NFL Analysis
1/2/24
8 min read
Dallas Cowboys 2024 7-Round NFL Mock Draft: Fixing OL Is Priority
With the NFC East Championship on the line this weekend in Washington, the last thing the Dallas Cowboys are thinking about is the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Cowboys locked up a playoff spot and will claim the NFC East title with a win against the Washington Commanders or a Philadelphia Eagles loss. And Dallas has its sight on a deep playoff run.
As the regular season ends, more attention will be paid to the 2024 NFL Draft. Next season, the Cowboys will return their core of Dak Prescott, Micah Parsons, CeeDee Lamb, Tyler Smith, DeMarcus Lawrence and Trevon Diggs.
But even with that core returning, Stephon Gilmore, Tyron Smith, Tony Pollard, Tyler Biadasz, Jourdan Lewis and Jayron Kearse will hit free agency at the end of this season. That makes this coming draft pivotal for the Dallas' Super Bowl window to remain open for the next few years.
Today, we will dive into a Cowboys seven-round mock draft to restock the likely NFC East Champs roster for the next few years.
>> READ: Latest First-Round Mock Draft
Cowboys 7-Round Mock Draft
Round 1, 30th Overall
Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
One of the looming questions moving forward for the Cowboys is the overall success of the offensive line. With Smith and Biadasz hitting free agency, the Cowboys could be looking to replace two starters on an offensive line that has been struggling to close the season.
Starting RT Terence Steele has had a disappointing season a year removed from receiving a significant contract extension. With both tackle positions in an interesting spot, offensive tackle is one of the Cowboys’ biggest positions of need. Luckily for them, this year's draft class is a deep one.
Oklahoma OT Tyler Guyton, only a one-year starter at Oklahoma, is one of the top tackle prospects in this class, given his elite traits (6-foot-7, 327 pounds) at one of the league’s most valuable positions.
A former tight end at Kansas, Guyton plays with easy athleticism, which is much needed for a Dallas team that has struggled in pass protection. With Smith nearing retirement and Steele not showcasing starting-caliber play at right tackle, the former Sooner could be a great successor for either spot.
Round 2, 62nd Overall
Malachi Corley, WR, Western Michigan
While wide receiver isn’t necessarily a huge concern, adding an additional play-maker could take the Cowboys’ offense to new heights.
Brandin Cooks is expected to return in 2024, but Dallas will likely move on from Michael Gallup and hasn't seen the results it hoped for out of second-year WR Jalen Tolbert. Additionally, the Cowboys are not an excellent yard-after-catch team, which is an area Malachi Corley could help with in a big way.
One of the Cowboys’ biggest kryptonites in the last few years has been the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers dominate in yards after catch, and Deebo Samuel has been a thorn in Dallas’ side for some time.
The Cowboys should look deeply into adding a player eerily similar to Samuel as they attempt to chase down San Francisco as the NFC’s best team.
Round 3, 93rd Overall
Payton Wilson, LB, N.C. State
Dallas’ linebacker position has been a significant issue all season. Leighton Vander Esch missed most of the season due to a neck injury and DeMarvion Overshown tore his ACL before the season. The duo of Damone Clark and Markquese Bell has been a roller coaster ride.
Overshown is expected to fight for a starting job in 2024, so adding another starting-caliber linebacker for defensive coordinator Dan Quinn should be at the top of the priority list.
Payton Wilson is all that and more. The only issue is his medicals. He tore his ACL twice and suffered a shoulder injury in 2021 that will require close attention during the draft process. When healthy, Wilson may be the best linebacker in this draft class.
Wilson plays with tremendous instincts, eye-discipline and range as a tackler in the second level. The Cowboys’ defense has been suspect against the run during the last few seasons, and Wilson’s addition could go a long way to improving against the run in 2024.
Round 5, 172nd Overall
Jawhar Jordan, RB, Louisville
One of the easiest bets in 2024 is the Cowboys’ drafting a running back. Dallas lacks draft capital, so the team would be wise to wait until Day 3 to add to its running back room.
With Pollard and Rico Dowdle expected to hit free agency this offseason, Dallas’ running back depth chart will likely look different in 2024. Jawhar Jordon is one of my favorite Day 3 running backs in this draft.
Jordan displays tremendous explosiveness and speed that the Cowboys have lacked at the position since Pollard’s injury in the playoff loss to San Francisco last season. Since Jordan took over a larger role in the Louisville offense in 2022, he has averaged 5.9 yards per carry and has just 381 carries in five years of college football.
The low miles and impressive production with quality traits could find him on the field early and often in his rookie year as a runner and receiver.
Round 6, 211th Overall
Andrew Coker, OT, TCU
As mentioned earlier, Dallas’ offensive line needs a soft makeover. After the Cowboys add a starting-caliber offensive tackle in Round 1, coming back on Day 3 and adding a developmental tackle with starting-caliber traits — and experience playing on both sides of the line — makes a ton of sense.
Andrew Coker, a four-year starter for TCU, has a ton of experience as a right tackle and left tackle. Additionally, Coker has played a handful of snaps at guard, adding to his value with some position flexibility.
Round 7, 226th Overall
DeWayne Carter, iDL, Duke
One of the more disappointing outcomes for the Cowboys in 2023 was the lack of development from rookie first-round pick Mazi Smith.
While no one should write Smith off this early, Dallas adding to its defensive tackle room this draft would help fill some of the depth concerns with Jonathan Hankins and Neville Gallimore hitting free agency.
Carter, a 6-foot-3, 305-pound defensive tackle out of Duke, is perfect for the job. He started three years for the Blue Devils and is an extremely strong, intelligent and assignment-sound interior defensive lineman who could help mightily with the Cowboys’ run defense woes.
While he is nowhere the physical specimen Smith was in 2023, Carter's ability to play with good leverage and power at the point of attack allows him to be a force, eating up blocks in the running game. He can also provide additional juice as a pocket pusher on passing downs.
Carter won’t fill up the stat sheet, but his skill set is valuable to a defense’s success, given all the dirty work he does in the interior of the defensive line.
Round 7, 247th Overall
M.J. Devonshire, CB, Pittsburgh
Every NFL team's goal this late on Day 3 should be to throw as many darts as possible at valuable positions and hope for one or two hits.
Cornerback is a position of need for the Cowboys, with Gilmore and Lewis hitting free agency. M.J. Devonshire has the ball production and physical traits Dallas covets in its cornerback evaluations.
He also adds value as a return man, something the Cowboys lack behind starting kick and punt returner KaVontae Turpin.
Devonshire tallied eight interceptions, 20 passes defended and three touchdowns in his last three seasons at Pittsburgh. Ball production is something the Cowboys value a ton when drafting cornerbacks, especially in the later rounds.
