DALLAS — It wasn't the defense that failed at Levi's Stadium in the NFC divisional playoffs, but that is where the Dallas Cowboys could devote their first three selections at the NFL Draft according to a recent mock draft.
The San Francisco 49ers strangled the Cowboys' offense in the 19-12 season-ending defeat, and with the Cowboys possibly losing running back Tony Pollard in free agency, the club could still use its top-100 picks towards shoring up the defense if things were to pan out as they do in the Draft Wire's new three-round mock draft.
The first selection for Dallas’ potential defensive trio is Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders at No. 26 overall.
"Free agency could leave the Cowboys having to replace all of their starters at linebacker, and this scenario gives them the chance to reload," Luke Easterling writes. "Sanders is a versatile playmaker who can line up on the edge or off the ball, giving Dallas yet another weapon to pair with Micah Parsons in the front seven."
Leighton Vander Esch, Luke Gifford and Anthony Barr are all without a contract. The Cowboys may need to use a mix of free agency and the draft to bolster the position.
Sanders would be a decent option as the 6'5”, 230-pound linebacker generated 103 combined tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, five pass breakups and an interception through 12 games with the Razorbacks in 2022 after two seasons with Alabama.
In Round 2, the Cowboys would be expected to use their No. 58 overall selection to take USC defensive lineman Tuli Tuipulotu. The 6’4”, 290-pounder developed an inside rush for the Trojans as he tallied 22.0 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks through 14 games last season. Tuipulotu might be able to get the organization back on track inside as 2022 rookie defensive lineman John Ridgeway did not make the team, and former top-of-the-class selection Trysten Hill was released midseason.
The Cowboys could also address their secondary with Michigan cornerback D.J. Turner as they do with the No. 90 overall pick in Round 3 of the mock draft. The 6’0”, 181-pound defensive back broke up 10 passes in his 14 games with the Wolverines and also hauled in an interception. Turner would be able to fill in for the departures of Anthony Brown, Trayvon Mullen and C.J. Goodwin, who all have expiring contracts and will hit free agency when the new league year kicks off in mid-March.
Though not always intended, mock drafts have implications as they are descriptions of different threads in the scenario sweater. This particular mock summarizes a timeline where the Cowboys either fix their offense in free agency or not at all, but nevertheless rely on defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to coach up a trio of rookies to keep his unit playing at an elite level.
Do you hope to see the Cowboys bolster their defense with their top draft picks? Share your thoughts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.