Dallas Cowboys: 5 Burning questions entering 2019 training camp

4. Who starts at the three-technique?

Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli has always done a good job getting the most out of his defensive line, but even with that being the case, he has longed for a star at the three-technique spot. Marinelli loves a player who can play in this role and generate pressure straight up the middle, which makes life miserable for opposing quarterbacks.

There was a time when it seemed as though David Irving would fill that role. A former undrafted tackle out of Iowa State, Dallas signed Irving off the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad and he developed into a monster for a brief spell, but he always had an asterisk. For example, he had seven sacks in just eight games in 2017 but missed four games due to suspension and four due to concussion symptoms.

With Irving now gone, Dallas heads into 2019 with rookie Trysten Hill and former third-round pick Maliek Collins will compete for that spot. Collins has had some great moments in his short career, including a five-sack campaign as a rookie in 2016. He’s also had to move around a bit as the Cowboys were without a good nose tackle option in 2017 and he filled that role.

Returning to the three-technique full time (thanks to the emergence of Antwuan Woods at the nose) could be a great move for Collins. That doesn’t mean he’s guaranteed the spot because Hill has a lot of the traits that Marinelli loves.

He wasn’t a favorite of the new coaching staff at UCF which hurt his stats during his final season in the NCAA but Hill is an athletic player who can wreak havoc on the opposing backfield. This could end up being a fun battle to watch one camp starts up.