Here's Why Cowboys Might Pass On Sewell & Slater In NFL Draft
Thanks to a slew of injuries and a lack of quality depth, the Dallas Cowboys offensive line was, suffice to say, a mess last season. However, according to Cowboys COO Stephen Jones, that should not be the case in 2021.
And, as we're hearing that Dallas is increasingly interested in cornerbacks Patrick Surtain and Jaycee Horn in the first round of the NFL Draft, and focused just slightly less on top O-linemen Penei Sewell and Rashawn Slater ... maybe we now know the reason why.
"They've rehabbed from (the injuries), and we feel like they're ready to roll," Jones said of his trio of veteran stalwarts in the O-line in a recent visit with 105.3 the Fan's GBag Nation. "They're not only going to have a great year this year but several years to come."
READ MORE: Cowboys Talking To Lions About Draft Trade-Up
Joes is speaking, of course, about the Cowboys' three main cogs upfront, in veterans Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, and La'el Collins -- each of whom suffered season-ending injuries during last year's debacle of a season.
"We believe that both Tyron and La'el and Zack are going to come into this season as good as we've seen them in a long time," Jones told GBag Nation. "They're healthy, they're over their injuries. We feel very optimistic with what they can do. It's a huge plus that they've really done amazing after they had their injuries."
That does not entirely preclude the Cowboys from taking a look at either selecting an offensive lineman at No. 10, or even moving back, collecting more draft assets, and selecting one later in the first round.
READ MORE: Tyrone Crawford Retires from Cowboys
Should the be the case, it stands to reason that Dallas could select one of the draft's top tackles and then move that player to guard for the foreseeable future, strengthening an already powerful area of the roster.
It's an idea that the Cowboys have utilized in the past, and one that has proven to be a great success in the eyes of Jones.
"At the end of the day we've had as much success as anyone taking a left tackle in college and making him an all-pro guard in Zack Martin, and certainly Connor Williams has done a nice job for us. But certainly, those left tackles in college, depending on their length and how you feel about them can move down in there and become very special as a guard at our level.''
Sewell is young, has some growing up to do, but is projected to be a stud. He is unlikely to slip to 10, but if he did, and Dallas took him, he'd likely start at left guard before eventually taking over for Tyron.
In Slater's case, we believe Dallas views him as ready to plug-in and play, but more of a guard than a tackle - another reason for the Cowboys to increasingly lean away from these two talented kids, to continue to rely on their vets, and start to map out ways to instead use the top of the draft to fix the secondary.
READ MORE: The Cowboys Draft Trade Talk That Isn't A 'Smokescreen'
