Mel Kiper, Daniel Jeremiah send offensive linemen to Cowboys in latest mock drafts

The Cowboys need help along the offensive line and both Mel Kiper and Daniel Jeremiah have offered help.

It feels fairly safe to bet on the Dallas Cowboys drafting an offensive lineman early on in the 2024 NFL Draft. Like fairly safe.

This is the case because the Cowboys have seen two starters depart in free agency in Tyler Biadasz and Tyron Smith. While the team could always kick Tyler Smith out to left tackle to fix the Tyron issue, doing so would create a different need at left guard.

Fortunately for the Cowboys this is a draft deep at the tackle position. Perhaps they want to keep Tyler inside at guard and find someone else to man Dak Prescott’s blind side, all of that will of course reveal itself once the draft arrives.

But we are impatient and want answers now. Thankfully for all of us that is where mock drafts come in.

Mel Kiper and Daniel Jeremiah both mocked offensive linemen to the Cowboys in their latest versions

As noted, it is pretty safe to assume that Dallas is going to go offensive line early, perhaps even in the first round of the draft. It can be argued that they let Tyron walk specifically because of this plan.

For just about all of the offseason all notable draft analysts have been connecting Dallas to different tackle options and Mel Kiper did it again in his latest mock. He sent Tyler Guyton to Dallas, a very popular pick these days.

24. Dallas Cowboys

Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma

How will the Cowboys replace long-time left tackle Tyron Smith, who just signed with the Jets? Based on their lack of moves over the past 10 days, they might be thinking this pick is their best bet. And looking at my rankings, they’re probably right. Guyton, Amarius Mims (Georgia), Jordan Morgan (Arizona) and Roger Rosengarten (Washington) could all be in play in the final 10 picks of Round 1. Of those four, only Morgan played the majority of his snaps at left tackle, but I think Guyton has the highest ceiling. He started just 14 games in college; he has outstanding physical tools to mold.

Dallas also has a hole to fill at center, as Tyler Biadasz left in free agency. Jackson Powers-Johnson (Oregon) could be in play.

The encouraging thing about Kiper’s blurb is that he believes Dallas will at the very least have some options which is always a good thing. In fact, this could lead to a potential trade down situation if things ultimately fall the right way.

But Kiper also mentioned Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson as a name that the Cowboys could consider selecting. That is exactly what NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah has them doing in his latest mock.

Pick 24, Dallas Cowboys

Jackson Powers-Johnson

Oregon · IOL · Junior

Eleven years ago, the Cowboys took center Travis Frederick at the bottom of the first round and that worked out well. They go back to the same formula with Powers-Johnson.

Jeremiah brings up the Cowboys selection of Travis Frederick in the 2013 NFL Draft which was a situation that involved a trade down. Dallas picked up an extra third-round pick by moving down 13 spots, although with them sitting at 24 obviously there is not much room left to go down.

It is hard to argue against either of these ideas at the moment given the Cowboys’ need for stability at left tackle and center. While Tyler Smith does represent an option to fill out the former. the latter is a bit more of a question. Brock Hoffman is technically the next man up, but he does not have the credentials or experience to trust wholeheartedly.