Dallas Cowboys trade back twice, stockpile defense in 7-round mock draft
By Randy Gurzi
Oklahoma. player. 819. OT. 2. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Liam Eichenberg
Round 2, Pick 44: Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame
With their own second-round selection, the Cowboys are able to land a potential starting left tackle in Liam Eichenberg. A product of Notre Dame, Eichenberg isn’t getting the same love as Rashawn Slater or Christian Darrisaw, but he can still be just as productive in the NFL as they are.
In Dallas, they’re banking on Tyron Smith returning to health on the left side as well as La’el Collins on the right. They did add Ty Nsekhe as well to give them some insurance but at 35 years old, he’s probably only good for one season.
Adding Eichenberg allows them to address the position going forward — and if Smith is healthy, they can simply take their time getting him accustomed to the professional level.
Pick Analysis. Oregon. 2. player. Scouting Report. S. Jevon Holland. 820
Round 2, Pick 46: Jevon Holland, S, Oregon
Back on the clock a couple of picks later, Dallas is now using the pick they added with New England. While they could have tried to squeeze a first-round pick in 2022 from them, this move works better since it allowed them to land a new left tackle while also still addressing another huge need on defense — safety.
Jevon Holland is the choice here and the Oregon free safety could fill the biggest hole on the defensive roster — which has been the most glaring need for years. While they did add Damontae Kazee in the offseason, he was signed to just a one-year deal, so Dallas elects to go with a safety here that could potentially take over as the long-term solution.