Good morning, readers. It’s Monday and you know what that means. It’s time for #MockDraftMonday with Mario at Inside The Star.

The draft is a short 11 days away and the ever-changing draft projections continue to reveal who teams seem to be targeting.

Dallas, being the PR juggernaut that it is, is linked to several players both as early-round targets and late-round fliers.

We truly never know what the Cowboys plan to do in the draft aside from drafting All-Pro offensive linemen in the 1st round.

That very well may be the case again this season after losing both LT Tyron Smith and C Tyler Biadasz to free agency.

I firmly believe that the offensive line needs to be a priority this draft to keep All-Pro QB Dak Prescott upright long enough to execute his aerial assault.

The draft fell in a unique way for me this time, resulting in a risky trade out of the 2nd round to accumulate two 3rd round and one additional 4th round pick.

As always, I utilized the Pro Football Focus Mock Draft Simulator with all settings set to the median value.

Round 1 Pick 24

Selection: C Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
Also Considered: OT Tyler Guyton, OT Kingsley Suamataia

I’m pro left tackle in the first round so I was hoping to snag one with my first pick but the rest of the NFL had other ideas.

Before pick 24 came up, seven offensive tackles had already been drafted.

This included players heavily linked to the Cowboys like Taliese Fuaga (5th to LAC), Graham Barton (16th to SEA), and the heartbreaker for me, Olumuyiwa Fashanu to the Eagles just two picks before Dallas.

I ended up overlooking the injury concerns of C Jackson Powers-Johnson to secure the anchor position on the offensive line for Dak Prescott.

JPJ could be the best center Prescott has taken snaps from since 5x All-Pro Travis Frederick.

I considered OT Tyler Guyton but being limited to the right side in college made me feel like the Cowboys can’t wait for his development.

OT Kingsley Sumataia felt like a reach this high in the draft, yet the Ravens felt differently and selected him at 30 overall.

Round 3 Pick 84

*TRADE*: DAL receives 84, 98, 119, 2025 4th, 2025 5th; PIT receives 56
Selection: RB Trey Benson, Florida State

No need to scroll back up. You didn’t miss the Cowboys 2nd round pick. I used my imaginary general manager powers to trade it away to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Sitting there on the clock knowing the Cowboys only have one selection between picks 100 and 200 got me desperate enough to accept the Steelers’ trade offer.

I knew it was a risk not taking a player from picks 24 through 84, but I felt it a bigger risk to give up on high-upside talent between the 3rd and 4th rounds.

With pick 84, I selected RB Trey Benson from Florida State to bolster an anemic rushing attack that no longer has Tony Pollard.

Round 3 Pick 87

Selection: LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson

I didn’t have to wait long at all to pick again, and I was happy to see LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr. still sitting there at pick 87.

The Cowboys added Eric Kendricks from free agency to replace a retired Leighton Vander Esch but waited until the draft to address the position again.

Trotter can push Damone Clark and DeMarvion Overshown for playing time if given the opportunity.

If nothing else, he will be valuable depth for a linebacker room that sorely lacked it in 2023.

Round 3 Pick 98

Selection: OG Christian Mahogany, Boston College

A short 11 picks later and I’m on the clock again for the fourth time in the top-100 picks.

I stay supporting the trenches by selecting OG Christian Mahogany from Boston College to help get the running game back to form.

Having missed out on the top tackles, I chose to continue to add beef to the interior in preparation for Tyler Smith moving to left tackle.

Mahogany can compete with T.J. Bass for the starting left guard job for 2023.

Round 4 Pick 119

Selection: OT Matt Goncalves, Pittsburgh

I just mentioned the round before about preparing for Tyler Smith to move to left tackle because the board had been wiped.

Then in the 4th round, one of the Cowboys’ 30-visits is there for the taking.

OT Matt Goncalves is a player the Cowboys brought in for a further evaluation so he is the pick at 119.

He can compete for the swing tackle spot or if the coaches believe he’s up to it, he can work at left tackle to allow Smith to stay at guard.

Round 5 Pick 174

Selection: DT Myles Murphy, North Carolina

Still focusing on the trenches, my 5th round selection is DT Myles Murphy from North Carolina.

I’ve selected Murphy in previous mock drafts, and he impresses me with his size, measuring at 6’5″ tall and 268 pounds.

He reminds me of Calais Campbell and has plenty of room in his frame to add weight to get closer to 300 pounds.

Round 6 Pick 216

Selection: LB Steele Chambers, Ohio State

In the 6th round, I decide to add more depth to a thin linebacker room by drafting a player with high upside.

LB Steele Chambers from Ohio State is a converted running back who has great instincts as a linebacker.

He won’t push for playing time on defense until he puts some weight on his 226-pound frame but can immediately contribute on special teams.

Round 7 Pick 233

Selection: DT Keith Randolph Jr., Illinois

If you can’t tell by now, I focused on the trenches this draft because the Cowboys were terrible up the middle on both sides of the ball last season.

Mazi Smith got pushed around in his rookie season and is now recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.

Osa Odighizuwa is in a contract year, and with so many other superstar contracts on the books, Osa may be the odd man out.

I chose DT Keith Randolph Jr. from Illinois with the 216th pick in the draft to help beef up the interior of the defensive line.

Randolph stands 6’3.5″ tall and weighs 296 pounds to help clog up the middle of the defense.

Another trait the Cowboys would like is the fact that Randolph is a team captain, showing the leadership traits the Cowboys covet.

Round 7 Pick 244

Selection: CB A.J. Woods, Pittsburgh

My final selection of the draft was another depth piece—this time for the secondary.

CB AJ Woods joins the Cowboys and his college teammate from Pittsburgh, 4th-round pick Matt Goncalves.

Woods would add valuable depth to a cornerback room that lost Stephon Gilmore and has Trevon Diggs recovering from an ACL tear.

Results

At the end of the day, I believe the risky trade back out of the 2nd round paid off in a big way by giving the Cowboys more ammunition in the top-100 picks.

I might not have drafted some of your favorite players, but I was able to shore up the offensive line and provide valuable depth to the defensive interior and linebacker rooms.

All while adding one of the most talented running backs in the draft to take the bulk of the carries for 2024.