After a season in which the Dallas Cowboys saw their offensive line decimated by injuries and the depth behind them tested it wouldn’t be out of the question to see them try to improve the unit at some point in the 2021 NFL Draft. When and where they may choose to do so is anyone’s guess, but there’s little doubt it will be under consideration early and often.
Today I thought I’d share with you a player who I not only believe would be a perfect fit, but exactly what the Dallas Cowboys need. Let me introduce to you Robert Hainsey, a two-time captain and three-year starter at right tackle for the Fighting Irish. He’s not receiving a lot of draft love right now, however, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s not on several teams wish list.
Robert Hainsey is the type of player who’s going to be a solid starter for 10+ years in the NFL, but one who is not likely going to receive a lot of accolades in his career. He may never get voted into the Pro Bowl or get named to the All-Pro Team, however, he is someone who will bring consistency and versatility to a team’s offensive line.
While many viewed Hainsey as a “right tackle only” prospect early on in the draft processes he’s since proved otherwise. At the Senior Bowl he kicked inside and proved he’s more than capable of playing at either guard or center as well. This newfound versatility created quite a bit of buzz around the scouting community and changed the way he was viewed as an OL prospect.
A bunch of OL helped themselves with strong Senior Bowl week but none more than @NDFootball 2x captain Robert Hainsey. Projected as RT/G going into Mobile but looked like a natural at center and now has highly desirable 4-position versatility. @rhainsey72 will be a 10-year pro.📈 pic.twitter.com/wKDjGa0HX7
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) March 7, 2021
A two-time captain with three years of starting experience and has four position flex!? He sounds exactly like the type of player the Dallas Cowboys like along their offensive line. That’s especially true after witnessing what happened last season. They can definitely use a player like Robert Hainsey who I believe can start right away at either right tackle, guard, or center.
Love the idea of Robert Hainsey in a #Cowboys uniform. I think he's a starting caliber RT, OG, or C. https://t.co/hJEZFrn8mf
— ✭Brian Martin✭ (@BrianMartinNFL) March 31, 2021
The good news is the Dallas Cowboys were in attendance at Notre Dame’s Pro-Day to see what Robert Hainsey and the other Fighting Irish OL can do in person. So, at the very least he’s a tiny blip on their radar right now with a chance of being much more. For someone like me who would love to see him in a Cowboys uniform the dream is at least alive at the moment.
As things stand right now I don’t think he’s a Top 100 prospect in this year’s draft class, however, he could be on the cusp. That would put him in play in the latter part of the third or in the fourth-round for the Dallas Cowboys. Believe it or not, but I think that’s exactly when they might start targeting offensive lineman.
I don’t know how you feel about Robert Hainsey and I’m not going to try to convince you any further, but I believe he would be a great fit with the Dallas Cowboys. They could use more depth at RT, OG, and C and I believe Hainsey could not only provide that but also challenge for the starting job at any of the three positions. Sounds like a win-win to me.
