Mock Drafts have the Dallas Cowboys picking this man in the ’23 NFL Draft

I know, I know…the Dallas Cowboys haven’t even broken camp in Oxnard and already I’m talking about the 2023 NFL Draft (roughly eight months from now). But the draft process waits for no one, and when some of the top respected draft gurus on the planet start matching players with Dallas, we listen.

The NFL Draft has become a full-time profession. No longer is it an endeavor for weekend warriors of the offseason, entire staffs are now devoted to scouting, tracking, and predicting draft picks and the NFL preseason is no exception.

The Draft Network has rolled out a couple mock drafts and the players they’ve given the Dallas Cowboys should interest everyone.

On August 1, TDN’s Kyle Crabbs released his 2023 mock.  In it he had the Dallas Cowboys picking an interesting prospect…

Trenton Simpson, LB

Clemson 

Crabbs recognizes the Dallas Cowboys propensity to draft linebackers high, he recognizes the special qualities Micah Parsons provides, and picks a player who would be able to play a variety of roles alongside Parsons.

What I like: Simpson is a 6-foot-3 230lbs athlete who can do it all – run fits, coverage, and pass rush. He’s the son of a former Army Ranger with sky-high potential.

What I don’t like: Simpson is another off-ball linebacker at a time when off-ball linebackers aren’t all that valuable. Even the Dallas Cowboys shy away from them (Parsons being a pass-rushing exception) since Dallas leans heavily on 2 LB sets.

Additionally, the Cowboys have Jabril Cox developing (a high ceiling player) and LSU superstar, Damone Clarke. Both players have legitimate Pro Bowl potential and both are young and cheap. I’m not sure Dallas wants to shelve one (or both, really) in 2023.

Eight days later, Damian Parson released his mock draft. His appears to be more in tune with what Dallas is dealing with…

Peter Skoronski, OT

Northwestern

Damian recognizes the Cowboys issues on their O-line and sees that Tyler Smith could eventually land at a couple of different spots. He sees the versatile Skoronski as a solution who fits the Dallas mold.

Like Tyler Smith, Skoronski could be an NFL OT or OG. He could play either spot depending on how Smith’s development looks this coming season. He’s a 5-star prospect who’s played every game since he’s been at Northwestern.

What I like: He’s a smart player with pedigreed traits and versatility, so I know he’ll get on the field. He plays a position of need that could either replace Tyler Smith at LG, Tyron Smith at LT, or Terence Steele at RT.

What I don’t like: The positional value of a first round OT is far superior to that of a OG. If Skoronski ends up as an OT (down the road) then he’s worth the pick. If he’s a career OG, then I don’t like the pick and the Dallas Cowboys could enter a very ugly stretch of OT play.

I’d prefer the Cowboys to draft a sure-fire OT.

That’s a wrap!

We’ll continue to montor draft boards and match the predictions of expert draft gurus with Sport DFW’s keen knowledge of the team. At the end of the day we should be fully prepared eight months from now