DALLAS — A glaring need became clear during the game against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round. The Dallas Cowboys would have to address the interior of the defense. The team did find a diamond in the rough prior to the start of the 2018 by the name of Antwaun Woods, who was let go by Tennessee, but they need more than one man up the middle, especially after the Rams gashed them for over 200 yards rushing, most of which came via runs right up the gut.
During the Shrine Game week, lineman Daylon Mack of Texas A&M was able to shine. Mack’s standout week got him a call up to Mobile to participate in the Senior Bowl. Now teams like the Cowboys will be watching and seeing if he fits their style ahead of the NFL Draft.
Daylon Mack
Defensive Tackle, Texas A&M
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 327
Arm length: 32”
Mack is a player that the Cowboys could use in the middle of the defense. Looking at Mack, he has massive size as far as how he fills out his frame for a shorter player at 6-foot-1. What he is able to do with that size is play with leverage. He can win against NFL caliber talent by using that leverage to beat blocks.
While Mack may fit the role on paper of a nose tackle, he shows the quickness to play the two-gap technique. Essentially meaning that he can play both gaps on either side of an offensive lineman.
Mack isn’t just a run-stuffer as he showed this past year that he can get after the quarterback. For the Aggies, Mack recorded 5.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss. By far the most productive season for him while playing at College Station. He is able to do this because of his get-off at the snap, showing an explosive burst that Rod Marinelli would love to have among the guys in the trenches.
Mack still needs work on his hand usage but showed more than enough in this area at the college level. He is able to use his bench-press strength to prevent blockers from bodying him up. This allowed Mack to disengage blocks and get to the ball carrier. With proper coaching from Leon Lett and Marinelli, Mack would likely improve here drastically.
Should Mack be available on day two, he should be a top consideration for the Cowboys. Dallas likely won’t look to re-sign lineman David Irving after what transpired all season long where he missed all but two games with injuries and off-the-field issues, leaving the Cowboys thin up the middle.
Dallas could no doubt use the help that Mack would provide. The best trait a football player can provide is availability and Daylon Mack doesn’t have any red flags in his history to suggest it would be an issue. Mack is just the right kind of player that would excel in this defense and help them solve what eventually became their weak point on defense.
Should the Cowboys look to beef up their interior defensive line or are their other areas you would rather see them focus on? Share your thoughts with Patrick on Twitter @DraftCowboys.
