6 COWBOYS ON THIN ICE FOLLOWING THE NFL DRAFT
The Dallas Cowboys had a good weekend. They turned the 24th overall pick into two starters as they dropped down to No. 29 in a trade with the Detroit Lions and took Oklahoma's Tyler Guyton. He should take over as the left tackle to replace Tyron Smith.
In that trade, they received the 73rd overall pick from Detroit, which was used on Cooper Beebe. The big offensive lineman played guard for Kansas State but will likely move to center for Dallas as they replace Tyler Biadasz.
They then took defensive end Marshawn Kneeland in Round 2 and linebacker Marist Liafau in the third to close out the second night. They continued to add depth from there which has these six veterans on thin ice.
6. Josh Ball, OL
With Cooper Beebe potentially taking over at center, the Cowboys solved one need. They also added some extra depth on the line with the addition of Nathan Thomas in the seventh round. The Louisiana product is a healthy 6-foot-5 and 334 pounds. He played left tackle his whole career and was balanced in both the pass and run game.
He's also a threat to Josh Ball. The former fourth-round pick has struggled to find his role with the team but stuck around as a guard after failing at tackle. He still had some versatility which helped him but Thomas joining the team means they can allow Asim Richards to play guard. That's not great news for Ball, who was already on his last chance entering 2024.
5. Dakoda Shepley, C
This isn't exactly a shocking name but it feels as though Dakoda Shepley has lost any chance of making the 53-man roster — barring an injury. Dallas didn't want to get into a bidding war to retain Tyler Biadasz, who signed a three-year deal worth just under $30 million to join the Washington Commanders. That meant they went into the draft with Brock Hoffman as the No. 1 option on the depth chart and Dakoda Shepley at No. 2.
While they didn't technically draft a center, the Cowboys added Kansas State guard Cooper Beebe with the 73rd selection — which was the pick they obtained when they traded down from No. 24 to No. 29 before taking Tyler Guyton.
Dallas isn't hurting for guards with Tyler Smith and Zack Martin but the plan isn't for Beebe to stay at his natural position. According to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, head coach Mike McCarthy said Beebe will "definitely will be part of the center competition....He is someone we are very, very excited about." Beebe said the Cowboys spoke to him about this during the pre-draft process and is up to the challenge.
It's hard to see a scenario where he doesn't win this battle, which pushes Hoffman back to his reserve role. For Shepley, that could lead to a short tenure in Big D. He does have a career in acting to fall back on since he played Omega Red in Deadpool 2. So that helps.
4. Israel Mukuamu, S
The Cowboys put Israel Mukuamu in a tough spot when they selected linebacker Marist Liufau. The Notre Dame product likely pushes Markquese Bell back to his natural safety spot. Bell filled in at linebacker out of necessity in 2023 and was solid but had issues at times against the run. Jordan Love even said the Green Bay Packers targeted him in the ground game.
Bell should be just fine at safety and might be just as impactful as he replaces Jayron Kearse, who wasn't re-signed this offseason. With Bell moving, it will have a domino effect as Juanyeh Thomas drops down the depth chart and after the promise he showed in 2023, that could be a problem for Israel Mukuamu.
A former sixth-round pick in 2021, Mukuamu played cornerback for South Carolina but converted to safety. At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, he's been solid in press coverage and was used often in the slot. He might not retain that role with how well Thomas played as well as the addition of Caelen Carson in Round 5 who can also play the slot.
Mukuamu has been a solid addition and was well worth the 227th pick when he entered the league. But he hasn't taken the next step in his development and the talent around him means he might be running out of time.
3. Martavis Bryant, WR
If we're being 100 percent honest, this was the case before the NFL Draft even started. Martavis Bryant was once a promising young wideout who had 14 touchdowns in the first two seasons of his career. He was also an unbelievable deep threayt with 21.1 yards per reception as a rookie for the Pittsburg Steelers.
The problem is, that was a decade ago.
Bryant was a rookie back in 2014 but was a constant headache for the Steelers. The former Clemson product was suspended for the entire 2016 season for violating the league's substance abuse policy. He had another strong season in 2017 before being traded to the Oakland Raiders in 2018. He didn't last long and was suspended indefinitely. That lasted until 2023 and the Cowboys decided to give him a shot after he spent the past several years bouncing around one league after another.
He spent the end of the season as a practice squad player and was re-signed to a futures contract in January. Now, he might be on the way out with the addition of Ryan Flournoy from Southeast Missouri State.
Flournoy is 6-foot-1 and 202 pounds and tested well at the NFL Combine. He has solid speed and was explosive at times, although he struggled with press coverage. Despite this, he joins a team that needs talent at the position and that could give him an opportunity. If he shows enough promise, it could spell the end for Bryant.
2. Viliami Fehoko, Jr., DL
Dallas didn't do Viliami Fehoko, Jr. any favors after taking him in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of San Jose State. He was a strong presence on the edge for SJSU with 47 tackles for a loss and 23 sacks in his career. Most of that damage was done over his final three years with all but one sack and three tackles for a loss occurring between 2020 and 2022.
Once selected by the Cowboys, they began to toy with the idea of moving him inside. Fehoko offers the size to play 3-tech at 6-foot-4 and 276 pounds but he's still a raw player who should be allowed to focus on one position — ideally, that would have been at defensive end.
As a rookie, he didn't get to appear in any games. The door was cracked open for him to get work in at this spot once again when Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler, Jr. signed with the Washington Commanders but then in Round 2, the Cowboys made a surprise pick when they took Marshawn Kneeland.
Not everyone was a fan of the Kneeland pick, but the 6-foot-3 and 267-pound EDGE has tremendous upside. He not only helps replace Armstrong but could push Sam Williams to take another step forward now since he has some real pressure on him. It also means Fehoko's best path to the roster will be as a 3-tech — which won't be easy.
Dallas has Osa Odighizuwa as the starter and Chauncey Golston behind him. They also know DeMarcus Lawrence can slide inside on third downs. That means Fehoko might be looking at another redshirt season, which is less than ideal.
1. Jourdan Lewis, CB
First, it needs to be said that it's highly unlikely Jourdan Lewis finds himself off the 53-man roster. The Cowboys re-signed him to a one-year deal this offseason, signaling the end of Stephon Gilmore's tenure with the team.
Lewis missed 11 games in 2022 and took a while to get rolling in the 2023 campaign. Once Trevon Diggs was injured, he was moved back into a primary role as the slot corner while DaRon Bland mmoved back outside to play opposite Gilmore.
Bland went on to have a record-breaking year and Gilmore was a savvy vet. That means Lewis was overlooked despite having a very impressive campaign. He had 52 tackles, five pass defenses, and one pick — but that doesn't tell the story of how well he played. Lewis stepped up often, especially on key third-downs late in the year.
That's why he's going to be on this team in 2024 but he might be forced to the sideline once again by a younger defensive back, Caelen Carson.
Dallas considered the Wake Forest product in Round 3 which makes it surprising he was still there late in Round 5. Listed at 6-foot-0 and 199 pounds, Carson played primarily on the boundary but moved into the slot often. He might have a home there, especially due to his ability to help in run support. That could be bad news for Lewis — as well as for another former third-round pick, Nahshon Wright.
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This article was originally published on sportdfw.com as 6 Cowboys on Thin ice Following the NFL Draft .
2024-04-28T12:13:51Z dg43tfdfdgfd