The Dallas Cowboys have made all the necessary moves to enter 2023 NFL Draft In a position to draft the best players overall, adding to existing strengths rather than drafting for any glaring needs. In a season notably short of star power, it will be difficult for the Cowboys to make the same kind of splash they did when trading Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore earlier in the season, but they’re still using their first picks for players who can see the field. Immediately.
Mazie Smith, Luke Schoonmaker, and DeMarvion Overchon will all get into positions where they can add to the already existing talents of defensive tackle, tight end, and linebacker, respectively. For a team that’s still trying hard to win right now, the Cowboys are hoping to quickly capitalize on the upside of these projections. Drafting Smith in the first round is a defensive inside commitment Dallas hasn’t made in decades, Schoonmaker gives the Cowboys healthy competition with Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot at tight end, and Overshown is another athletic fullback on the field for Dan Quinn to coach.
Here are three traits from each of these draft picks that could help the Cowboys spot in 2023.
Michigan DT Mazie Smith
- Run the defense
- Bull rush
- anchor
Much has already been written and said about the Cowboys’ 26th overall pick, and how much it would have been for the Cowboys to spend the top pick at the defensive tackle position. The Cowboys have been serious about upgrading their run defense every year under Quinn, but never more than on Thursday night — unfazed by a string of offensive talent just before their pick as they honed in on Smith.
Run defense is the first thing the Cowboys expect Smith to help him with, playing a true nose tackle position for a Michigan defense that the NFL has been known for producing linebackers due to its professional style. Not only should working with Quinn Smith tap into his rushing passing potential, but the Cowboys can be expected to move him to slightly different positions on the defensive front to help as well.
Smith showed Michigan flashes of a powerful bull rushing motion that helped him push the pocket and stand up to the quarterback. With a strong two-handed first knockdown, Smith displayed above average flexibility so as not to get pushed out of place. Drafting Smith should help the Cowboys use Micah Parsons as more of a hybrid player, but they’ll need more of each pass tackle when he’s in coverage, and Smith along with Neville Gallimore and Osa Odegezwa could provide a huge boost here.
The final trait to look for from Smith right away is his ability to anchor while developing his quick passing repertoire. Although far from the official scale, last year’s eye test on the Cowboys’ defense could put them at the league’s lead for close sacks, with Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence churning out the juice from the rim. When QBs step up to avoid waves of rim rushes that Dallas posts, Smith is the player who can be there to clean up and take this defense to the next level.
Brandon Lowry and Jess Nevarez discuss how this year’s rookies will impact the team in 2023 in the latest episode of The Writer’s Block which you can listen to here. Be sure to subscribe to the latest episode of The Boys blogging network so you don’t miss any future episodes or any of our other shows! Apple devices can sign up here And Spotify users can sign up here.
Michigan TE Luke Cleaner
- Road running
- Edge identification
- Soft hands
After much fanfare the Cowboys would go at the end of the first round, a run on the center to start the second round forced them to act quickly if they wanted to tackle him at all. Luke Schoonmaker made it straight Michigan Wolverines For the Cowboys 58th overall, the Cowboys’ latest answer is to replace Dalton Schultz who left in free agency.
Schoonmaker is the kind of track runner that could give Dak Prescott another reliable screening option. Getting through defenders quickly, Schoonmaker attacks leverage well and shows surprise in his game which gives him an upside as a vertical threat. Schoonmaker makes his best plays on choppy roads, moving chains on the kinds of tailored rolls or pocket passes that were Prescott’s lopsided passes.
In their transition from Ezekiel Elliott to Tony Pollard, the Cowboys can feature plenty of two tight finishes that help keep Pollard’s speed over the edge – with similar traits in Malik Davis, Rico Dowdle and now Deuce Vaughn behind him. Adding the dual threat ability they’ll get from any combination of Jake Ferguson, Peyton Hendershot, and Schoonmaker could be Dallas’ answer to not addressing a wide receiver until their last pick.
Schoonmaker yards after the gripping ability comes naturally from his slick hands, shredding the ball well outside his catching radius and pinning it on the move. This is a slender player who knows how to dodge big blows from defenders, surprising with a sudden change of direction ability to make them miss on the open field.
Texas LB Demarvion Override
- Speed
- cleverness
- coverage depth
One of the most noticeable trends in Dan Quinn’s defense since his arrival in Dallas has been the fluidity between linebackers and safeties throughout the second and third levels. One of the keys to leading the league in takeaways for two consecutive seasons is simply for speed and athleticism to roam the middle of the field, and the Cowboys have capitalized on this with third-round pick DeMarvion Overshown.
Bypass has played some safety before, and he’s already embracing the hybrid role that Quinn and special teams coordinator Jon Vassell can find. The overrun will be sized out like a conventional safety, but was drafted in the third round where teams can start looking forward for future needs, it’s not hard to imagine him in the Donovan Wilson/Jaron Kerse role down the line. This versatility was just another selling point for Quinn to bring in a player the Cowboys had shown interest in early on. Senior Paul.
Conference call DeMarvion Overshown takes away:
Playing for the Cowboys (which he considers his hometown team) means the world to him and is ready for action
-Dan Quinn has a plan that involves being “anywhere and everywhere.”
Its versatility is greater…– Jess Nevarez (@JessNevarez_) April 29, 2023
Defending against the Big 12’s wide open attacks, Overshown’s most immediate-ready pro attribute is his ability to read passing patterns and drop to the appropriate depth. The Overtak covers ground quickly and doesn’t hang on the blocks, clearing medium to deep trails with a smooth back.
Shrinking the field when playing against a Reading option versus Jalen Hurts or Daniel Jones, and erasing big-name tight ends like Dallas Goedert or Darren Waller in the division, looks like how Dallas can reclaim first place in the East — where a player like Overhown can go a very long way.