Dallas Cowboys 7-round mock draft: The need for speed

The last two NFL Drafts the Dallas Cowboys made selections that didn’t exactly bring out the best initial reaction from fans and draft analysts. In 2021 many questioned the value of selecting an off ball Linebacker. In 2022 worries grew as the most penalized player in college football was picked.

As we know, Micah Parsons and Tyler Smith both ended up saving those respective seasons with their play as rookies. For Parsons, we saw him take another step in his second year. He recently finished as the NFL Defensive Player of the Year runner up, while Smith became the most reliable offensive tackle on a 12 win playoff team in his first NFL season.

Not bad for a couple of perceived low value mistakes, right?

In this Dallas Cowboys mock draft the Cowboys address their need – their need for speed…

This isn’t to say the initial reaction by people wasn’t valid. You won’t find much Penn State tape of Parsons rushing off the edge and Tyler Smith was, indeed, the most penalized player in college football.

So what will the reaction be to the Dallas Cowboys first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft? Perhaps that depends on who you ask. There is plenty up for debate in this years class. Who’s the best Quarterback? Receiver? Guard? Tackle? DB? There’s a couple of top tier defensive linemen that stand above the rest, but who goes after that and how do they stack up?

These are the pieces to the NFL Draft puzzle. Finding the most efficient way to maximize new player acquisitions.

For the Dallas Cowboys, will needs get in the way of taking the best players possible? Would the Cowboys go for a Best Player Available and draft a sliding top talent like Bijan Robinson? Or are they better suited to pick a borderline 1st to 2nd round graded corner or wide receiver?

Maybe the draft board helps them decide. Maybe they have something in mind that will shock us all. The only way to find out is to make the picks.

Welcome to the Dallas Cowboys 7 round mock draft. Let’s get started.