Dallas Cowboys (almost) final 7-round mock draft: Wheeling and dealing

Round Four – John Ridgeway – Defensive Tackle – Arkansas

Another need at the moment is a 1-technique defensive tackle. The Cowboys have yet to re-sign Brent Urban and Ridgeway would be a solid addition should they decide to go cheaper and younger at the position. While Ridgeway doesn’t offer a ton in terms of pass rush, he is a true 1-tech defensive tackle and can eat double teams at the point of attack.

Ridgeway plays with a good base and knows his gap responsibility innately. He is very good at understanding how to use his size and strength to take on double teams with a wrestling background. His hands hold a ton of power in them with the initial strike off the snap and can quickly bully interior offensive linemen should they get off-balanced. He holds up against the run well and holds his point for linebackers to run free.

While Ridgeway is really stout at the point of attack there were times he would get a little high which hurts him against shorter, powerful guards. He will not offer much in the way of pass-rushing or penetration, but that is not really the role being asked of him anyway. He could find early playtime due to his ability to help stop the run.