From the franchise’s second season in 1961 through the 1988 season, the Cowboys had either Bob Lilley or Randy White on the defensive side of the ball as both made their mark at the defensive tackle position. Talk about an embarrassment of riches for nearly three decades. Both Lilly and White have arguably gone down as one of the greatest players to ever play the position in the NFL. Cowboys in the ’90s, primarily through all three powers in four seasons had a terrific tandem along the inside of the defensive line that featured guys like Tony Casillas, Leon Lett and Russell Maryland.
Speaking of Russell Maryland, his 1991 draft was the last time Dallas took a defensive tackle in the first round of a NFL Draft. Interestingly enough, the franchise took not one but two defensive tackles in the first round that year. You can thank “The Great Train Robbery” Hershel Walker for trading just over 18 months earlier. Maryland was drafted first overall by the team due to the ammunition gained from the Walker deal. Later in the round at the 21st pick, Kelvin Bretsch was the other defensive tackle drafted by Team America. The latter never lost to the team because it flipped to Detroit Lions to multiple selections shortly after he was drafted by the Cowboys.
Since the last time Dallas was in the Super Bowl, there really hasn’t been a dynamic duo along the inside to cause trouble on the opposing offensive line. The team had La’Roi Glover for four seasons, but never paired him with another high-profile player. In Glover’s final season with the Cowboys in 2005, the defensive scheme would switch to a 3-4 alignment. For the next eight seasons in this lineup, there would be another powerhouse along the inside by the name of Jay Ratliff. Just like Glover before him, Ratliff and Ratliff were the only ones to give the opponent’s offensive line a proper run along the inside. Ratliff is, in the eyes of many people, easily on the list of the greatest defensive tackles in franchise history. It sure was nice to have a dynamic tandem of talented defensive tackles to play alongside the likes of Glover and Ratliff. Hindsight on this matter of course is 20/20.
In recent years there have been flashes of good play along the interior but nothing sustained at a high level. Adding a high level prospect in this position would be a good play in the future.
Here are three prospects the team could draft 26 to keep an eye on in the 2023 NFL Draft
Kaliga Kansi
As a member of the recruiting class of 2019, Kaliga Kansi joined the Pittsburgh Panthers And you will dance in his freshman season as a freshman. Through the 2020 season and in his rookie season, he will appear in 11 games and record 1.5 sacks. In the next two years as the Tiger, he would accumulate 14.5 sacks and 27.5 tackles for loss. What these numbers will show is that Kancey is fast and explosive with speed.
His quick pass movements are already NFL-level and shouldn’t require much attention. From the start, he can be used as a passing defender both inside and outside and is very effective at it. Recently in NFL uniteHe ran 4.67 40 yards, making someone his size a nerd for athletes. This kind of speed appears on plays as he usually finds himself in motion by the end of each play.
The downside with Kancey is that he lacks the natural size of a defensive tackle position. His lack of typical size along the inside can also make it difficult for him as a defender. Nor is it ideal to lose the discipline gap more than it should be. If the team wants another pass that flows hard along the inside, Kancey is the guy they’re supposed to be available. If the team wants someone with a bigger size who is better at facing the running back, leaving his name off the card might be the way to go. However, there is a lot of talent and potential for him to be a very good NFL player, but he will need some work on the run defense if he expects to be on the field most of the time.
Brian Pressey
Coming out of high school as a member of the Class of 2020, there was literally no single player higher profile than Bryan Breese before joining the college ranks. As popular as it was, most thought the NFL would be their next stop after a few years with Clemson Tigers. These assumptions are heading in this exact direction in the coming days. How Prissy got to this point wasn’t exactly how he painted it. He tore his anterior cruciate ligament in 2021 and missed nine games. The following year, he lost time due to a kidney injury as well as the loss of his younger sister to brain cancer.
Even with all these adversities, when Pressey was on the field he was a good player for the Tigers. His career stat streak of nine sacks, 15 tackles for loss, and 51 total tackles during his three years in Death Valley is nothing to write home about, but the talent was always there. Physically, he possesses tremendous strength and agility for someone his size. His influence combined with his strength forces opposing offensive lines to try to double his team. Even when opponents double his team, he still reaches the ball carrier and is a force against ground attack.
As a passing rusher, he doesn’t have the range of motion to reach a quarterback, but if he can time well and bend, he’s an effective passing player. Ideally, he needs to add weight to his structure because he will be on the smaller side at defensive tackle in the professional game. Brissy has a lot of tools in his toolbox to be a very good professional soccer player, he just needs to be on the field more often. He’s fit enough to play both the running and passing game, but he’ll need to keep working on everything related to his game if he wants to stay in the league for long.
know smith
Mazie Smith was part of the recruiting class of 2019. He had offers from Penn State and Alabama before he decided to stay in his home state to play in the Michigan Wolverines. For his first two seasons in Ann Arbor, Smith rarely saw the field and appeared in only six games during this time. His final two seasons on campus would see him play in 27 games. Over those 27 games, he would collect 85 tackles. He would only add half a sack to his college career, but that’s because he specializes in running back filler.
Due to its massive size, it plays a well-running stopper. Being a player over 300 pounds, he is a very good athlete with both agility and strength. As big as he is, he has plenty of volume to play along the inside of the NFL’s defensive line.
On the other hand, he has very limited passing ability. In this area, he seems to be out of his element, especially when his initial rush doesn’t put much pressure in the quarterback’s face. Smith’s size and athleticism are an interesting combination that many teams look for. The Cowboys need help on the inside of the defensive line, especially against the running back. Smith fits that need well, and will be a welcome addition to the franchise. Expectations need to be tempered for him right out of the gate to play on the down pass because at this stage in his development he is primarily a run stopper with very little to offer from a passing perspective.