2022 Mock: Cowboys nab Ohio Stat WR ahead of defense additions in 3-round exercise
The Dallas Cowboys have plenty of roster decisions to make prior to the 2022 NFL draft, as they currently sit over the salary cap but have many available moves to get underneath it before the new league year begins. With over 20 pending free agents, they will need to create a lot of room to bring some of them back and potentially try and pluck any of the top unrestricted guys from around the league. Still, the apple of many fans’ eyes is going to be whom the Cowboys bring in during April’s amateur draft.
After landing defensive player of the year candidates in Trevon Diggs and Micah Parsons in back-to-back hauls, Dallas has re-established themselves as one the league’s best drafting team, not to mention all of the other high-impact players they continuously add to the roster. In his latest three-round mock draft, Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling gave Dallas a new toy for Dak Prescott before turning attention to adding to the defense.
27. Dallas Cowboys | Ohio State WR Chris Olave
© Kyle Robertson/Colum | 2021 Dec 30
Easterling calls Olave “one of the most polished, pro-ready receivers in this year’s deep class,” and a perfect fit for the Cowboys offense.
Olave stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 188 pounds. He’s a route technician who has great body control and competes extremely well in high-point situations, where Gallup excels within Dallas’ offense. With all of the vaunted talent that’s gone through Columbus, Olave holds the school record for receiving touchdowns.
The tail end of the first round is really an opportunity to either grab a first-round graded player who has fallen out of the top 20 (most boards only have between 16-22 first-round graded players) or lock in a player who is graded as a second-round prospect to a fifth year of a rookie contract. In this case, many observers would feel like Olave falls into the former category.
Gallup’s ACL injury might actually give him a shot at returning to Dallas on a cheap deal so he can rehab with the club but Dallas will still need to plan for the potential he isn’t ready to start the year, given the Week 17 timing of his tear. Cedrick Wilson and Malik Turner seem like they both fit well in the offense, but they are free agents, too, though it’s hard to see Wilson pass up the opportunity to be back.
59. Dallas Cowboys | Georgia S Lewis Cine
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At 6-foot-1 and weighing 200 pounds, Cine is a leader for the Bulldogs secondary and an elite athlete who has great play recognition and play speed as his greatest attributes.
91. Dallas Cowboys | Clemson DL Tyler Davis
© Ken Ruinard / staff | 2021 Nov 7
At 6-foot-2 and 300 pounds, Davis has a strong presence on the interior with great first-step quickness and a powerful, compact frame.
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