Dallas Cowboys: Can Taco Charlton be a dominant right end?
By Jimmy Long
Taco Charlton is a versatile defensive lineman, but the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff seems to want him at right end. Can he succeed there?
The Dallas Cowboys see a future for Taco Charlton at right defense end. That’s part of the reason they invested their first round selection in him. That, and perhaps being booted from the playoffs twice in the last three years because of their pass rush (or lack thereof).
Anyways, the Cowboys front office has suggested that Charlton has the ability to be versatile. This opinion is echoed by head coach Jason Garrett and defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli. The belief is that Taco is capable of playing left or right end, and some defensive tackle.
And in all honesty, he probably is. Charlton is a very good football player. But as a first-round pick, the goal isn’t to be good. Taco Charlton must be great. So the question becomes, can he be a dominant force at right defensive end?
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Well, the coaches seem to think so. From the sounds of it, the voices inside The Star at Frisco would like Charlton to start on the right side. In the Dallas Cowboys 4-3 system, the right end is typically the best athlete on the defensive line.
Now, Charlton isn’t a bad athlete by any stretch of the imagination. That man can do things that men of his size shouldn’t be able to do. However, he isn’t going to burn you with speed. He isn’t going to straight-up out-power you. He doesn’t have a true strength, but he also doesn’t have a huge weakness.
I think Charlton could be a very good right end for the Cowboys. But very good isn’t great. And, in my humble opinion, Charlton has the potential to be a great left defensive end for Dallas. His length is outstanding and he has the necessary strength to play the run.
He is capable of playing all three downs, and can get after the passer when necessary. Unfortunately, Taco isn’t exactly a technician when it comes to his pass rush arsenal. This makes him an ideal candidate for the left side as opposed to the right.
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If you want more information on Charlton, I did a full scouting report on him, which you can check out here. But to me, it boils down to Charlton having the potential to be dominant on the left side, and middle of the road on the right, unless he shows major improvement in his pass rush moves.