2021 NFL Mock Draft: Eagles target DeVonta Smith, Bears settle on Mac Jones
By Randy Gurzi
OT. 10. player. 123. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Northwestern. Rashawn Slater
Throughout the 2020 NFL campaign, it was apparent that the Dallas Cowboys needed help on the defensive side of the ball. They were simply awful when it came to stopping the run or the pass and they were terrible in terms of creating turnovers.
Then as the season came to an end, they started to improve some. While they never were adept at stopping the opposing team from moving the ball, they did start to create some turnovers — finally. There were also a few young pieces to be encouraged with like Trevon Diggs and Donovan Wilson.
On top of that, they moved on from defensive coordinator Mike Nolan who clearly wasn’t a great fit with these players. Dan Quinn might have fallen out of favor as the Atlanta Falcons head coach but he should be an improvement over Nolan. For that reason, they can turn their attention to the offensive line here, which they do by adding Rashawn Slater from Northwestern.
Slater would be there to replace Tyron Smith who has become unreliable due to injury concerns. Smith is one of the best left tackles in the NFL, but he hasn’t been able to shake the durability concerns and it’s time for Dallas to part ways with the 2011 first-round pick.
As hard as that might be to admit, the addition of Rashawn Slater will ease the pain. He’s a technician who manned the left tackle spot for the Wildcats and should be able to do the same in the NFL — even if some want to kick him inside. Dallas will be able to let him play on the outside and if you watch his tape from Northwestern, you will probably agree that he will succeed for them.