Dallas Cowboys draft profile: OT Wanya Morris: A Day 3 Homerun Swing
By Reid Hanson
The Dallas Cowboys can gamble a little if they attack the offensive tackle position in the 2023 NFL Draft. Currently, they appear to have Terence Steele and Tyler locked in. They may even stick with Tyron Smith one more season, giving them additional depth.
So at face value, the need isn’t obvious at OT. But a year down the road, Tyron is most certainly gone and Steele becomes an unrestricted free agent. They may need a starter as soon as 2024 and if they don’t bring someone in, they’ll be leaning on either Josh Ball or Matt Waletzko (possibly Aviante Collins).
Wanya Morris is a pedigreed tackle who has major boom or bust possibility for the Dallas Cowboys.
If the Dallas Cowboys want to take a homerun swing on a Day 3 pick, Wanya Morris may be their man. Morris is a former 5-star recruit who played at both Tennessee and Oklahoma. At 6-foot-5, 312 pounds, he’s a prototypical build for an NFL tackle.
He has the physical traits, size, length, quickness, and athleticism every scouting department looks for in a prospect. He also has the inconsistencies, sloppiness and red flags that scare scouting departments away.
Morris never developed how he should have. He has amazing film and terrible film. He’s capable of being great but he loses focus and technique too often. If the Dallas Cowboys think this is fixable, they could get a steal and certified home run. If they swing and miss, they’ll be just another team who’ve been seduced by Morris’ amazing ceiling.
Morris can play either tackle spot. He has a low center of gravity and can hold up to bull rushers and keep up with speed rushers equally. The question is can the Dallas Cowboys do what no one else has been able to do?
Projected Draft Spot: Players like this are hard because his skill set says he goes early but his film says he goes late. TDN projects him as a fourth round pick and I’d have to mostly agree, placing him that 3-4 range since the class is a little weak.
The Dallas Cowboys are known to gamble on mid-round OTs. They picked high upside guys like Chaz Green (didn’t work out well at all), Josh Ball, and Matt Waletzko (verdict pending since he missed most of 2022). Wanya Morris could be just another gamble Dallas is willing to take.