6 Cowboys on Thin Ice Heading Into the NFL Draft

2. Terence Steele, Right Tackle

As frustrating as it was to watch the Cowboys ship off Amari Cooper in 2022 to pay Michael Gallup, it was even worse to see them fail to learn from their mistake.

Gallup was recovering from an ACL tear suffered at the end of the previous season when Dallas handed him a five-year extension worth $62.5 million. Gallup struggled to get back to form and they ended up releasing him this offseason.

A similar fate could be in store for Terence Steele.

Much like Gallup, Steele was given a huge extension after tearing his ACL. While still recovering last offseason, Steele signed a five-year deal worth $86.8 million. While it’s true he was fantastic in 2022, paying him before he proved he could bounce back was an unnecessary risk — and it backfired in 2023.

Steele was one of the top right tackles in the game in 2022 but went in a pole opposite direction last year. He struggled in both pass and run protection and was easily the weak link on their line.

Perhaps having a year under his belt following the surgery will help but there’s also a chance the Cowboys could start looking for his replacement. This year would be an ideal one to do so with several impressive offensive line prospects. All the Cowboys need is for one of them to slide into Day 2 or 3 and they could land a developmental player to push — or eventually replace — Steele.