Bruce Feldman, faculty soccer insider for The Athletic, just lately launched his first-round mock draft prediction for the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. Contemplating how tapped in he’s to school soccer coaches and NFL sources, we might be sensible to pay some consideration to what he has to say.
Primarily based on Feldman’s mock draft and a number of the issues he needed to say, there are some fascinating takeaways from his mock draft, particularly because it pertains to the Dallas Cowboys.
Like many different mock drafts, Feldman predicts the Dallas Cowboys not solely commerce down, but in addition choose a participant who has been repeatedly linked to the group for the reason that draft course of obtained underway.
25. Dallas Cowboys (through GB*): Jackson Powers-Johnson, middle, Oregon
There are some promising inside linemen right here Dallas can seize to assist substitute Tyler Biadasz, who’s off to Washington. Duke’s Graham Barton is athletic and may most likely play all 5 spots up entrance. WVU’s Zach Frazier is an athletic, dominant middle, however I feel Dallas goes for the tremendous sturdy Powers-Johnson, who had a terrific week on the Senior Bowl. He gained the 2023 Rimington Trophy, awarded to the nation’s greatest middle, has wonderful measurement for the place (6-3, 328) and confirmed good motion abilities on the mix.
The Teaching Intel
“Nasty dude. Robust, robust, robust. Extraordinarily highly effective. He shocks guys with that pop he has.”
“Actually huge middle. Strikes fairly good. A lot faster than you’d suppose and creates quite a lot of motion on the level of assault. Performs with a giant chip on his shoulder.”
Feldman predicting Jackson Powers-Johnson being chosen by the Dallas Cowboys is not a lot of a shock. He would step in and fill an enormous emptiness as their new beginning OC after Tyler Biadasz exited through free company to hitch the Washington Commanders. What’s fascinating although is the very fact they traded down one slot with Inexperienced Bay to take action.
The distinction between the No. 24 and No. 25 picks within the first-round is roughly 25 factors in accordance with the NFL commerce worth chart. That equates to roughly a late fifth-round draft decide in 2024. The Packers should been nervous one other workforce would leap forward of each them and the Cowboys to amass the participant they needed, JC Latham.
If that is the case, it could’ve been fascinating to know what different groups might need been providing in a commerce up situation. Perhaps a decide within the High 100? Since Feldman didn’t elaborate extra about this commerce it leaves just a few unanswered questions that we are able to solely speculate about.
In case you stopped studying Feldman’s mock draft after the Cowboys choice you most likely missed he hinted to the very fact the Dallas Cowboys “actually like” the linebacker out of NC State, Payton Wilson. It was simple sufficient to overlook. It was form of buried within the commentary for the Houston Texans second-round choice (forty second general) of Texas A&M LB Edgerrin Cooper.
The linebacker place doesn’t have the identical draft worth it used to, however there’s some expertise on this group. Some of the intriguing gamers on this draft is NC State’s Payton Wilson, who was the perfect defensive participant within the ACC, however he has a medical historical past that I’m instructed has some NFL groups reluctant to draft him, regardless of his physicality, measurement and super pace. He’s been injury-free the previous two years, and I hear the Cowboys and Lions actually like him.
Intriguing participant with questionable medical historical past? Now, the place does this sound acquainted?
The Dallas Cowboys second-round decide over time has been riddled with linebackers who’ve had questionable medical histories. Sean Lee and Jaylon Smith instantly come to thoughts. Leighton Vander Esch was a first-rounder along with his personal medical issues. Might Payton Wilson be the following gifted LB prospect they gamble on?
To place it merely, sure. Jerry Jones and Firm appear to be unfazed relating to playing on gifted gamers and that undoubtedly could possibly be the case for Payton Wilson. In any case, they’ve already proven an curiosity in him making him one in every of their league allotted High 30 pre-draft guests.
The Cowboys are often called a workforce who choose gamers who they’ve introduced in on pre-draft visits. And, Payton Wilson simply so occurs to play a place they should improve. Appears like Bruce Feldman could possibly be truly on to one thing right here, which may imply the NC State LB is somebody to control for the Cowboys within the second-round with the 56th general draft decide.
How would you’re feeling if the Dallas Cowboys first two picks within the 2024 NFL Draft ended up being OC Jackson Powers-Johnson and LB Payton Wilson?
