'Wait 'Til Next Year'? 2023 NFL Mock Draft: Cowboys Get Aggies DB Help
FRISCO - We're barely out of spring practices in college ball and yet it's time to start evaluating who might be some of the standout players from next season's college football season.
The Dallas Cowboys have several needs heading into 2022 and addressed some of them in last month's NFL Draft. But looking ahead to next year's draft, Dallas is expected to still have some glaring needs, and one of them is addressed with the Cowboys' first overall pick in CBS Sports' 2023 NFL Mock Draft.
CBS Sports has Dallas picking with the No. 24 overall pick, which sounds a lot like playoff expectations for the second year in a row for the Cowboys. But in reality, the draft order was determined using SportsLine's Super Bowl odds but in reverse order. With that 24th pick, Dallas goes defense again, selecting Texas A&M cornerback Antonio Johnson.
Antonio Johnson DB, TEXAS A&M • SOPH • 6'3" / 200 LBS
Antonio Johnson would give the Cowboys quality insurance and depth at cornerback.
The East Saint Louis, Missouri native posted 79 tackles last season (53 solo) and added five passes defended and one interception.
Against Prairie View A&M last season, Johnson stripped the quarterback off a cornerback blitz, and linebacker Aaron Hansford (who happens to now be a Dallas UDFA) recovered the fumble and scored a defensive touchdown.
The Cowboys already have some stout names on defense, and adding some depth to the secondary could only improve the performance and numbers of stars like linebacker Micah Parsons and cornerback Trevon Diggs.
Aside from depth, Dallas corner Anthony Brown will be an unrestricted free agent after the next season, which might cause the Cowboys to begin the search for his replacement if they're ready to move on from Brown. And Kelvin Joseph, a potential starter, finds himself in legal trouble as police investigate a recent drive-by murder in Dallas.
