The crew at Sports Illustrated thinks the Dallas Cowboys will add another first round pick to their offensive line with Quenton Nelson in the 2018 NFL Draft
It’s no secret that the strength of the Dallas Cowboys lies in their massive offensive line. Over the past three seasons they’ve paved the way for three separate 1,000-yard rusher. In 2014 that running back was DeMarco Murray — who led the NFL in yards with 1,845. In 2016 they again parted the waters for the league leading rusher as rookie Ezekiel Elliott went for 1,631 yards.
While both of those guys are elite talent, the o-line still managed to do enough to get the Cowboys a respected running game in between those remarkable seasons. After the failed attempt to turn underwear thief Joseph Randle into a viable option, veteran Darren McFadden took over as the lead back. Run DMC got just his second ever season with over 1,000 yards with 1,089 — and he did so in just 10 starts.
According to the people at Sports Illustrated, the Boys may not be done building their great wall. Despite already having four first-round picks and another guy who should have been, SI tabs Notre Dame guard Queton Nelson as the team’s first round pick in their early 2018 NFL Mock Draft.
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Here is their reasoning in the below quote:
"The guard position doesn’t tend to see much Round 1 love. When an elite talent comes around, though, teams pay attention. The Cowboys know this better than anyone—their ’14 Zack Martin pick was an absolute home run. Setting Nelson’s bar near the Martin level is an unfair ask, but it may not be an unrealistic one"
Vitals
Height: 6-5
Weight: 331 pounds
Honors: 2017 Team Captain, AP and SI Second Team All-American (2016)
Nelson is a talented player, and is an incredibly large man at 331 pounds. He’s a bulldozer in the run game, but is no slouch in pass protection either. He may be the best guard in the 2018 Draft, and could have been in 2017 as well had he declared early. His talent says he wouldn’t last to Dallas (SI had them picking at No. 27) but in recent seasons guards have been somewhat overlooked, so it could be an option.
As it stands now the Cowboys are set everywhere except left guard. They have arguably the best left tackle in the league with Tyron Smith and right guard Zack Martin. In the middle is Travis Frederick, another guy who can challenge for the top at his position as he’s developed into a fantastic center. All three were first-round picks by Dallas and have been vital to their success.
At right tackle they just locked up La’el Collins for a couple more seasons. The undrafted free agent should have been a first-round pick, had it not been for police questioning him in a homicide — which he was cleared of having any involvement in whatsoever.
That leaves the weak link at left guard. It looks like former Arizona Cardinals top-10 pick Jonathan Cooper will fill that role for now. While he never lived up to his draft status, Cooper does have some talent — but Nelson would be quite the upgrade.
Next: NFL 2017: One player from each team that will disappoint
In the end, look for Dallas either continue their defensive overhaul or maybe go with a deep threat at wide receiver. Still, a pick like Nelson could make them even more dominate up front than they are now.