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

Round Five – Mike Rose – Linebacker – Iowa State

Rose is an interesting linebacker prospect out of Iowa State that has the prototype build for the position. He isn’t going to be the most explosive linebacker, but he might be the hardest worker and one of the smarter ones. He projects as a strong-side linebacker at the next level. He seems to have a nose for the ball with forty-one tackles for loss during his time at Iowa State.

Rose will not wow a lot of people with his speed and strength, but he will wow people with his motor and ability to see the game in front of him. He can cover, rush, and come downhill against the run as well as anyone, but his athleticism will limit him more than some other linebackers. No one will ever say Mike Rose gave up on a play and a little technique and strength training could help him be a steal in a few years.

Again, Rose will never be the fastest linebacker on a team, and at times he will run into blocks which he usually gets out of with his power, but he has the football IQ to overcome this with some teaching. He will need to be able to play special teams, but since the Cowboys have their three starters, he should carve a role out early.