Dallas Cowboys: 7-Round 2019 mock draft post-free agency first wave
By Randy Gurzi
Round 4, Pick 128: Germaine Pratt, LB, North Carolina State
For the past two seasons, the Cowboys have lost linebackers to the Kansas City Chiefs. First, it was Anthony Hitchens who signed before the 2018 season. Now, the Chiefs went out and added Damien Wilson who started at the SAM linebacker for the Boys last season.
While it’s true that Wilson isn’t a Pro Bowler, he was a good player who knew his job. He wasn’t the same caliber player as Hitchens but will be missed — just as Hitch would have been had they not hit a home run with Leighton Vander Esch in the 2018 NFL Draft.
With LVE and Jaylon Smith set as the main linebackers in Big D, the Cowboys don’t need another day one pick to replace Wilson. Instead, they go back to the same round where they found Hitch in 2014 and Wilson in 2015 as they use their first of two fourth-round picks on North Carolina State linebacker Germaine Pratt.
A former safety, Pratt has spent the past two seasons learning the linebacker position with the Wolfpack and really came on in 2018. During that campaign, the redshirt senior racked up 104 tackles and six sacks. What makes him really intriguing though is his cover skills — which led to him breaking up nine passes and grabbing four career interceptions.
Pratt is still learning the position but his potential is through the roof and will be well worth whatever time they have to put into developing him.