Dallas Cowboys: 7-Round mock draft readies team for playoff return

Even if Dak Prescott had stayed healthy last year, you do have to wonder how successful he and the offense could’ve been given the state of the line. Both starting tackles, Tyron Smith and La’el Collins, missed basically the entire season due to injuries and it was clear how terribly that unit suffered without the bookends on the field.

Dallas has already taken one smart measure to address that in free agency with the addition of Ty Nsekhe. Though he’s on the back-end of his 30s, Nsekhe is an established and athletic veteran who should prove to be an effective and extremely valuable swing tackle and depth behind Smith and Collins.

But especially with Smith and his recent injury history combined with his age, the Cowboys need to be thinking about the future of the line, an area that has long been a strength. So with their second-round pick and Michigan’s Jalen Mayfield on the board, they can’t pass up the opportunity to shore up the edges of the offensive line.

Mayfield showcased his tremendous potential in the 2019 season but was limited to just two games in 2020. The Michigan man checks all the physical boxes to be a high-end tackle or even a quality guard in the NFL; he just needs experience and reps. With Smith and Collins hopefully healthy, that will give the Cowboys time to develop Mayfield and get him ready to take over as a starter.