Dallas Cowboys retool defense in pre-Combine 7-round 2020 mock draft

Whether it’s been Tyrone Crawford, David Irving, Maliek Collins or a litany of other players, the Dallas Cowboys have been searching for answers at the 3-technique defensive tackle for quite some time. There have certainly been flashes from some players at times but, for one reason or another, they have never found the consistency that they’ve been looking for on the whole.

One potential option for the Cowboys that has now come to light is potentially going after Damon Harrison as the veteran defensive tackle was recently released by Detroit. Snacks has been one of the premier run-stuffing players on the defensive line for years and, given Dallas’s issues against the run in 2019, he would help a great deal in that regard.

However, Dallas could also look to the draft to help fill the hole at defensive tackle, especially with that group seeing some big-time turnover in the free-agent market this offseason.

That’s where Larrell Murchison comes into the fold, though he’s an immensely different player than someone like Snacks and not just because of their age. The North Carolina State product does not have the requisite lower-body strength or frame right now to be a consistent anchor against the run, though that can be developed.

What Murchison does bring to the table is a high-upside force as a penetrating 3-tech that can really aid DeMarcus Lawrence (and maybe Robert Quinn if he’s brought back) in harassing opposing quarterbacks. That could be key in addressing the run defense as well as the Cowboys could then not be forced to bring Jaylon Smith on quite as many exotic blitzes, looking to get pressure from just their four-man front.

Murchison isn’t an immediate stud but he’s a talented, explosive piece that could fit well into what Dallas needs to do in the trenches on defense.