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It was another year of disappointment for the Dallas Cowboys, as they once again fell short in the playoffs. But there are enough building blocks in place for 'America’s Team' to reload and push for a championship in 2023.
A 12-5 regular season record was a continuation of the good work done by Mike McCarthy in 2021, although they lost in the Divisional round to the San Francisco 49ers.
Jerry Jones continues to search for the key to finally unlocking a roster that seems to have a psychological block once it reaches the postseason.
Dak Prescott needs to start performing in those January games, whilst the team has freed up significant cap space by parting ways with Ezekiel Elliott. Admittedly, the prodigious running back had become something of a bit-part player since McCarthy took over and instituted a run-by-committee approach.
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Much of the offseason talk has been about Odell Beckham Jr. finally landing in the Lone Star State, but the trade for Brandin Cooks suggests the team aren’t interested.
When it comes to the NFL draft, there are a lot of options for the Dallas Cowboys, as well as areas of need. There is a likelihood that the team will focus on defense in the early rounds.
Significant Dallas Cowboys free agency signings
- WR Brandin Cooks via trade with Houston
- CB Stephon Gilmore via trade with Indianapolis
- RB Ronald Jones
- OT Chuma Edoga
- Re-signed RB Tony Pollard
- Re-signed OLD Leighton Vander Esch
Significant Dallas Cowboys free agency losses
- RB Ezekiel Elliott
- TE Dalton Schultz
- OT Jason Peters
2023 Dallas Cowboys 7-round mock draft
Jerry Jones and the Cowboys are positioned to be on the clock at pick no.26 on the opening night of the 2023 NFL draft. Dallas are unlikely to move up, so in our seven-round mock draft we aren’t going to be factoring in any trades that haven’t yet occurred.
Ironically, the Dallas Cowboys are slightly lower down the draft order than in 2022, with their first-round selection of Tyler Smith coming at pick no.24 a year ago. This is a sign of progress on the field from McCarthy’s perspective, despite the season-ending playoff defeat feeling like a major failure.
#26. CB Joey Porter Jr., Penn State.
#58. G Cody Mauch, North Dakota.
#90. LB Jack Campbell, Iowa.
#129. WR Trey Palmer, Nebraska.
#169. DE Isaiah McGuire, Missouri.
#176. TE Zack Kuntz, Old Dominion.
#212. DT PJ Mustipher, Penn State.
#244. RB Eric Gray, University of Oklahoma.
With the 26th pick in the 2023 NFL draft, there are a number of ways the Dallas Cowboys can elect to go.
There may be a temptation to bolster their offensive line by selecting O’Cyrus Torrence out of Florida. However, in Sportskeeda’s 2023 Mock 1.0 we had the Guard flying off the board to Pittsburgh as early as pick no.17.
Whilst Ezekiel Elliott was cut completely, it wasn’t for any reason other than the fact his production no longer was in line with his cost. The plan to run the ball by committee will stay for the 2023 season, which has seen America’s Team linked heavily with a first-round move for Bijan Robinson.
Coming out of Texas, the running back is an absolute speed demon who is virtually impossible to bring down near the line of scrimmage. This is a serious option for the Cowboys, although we expect them to prioritize defensive reinforcements.
Whilst the offense has lost players, it was statistically brilliant once again this past season. The issues for the team are in the secondary, and we expect them to rectify this by drafting Joey Porter Jr.
Porter Jr. instantly goes into the Cowboys’ starting line-up, and he is a press coverage specialist, which is what the team’s defense has sorely needed. It may be a gamble on whether he falls this low in the first-round, but he would be a 10/10 pick for Dallas at #26.
The second-round pick was a toss-up based on positional need. It was a case of adding to the offensive line or adding a rotation linebacker.
We believe that Dallas will prioritize the offensive line simply because of the presence of Micah Parsons. He is virtually good enough to count as two different kinds of linebacker in any given scheme.
Cody Mauch is one of the best guards in the class, improving throughout his college career in North Dakota. He’s an exceptional run-blocker, which helps the Cowboys in their primary source of attack, but he can be a huge help to keep Prescott upright.
Jack Campbell out of Iowa will be the eventual LB selection in the third-round, adding incredible athleticism and another sack threat at the position.
We have Dallas using their compensatory picks in the later rounds to bring their offense a little extra help.
Zack Kuntz can replace the departed Dalton Schultz, with the 6’8 TE being one of the more intriguing prospects in the later rounds.
His size is impressive and he can block, which is an additional help for Prescott and the running backs. With other areas being prioritized, we have the Dallas Cowboys taking a running back with their very last selection.
Eric Gray from Oklahoma is raw, speedy and can be developed, but he is by no means a home-run hit, hence why Dallas are likely to leave this position until late on.
