Fields a lot of time in the pocket for years to come.

So why is he available here in the end of Day 2?

Walker Little missed nearly all of 2019 with a knee injury and then opted out the 2020 season due to COVID concerns. We’ve only seen him in one game over the past two years. That’s concerning. And that’s why The Draft Network has him rated as the 143rd prospect.

For as promising as he is, his time away from the game makes him a significant risk. The Dallas Cowboys are in position to ease him into action. Playing as a swing tackle in 2021, a few starts here or there is all but guaranteed. Tyron hasn’t played a full 16 games in five years, it’s a good opportunity for him to get his feet wet while the Cowboys assess.