The Dallas Cowboys need to fill a significant gap on the offensive line, after their standout left tackle Tyron Smith‘s left through free agency to the New York Jets.
Dallas might choose to use an early-round pick to strengthen a relatively inexperienced group of running backs or plug a gap in the linebacking unit. However, a former NFL general manager feels that Jerry Jones and the Cowboys should prioritize an offensive tackle in the NFL Draft and even consider trading up to secure one of the top talents in that position.
In CBS Sports’ latest mock draft projection, former NFL GM Rick Spielman suggests the Cowboys ought to trade up to pick Penn State All-American offensive tackle Olu Fashanu.
“You got the second-best left tackle and one of the biggest needs on my offensive line,” Spielman writes about Fashanu, predicting a trade between the Cowboys and the Las Vegas Raiders all the way up to pick No. 13. “And maybe on my football team.”
Fashanu is a newcomer who can immediately contribute and has great potential, which could help offset the loss of Smith in shielding Dak Prescott‘s blind side.
Olu Fashanu NFL Draft Scouting Report
Fashanu went back to Happy Valley for the 2023 season, aiming to assist in propelling the Nittany Lions to a College Football Playoff spot and enhance his prospects for the draft.
Even though Penn State fell short of making it to the playoffs, Fashanu was named a First-Team All-American last season before declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft.
Throughout his three seasons as a starter, Fashanu did not allow a sack, as Pro Football Focus highlights, while finishing the 2023 season with an outstanding 88.4 pass-protection grade and an overall mark of 78.8.
“He’s a good football player and he’s going to keep getting better,” an NFC Personnel Executive tells NFL.com. “But, he’s got areas to coach up. But you love that he went up against two really good rushers in practice, so he knows what it looks like.”
Meanwhile, CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso ranks the 6-foot-6, 317-pound Fashanu as the No. 9 overall prospect in this year’s class.
“Fashanu is still a young,” Trapasso states. “And highly talented left tackle prospect without many flaws to his game. The Penn State star has a prototypical build, added strength to his game while staying at school in 2023, and exudes athletic gifts. And he doesn’t turn 22 until December.”
Cowboys’ Plans at Center Revealed?
Aside from Left Tackle, the Cowboys will also undergo changes at the center position in 2024.
The Cowboys also lost mainstay center Tyler Biadasz, who signed a three-year contract with the NFC East rival Washington Commanders worth $29.25 million in free agency.
However, during the NFL Annual Meeting, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is optimistic that there won’t be a significant decline when Brock Hoffman steps into the starting lineup.
“(Brock Hoffman) has been here, and no one was as close to Tyler Biadasz as he was,” McCarthy told reporters in Orlando. “I think that’s a natural step for him to step in there and we’ll continue to grow. But we definitely do want to continue to add talent and depth to that room.”
Hoffman, according to Pro Football Focus, played 222 snaps for the Cowboys last season and did not allow a sack, but did surrender five quarterback pressures.
The Cowboys have regularly had one of the NFL’s top offensive lines, but the whole group may be ready for a change in 2024.
