Dallas Cowboys 7-Round Mock Draft: Post Combine
By Cassidy Cook
Dallas Cowboys Round Seven – PJ Mustipher – Defensive Tackle – Penn State
The Cowboys are in dire straits when it comes to the interior defensive line as they head into the 2023 season. Many may be asking “then why would the Cowboys wait to address the position until the seventh round?” As far as the question goes, the simple answer is that Jerry Jones doesn’t prioritize the interior portion of the defense. With other needs and the way the board fell throughout my mock drafts, if the Cowboys don’t address the interior defensive line early, it’s smarter to wait until the last two rounds or so.
With that said, PJ Mustipher can be a day-one contributor with a team like the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys have had issues over the last few seasons with teams gashing them up the middle. Mustipher would be able to help with his ideal size and length as he stands at 6’4″ weighing 330 pounds. This is ideal for the Cowboys to play him on early running downs to try and force more 3rd and longs as well as playing him in goalline situations.
The downside to Mustipher is that he brings little to no passing-down skillset or penetration as a pass rusher. Dallas desperately desires a big man in the middle who serves as a 3-technique with a high upside when it comes to creating pressure up the middle. Mustipher would serve as a big body to serve as a gap-control interior lineman. With minimal versatility, Mustipher could easily serve as a body for training camp and/or make the practice squad.