Cowboys 7-Round Mock Draft: All-In On Offense
Sixth round: Sione Vaki, S, Utah
When you get to Day 3 of the NFL Draft, you're not just drafting for need anymore. You're looking for guys who can add valuable depth to your roster, play special teams, and develop under your best coaches.
The Dallas Cowboys have done an outstanding job of developing safeties under Dan Quinn, and that could ultimately continue even without Quinn on the coaching staff going forward (if that ends up being the case). One of my favorite players in this draft class is Utah's Sione Vaki, a versatile young player, to say the least.
And my guess is, Vaki will impress enough NFL teams to get picked way higher than the sixth round before all is said and done, but just like in the real NFL Draft, you always roll with the punches and play the cards you're dealt. That's what I did in this simulation, and when Vaki was available in round six, I had to pounce.
This is a guy who racked up 51 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and an interception this past year at Utah, but the intrigue comes with what he does offensively...
You’ll be hard pressed to find a more versatile player in the 2024 NFL Draft than Utah safety/running back Sione Vaki.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 8, 2024
Not many guys can drive on a ball and force a drop with a huge hit and then take a screen 53-yards for a touchdown less than a quarter later. pic.twitter.com/hhLriHf3hA
Yes, that's right -- he's a two-way player and a very good one, at that. He had 520 yards from scrimmage and five total touchdowns for the Utes' offense in 2023 and proved his worth on both sides of the ball. He is an explosive playmaker on either side of the ball and it's going to be fun to see where NFL teams project him.
And the mock draft simulators probably need to rank him higher on their big boards...