Each week, we’ll get questions on Twitter and Facebook about the Dallas Cowboys players and other questions surrounding the team. So let’s get straight into it.
“If Kalega Kansi is in for the 26th pick, is he the best player available or is WR more needy?”
(Submitted by KalenoKal via Facebook)
Mike: I have to be honest and say as much as I love Kancey, he freaks me out as a first-round pick. There’s no question he’s a nuisance to the offensive lineman while he plays for Pittsburgh, but his size and profile leave plenty of questions. Right now, he’s a total outsider for the position and there are quite a few of them across the board in this year’s draft. But if I had a choice in the first round between him or one of the top three wide receivers, I’d go wide receiver all day.
Brandon: The answer would agree with Mike on this one. Drafting a wide receiver is a bigger need for the Cowboys than defensive tackle and selecting Calijah Kancey. While Kancey has shown flashes of being a dominant player and Aaron Donald Light, because they share the same college team, his size at the position, is an oddity. His arms are short and he is light in weight. Taking on a player like Kancey would be a better bet in the second round, rather than the first. If a receiver like Zay Flowers is around at #26, he’ll probably make more of an impact on the Cowboys first year.
“Mazi Smith or O’Cyrus Torrence with first choice and why?”
(Submitted by Bearrhe3 via Twitter)
Brandon: O’Cyrus Torrence. With Mike McCarthy talking about playing offensive tackle Josh Paul at guard, it’s an obvious need for the team. The competition may be between Tyler Smith, Ball and Chuma Edoga, but is this the best option for Dallas 2023 success? No, they need a top offensive guard like Torrence, who can knock out defenders on the run and has room to develop under Mike Solari. His mentors would be better on that side of the ball (Martin and both Smith), speeding up potential growth from Mazie Smith at defensive tackle.
Mike: Right now, for Dallas, the two main positions that need to be addressed in this draft are inside offensive line and inside defensive line, so this makes for a great question. If the Cowboys can get decent players in this draft to fill those needs, it’s a win this year. Check out the value and the rankings on the board and then O’Cyrus Torrence wins this battle. He sure played right guard in Florida and the only thing the Cowboys don’t need is a right guard. But we saw this coaching staff succeed at two left tackles last year playing both left tackle and guard, sometimes in the same game. They made Tyron Smith, who had spent his life at left tackle, effective at right tackle. So taking Torrence to play left guard in the NFL and out of his normal position in college shouldn’t be too difficult for this team to get him into rhythm and work effectively with this unit.
“Darnell Wright, OT Tennessee. If they recruit him, who goes where on the offensive line?”
(Submitted by mike_heavens via Twitter)
Brandon: It’s an answer that doesn’t need much explanation. From left to right it will be: Tyler Smith, Darnell Wright, Tyler Biedas, Zack Martin, and Terrence Steele.
Wright could be the Cowboys’ left guard his first year, and if the team can’t get Steele a long-term deal, he could become the starting right tackle in year two. His best position is on the right side, so getting him to play guard is a luxury. Tony Pollard can average 100 yards in a game with an offensive line like this one designed to run the ball at the All-Pro level.
Mike: We spoke with the great Brian Broadus last week and he thinks this could be Dallas’ pick on day one, not to play too. The rumor circulating at the moment is that the front office is very high on Darnell Wright and if he comes to Dallas he will fill the left guard position. This then keeps Tyler Smith and Terrence Steele in their original roles. This guy is strong, tall, and can use his hands as possibly the best offensive lineman of the year. It’s wide and big-bodied which helps fill a hole in the blocking and at 335 pounds there aren’t many guys lifting the fork or lugging it out. Due to his foot speed and kick slip issues, along with his aggressive tendencies and desire to get to his anchor quickly, all make the good mix more effective at positioning at guard than at tackle in the NFL.
Poll of the week: Finally on the mailbag, we asked who people expect to have an outstanding year in Dallas. Here are the results and what we saw in the survey.
Brandon: If Gabriel Cox has been a good contributor to Dallas’ defense this season, this could be the story of the season. With 2023 approaching, Cox doesn’t have any projections in my book, which means it’s a blank slate. If third-year linebackers turn into “The Starry Night,” their starting quarterbacks from Leighton Vander Esch, Clark, and Cox look like they don’t need any outside help. Unfortunately, the front office would be wise to draft his replacement for the first four rounds, hoping she would be more reliable than Cox.
Mike: I have my fingers crossed on Gabriel Cox and hope he can get back on track. Everyone has been willing to be patient with Michael Gallup on his return from his horrific ACL injury, and I think we have to give Cox the same level of patience. Some men recover faster than others or have fewer complications, and because we’re not a doctor, we’re not going to play the game of pretending we know everything about the injury or its circumstances.
Cox was part of the league’s new wave line players, the faster cover type that hovers on the edge of the box, so his athleticism is all about the way he plays. Let’s see what he’s brought back this year and help put some talent and depth into a very light position for Dallas.
Be sure to check out @kenfigkowboy and @brandoniswrite Twitter And so is Facebook for the weekly post, prompting you with your questions for the weekly mailbag. Check out our Twitter poll of the week. Many thanks to everyone who submitted your questions and votes.