With the 2024 NFL Draft quickly approaching, the Dallas Cowboys have several holes to fill on their roster. Their inactivity in free agency has been worse than ever and they appear to be ready to blame Dak Prescott and Mike McCarthy should everything fall apart.
Prescott and McCarthy each enter the final year of their current deals and McCarthy is a lame duck, whereas Prescott could be in for a huge payday. Dallas is potentially allowing him to hit the open market and if they think his contract demands are absurd now, just wait until a few desperate teams start backing up the Brinks truck.
Hopefully, it won't come to that. But the best way to keep the sky from falling is to win in 2024 and hitting on every pick in the 2024 NFL Draft will be critical for that to happen. That's exactly what we attempt in this Cowboys 7-round mock draft.
Round 1, Pick 24: Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon
With their first pick, the Cowboys land the top center in this class in Jackson Powers-Johnson from Oregon. Powers-Johnson boasts NFL size at 6-foot-3 and 320 pounds and has experience all over the line. However, his work at center during 2023 proved that's where he belongs.
Tyler Biadasz signed with the Washington Commanders in free agency after his market proved greater than anticipated. Brock Hoffman proved he can play off the bench in 2023 but he's far from a full-time option. Powers-Johnson, on the other hand, gives them a player who can hold down the spot for the next decade or more.
Dallas could field a decent starting line with this addition, if they were to wise up and move Tyler Smith to left tackle. Having Smith, T.J. Bass, Powers-Johnson, Zack Martin, and Terence Steele isn't half bad — provided Steele can bounce back.
Round 2, Pick 56: Jonathon Brooks, RB, Texas
As frustrating as it has been to watch the Cowboys ignore all available running backs, it's hard to be too upset. This is the same team that handed out one of the worst running back contracts in NFL history back in 2019. The worst part of their decision to pay Ezekiel Elliott that year was how brilliant they looked when they refused to pay DeMarco Murray in 2015.
That year, Darren McFadden came in and had more than 1,000 yards in just 10 starts. This season, however, they haven't even added a veteran who could potentially do what McFadden did. Instead, they're sitting here with Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn as their top options.
When the regular season kicks off, that can't be the depth chart. That's why they use their second pick in this mock draft on Jonathan Brooks from Texas. Easily the most complete back in this class, Brooks has the vision, speed, decisiveness, and power to be a perennial 1,000-yard back. But he also has a couple of questions.
The first centers around his health. Brooks suffered a torn ACL last season and while he's expected to be back by camp, the Cowboys have been burnt recently by players coming off ACL injuries. The second is his experience. Brooks has just one year of starting experience.
Dallas could elect to go with Trey Benson, who is a safer bet when it comes to health. But Brooks has so much more potential and could completely change the look of their ground game.
It would still be wise to get a veteran who could start if needed, but at least a rookie selected during Day 2 would provide them with a solid option.
Round 3, Pick 87: T'Vondre Sweat, DT, Texas
Back on the clock in Round 3, the Cowboys go for a defensive player this time as they land T'Vondre Sweat from Texas. Sweat is a massive human at 6-foot-4 and 366 pounds. Dallas can use such size on their defensive line, which was bullied in their playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers. It also gets bullied every time they go up against the San Francisco 49ers.
New defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has been open about wanting more strength in run defense and that's what they land in Sweat. However, he's far from a perfect prospect which is why he's available at No. 87 in this mock.
Sweat enters the draft on the older side after spending five seasons with the Longhorns. He's also only recently started to learn to play with more technique rather than just relying on his size. The results are encouraging but he's also not someone who brings violence to the defensive line. Nor is he someone with extreme burst off the snap.
Having said that, he won't get pushed around and cannot be blocked by just one player. That will be a massive help for the remaining defenders and if Zimmer can light a fire under him, Sweat has the potential to develop into a disruptive force.
Round 5, Pick 174: Jalen Sundell, OT, North Dakota State
After adding Jackson Powers-Johnson in the first round, the Cowboys now bring in more offensive line depth in the fifth round of this mock. At No. 174, they add Jalen Sundell from North Dakota State, giving them a 6-foot-5, 300 pound player to develop.
Sundell played primarily at left tackle this past season but spent time at center prior to that. He was solid in run blocking but stood out as a pass blocker — which has been an issue for Terence Steele on the right side of the line.
The concern with Sundell is going to be the level of competition he faced. North Dakota State has been excellent when it comes to finding talent that can move to the next level but they don't play against the best teams in their conference.
Dallas has typically shied away from players outside of power conferences since they haven't been exposed to elite competition. Having said that, this is a major need for them and the upside Sundell possesses for a fifth-round pick is too great to ignore.
They can also afford to work him along slowly, assuming they eventually move Tyler Smith to left tackle. Their first goal would be for him to assume the swing tackle duties then one day, he might be able to help them get out of the awful contract they signed Steele to.
Round 6, Pick 216: Omar Brown, S, Nebraska
Over the past few seasons, the Cowboys finally started to take the safety position seriously. They added Malik Hooker and Jayron Kearse in free agency and extended Donovan Wilson ahead of the 2023 campaign. It's no coincidence that their pass defense was vastly improved after making these moves but heading into 2024, they'll need to replace one veteran.
Jayron Kearse, who had 250 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and four interceptions over the past three years hasn't been re-signed. His play dropped off in 2023, so it's not a surprise to see the Cowboys move on. They have some options to replace him in-house with Israel Mukuamu, Juanyeh Thomas, and even Markquese Bell — if they revert him to safety after he played linebacker last year.
Whatever they decide to do, they'll need to replenish their depth, leading to the selection of Omar Brown from Nebraska in Round 6.
Listed at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, Brown spent three seasons at Northern Iowa before making the move to Nebraska. He had 51 tackles and a pick this past season and has experience at safety as well as cornerback. He's extremely confident and graded well against the run and the pass for the Cornhuskers. He could wind up being another late-round find at the position for Dallas.
Round 7, Pick 233: Curtis Jacobs, LB, Penn State
With the first of two picks in Round 7, Dallas picks up Curtis Jacobs from Penn State. Standing 6-foot-1 and 241 pounds, Jacobs offers plenty of size. He's also decent in coverage and was slightly overlooked due to the talent around him.
Jacobs ended his time with the Nittany Lions with 171 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and two picks. In Dallas, he would be a special teams weapon early in his career but he showed enough athleticism during his testing to warrant a shot at developing into a member of the base defense.
Dallas was thin at this position in 2023 and the problem only grew worse when they lost DaMarvion Overshown and Leighton Vander Esch to injury. Jacobs won't make a major impact early in his career but he addresses a need.
Round 7, Pick 244: David White, Jr., WR, Western Carolina
A relatively unknown prospect, David White, Jr. turned heads when he stood out during the Shrine Bowl. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, White had 34 receptions for 519 yards and six touchdowns last season for the Catamounts.
Dallas recently released Michael Gallup and while that needed to happen, it does leave a hole in their receiving corps. Jalen Tolbert and KaVontae Turpin should get the first crack at WR3 reps but beyond CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks, nothing is guaranteed. That means White, who is considered a major sleeper, finds himself with a golden opportunity here.