Boston College Offensive Lineman Zion Johnson
FRISCO, Texas – The 2022 NFL Draft is a month away, creating incessant speculation. Following the NFL’s annual Scouting Combine and the conclusion of College Pro Days around the country, teams begin to assemble their draft boards. Moves are finalized in free agency to add clarity on necessities at the end of April.
As per usual, the Cowboys’ offseason philosophy remained the same. The club did not spend significantly in free agency, adding external bargain acquisitions on short-term deals. The moves added depth to thin position groups, preventing a forced hand in the draft but allows Dallas to upgrade. Each year, the Cowboys bank on their draft selections becoming impactful, cornerstone players. The team’s biggest roster improvements will be made in the seven rounds of this year’s NFL Draft.
To get a better idea of where Dallas might upgrade with the 24th overall pick, Cowboys’ owner and general manager Jerry Jones gave context from the NFL’s 2022 NFL’s Annual Meetings.
Jones: I think that I wouldn’t dismiss a great opportunity with a pass rusher. Obviously, I’d like to have a young offensive lineman at the positions that you could immediately come in and play … Famous last words: We’ll get one unless [CeeDee] Lamb or [Micah] Parsons is there.”
Unless a best-player-available high on the club’s board falls into their lap, the Cowboys’ will be bolstering the trenches. Here is a look at the best-case scenario for Dallas in the first-round and this year’s top prospects for the team to target.
Interior Offensive Line
The Cowboys once esteemed offensive line regressed in 2021. A reboot is needed with left guard being the club’s glaring need ahead of the draft. La’el Collins is now with the Cincinnati Bengals and Terence Steele is the projected starter at right tackle. Connor Williams departed in free agency and is now with the Miami Dolphins, creating a vacancy at left guard. There are plenty quality offensive line candidates for Dallas at 24 to fortify the O-Line. Zion Johnson of Boston College, and Kenyon Green of Texas A&M are interior offensive line prospects who could plug-and-play, making an immediate impact. Both have the flexibility of kicking out to tackle.
Johnson, a two-time team captain, has consistent technique and competes through he whistle. He has above-average power at the point of attack. Johnson is best in pass protection but is an efficient run blocker as well, that is comfortable working laterally/in space. Johnson checks all the boxes and would be a best-case scenario for the franchise. How quickly Johnson was able to acclimate at Boston College after transferring from Davidson and turning himself into a top-level prospect, is a testament to his football IQ. Green became an immediate starter for the Aggies and played a variety of positions along the line, all except center. He is a dominant run blocker, creating rush lanes with effective blocking on the second level. Green utilizes his combination of strength, athleticism and quick first step to gain leverage against pass rushers. Both Johnson and Green could make an immediate impact at guard to boost the O-Line.
Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum creates another intriguing prospect. Only so many teams are looking for a center-exclusive and scheme-specific player. Many teams are not looking for a player with that designation but with the concerns regarding Tyler Biadasz, if Linderbaum is available in the mid-20s, the Cowboys could draft him. At the outset of the 2021 season, Connor Williams and Connor McGovern took first-team reps at center during a trial test throughout training camp and the preseason, cementing the reality that the coaching staff is not set on Biadasz. Linderbaum’s wrestling background primed him as the anchor in the middle of the Hawkeyes’ O-Line. He operates well in a play-action and screen-heavy offense, which are staples in the Cowboys’ attack. His frame is rarely compromised, and he possesses rare range as both a blocker in the run and pass game. Linderbaum’s lateral agility and redirection skills are effortless. He is a Pro-bowl caliber center.
Wide Receiver
The Cowboys traded Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns and signed Michael Gallup to a five-year deal. Coming off a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee, Gallup could begin the 2022 season on the physically unable to perform list. In addition, the Cowboys saw Cedrick Wilson leave in free agency to the Miami Dolphins, then signed veteran James Washington. Dallas will look in the draft to add depth at the position during the first two days. There are plenty of options for Dallas in the early rounds. If Garrett Wilson of Ohio State, Chris Olave of Ohio State or Treylon Burks of Arkansas fall to 24, the Cowboys could be tempted to take a receiver in the first round.
Wilson is a dynamic threat with tremendous run after catch ability that offensive coordinators covet. He projects as a slot receiver, as the target on underneath and intermediate route to optimize his burst. Olave is a route-running technician. He sells breaks/route stems and consistently creates separation, maximizing his availability for the quarterback. He is a big-play threat and has the flexibility of playing on the inside and the outside. Burks, lined up as the X, slot receiver and out of the backfield for the Razorbacks. His big, Deebo Samuel-type frame boxes out defenders from the ball. Burks’ strong hands allow him to win in contested catch situations and due to his size, he is difficult to bring down in the open field (effortlessly runs through arm tackles). His versatility: ability to adjust to the deep ball and strength in running after the catch will make him a hot commodity.
Pass Rusher
Dallas has not done enough to replace Randy Gregory. Another defensive end is needed via the draft. Starting left defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence is back under a reworked, three-year deal, creating additional cap room in 2022. Dante Fowler was signed to a one-year deal and is the current candidate to start at right defensive end. Dorance Armstrong was re-signed to provide rotational depth, joining Tarell Basham and Chauncey Golston. In the draft, Aidan Hutchinson of Michigan, Kayvon Thibodeaux of Oregon and Travon Walker of Georgia will already be gone. If Jermaine Johnson of Florida State or George Karlaftis of Purdue are still somehow available at 24, they would add pause. Either would qualify as taking the best player available, regardless of need.
Johnson likely will not fall out of the top 20 but crazier things have ensued. As a pass rusher, he is quick off the ball from a two or three-point stance with a variety of lethal rush moves. As a run defender, Johnson possesses outstanding processing skills and responds well to run blocking schemes. He is a consistent tackler and works well in space, moving laterally to the sideline to cut off run lanes. Karlaftis possesses NFL power. He plays with a relentless motor and with precise striking, pushing blockers back on their heels. Some teams want the twitchy, lengthy, speed players on the edge but the Boilermaker is different. He is a menace in close quarters and would be an intriguing fit with Dallas.
Linebacker
Linebacker is still a position of need to add depth in the draft. Micah Parsons, the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, wreaks havoc on offenses but the Cowboys need to bolster the position group around him. Parsons will split time from the edge rushing the passer. Last year’s fourth round pick Jabril Cox tore his ACL at Minnesota. Had he not suffered the injury and the coaching staff had a sample size to assess, he could have been the starter opposite Parsons in 2022. At this point, Dallas does not know how he will acclimate to the pros or will there be any lingering issues/hesitation on the field post-injury. Leighton Vander Esch re-signed last week on a one-year deal, but his production has been hindered by injuries in recent years. Vander Esch has not met first-round expectations since his rookie season in 2018. If Nakobe Dean of Georgia or Devin Lloyd of Utah fell to 24, it would make the Cowboys think and could be the direction they go.
Dean, the 2021 Butkus Award winner, is the best linebacker prospect in this year’s draft. He is always around the football with a rare combination of vision, instincts and lateral quickness. As a run defender, he is efficient in the box and quickly processes run plays. A dynamic downhill player that rarely misses tackles. As a pass rusher, Dean closes quick on the quarterback and can collapse the pocket from the inside on blitzes. He is a playmaker with great sideline-to-sideline range. Lloyd is among the nation’s leaders in tackles for loss. The Utah defender quickly diagnoses the run in the box and is productive as a pass rusher either blitzing or aligning on the edge. Both players physicality would solidify the Cowboys’ linebacker corps and free up Micah Parsons to rush off the edge.
