FRISCO, Texas – With the 58th overall selection in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, The Dallas Cowboys went with the best player available to help solidify the interior of their defensive line. The club selected Trysten Hill, a defensive lineman from the University of Central Florida.
Hill will help boost the interior of the d-line with the loss of David Irving, in his exit from Pro Football. He has incredible burst off the line of scrimmage and he excels in short area quickness. The former Knight is best as a one-technique player and will thrive in Dallas’ 4-3 scheme. Now he will have the opportunity to learn from defensive wizard, Rod Marinelli.
At the University of Central Florida, Hill had a career-high year in 2018 as a junior, despite not being utilized on the field with a new coaching staff. He accumulated 36 total tackles, 10.5 for a loss, and 3.0 sacks. He barely played in the team’s loss to LSU in the Fiesta Bowl, and his frustration with the team’s new staff prompted his entry into the NFL Draft as a junior.
As a sophomore, he earned second-team All-AAC honors with 20 tackles, four tackles for a loss, and 2.0 sacks. One of the defensive tackle’s greatest performances on the gridiron came at the Knight’s win in the Athletic Conference Championship Game where he tallied six tackles, three tackles for a loss, and 2.0 sacks.
In the third round, the Cowboys added depth to the line on the opposite side of the line of scrimmage. With the 90th pick, Dallas selected guard, Connor McGovern out of Penn State.
McGovern will act as a rotational player at guard or center and will add dimension to pass protection. The o-line was plagued with injuries in 2018 and adding an additional swing player to the mix will benefit the entirety of the offense and help to create consistency in the lineup. The 21-year-old is a great run blocker and he will help open up running lanes for the team’s star rusher, Ezekiel Elliott, at the line of scrimmage.
He was the top guard in the country coming out of Larksville and was named All-American. At Penn State, the former Nittany Lion was named a third team All-Big 10 selection and the team’s most outstanding offensive lineman for play as a junior in 2018.
The Cowboys coaching staff and GM/ EVP had said they would take the best player available during Day Two of the Draft, and with many of the elite defensive backs in the draft class being taken off the board, solidifying the offensive and defensive fronts took priority with who was available.
