NFL mock draft: Cowboys 7-round 2023 projection to leap over playoff hump
The Dallas Cowboys desperately need to get the playoff monkey off their back. With the haul in this 2023 NFL Mock Draft, they might be able to do it.
When it’s been 26 years since a team that has had the collection of talent that the Dallas Cowboys have compiled has made it to the NFC Championship Game, things start to get a little desperate. And after a disastrous loss for Dallas in the Divisional Round of the 2023 playoffs, that remains true.
Now it’s an offseason with tough decisions ahead. Sure, Dak Prescott is back, but the fanbase has a sour taste left in their mouths after the postseason loss. That then brings up plenty of questions.
What to do with Ezekiel Elliott’s contract? Can the team re-sign Tony Pollard? Does the club cut Tyron Smith? Most importantly, though, the Cowboys need to figure out how they can get over the hump in the playoffs. And the 2023 NFL Draft could have a big role in that plight.
What holes does Dallas need to fill and how can they address them in the draft, though? We’re running through a full Cowboys NFL mock draft for 2023 that goes through all seven rounds to try and get this team back to its former glory and, perhaps, back to a Super Bowl.
Table of Contents
- Round 1: Introduction + Upgrading the CB room
- Round 2: Another big-time weapon for Dak Prescott
- Round 3: Beefing up the middle of the D-line majorly
- Rounds 4-5: A new face in the RB room and defensive depth
- Rounds 6-7: O-line depth and a Cooper Rush replacement
NFL Mock Draft: Cowboys 7-round 2023 projection to get back to a Super Bowl
1. Joey Porter Jr.. Penn State. player. 123. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. CB
Joey Porter Jr. is an ideal cornerback for Dan Quinn’s Cowboys defense
It was a tough scene at cornerback for the Cowboys in the 2022 season, particularly after Anthony Brown went down with an injury. Kelvin Joseph was an absolute liability when on the field and Nahshon Wright wasn’t much better. Meanwhile, Trevon Diggs remained a gambler who is divisive but played the role put forth by Dan Quinn well.
All you need to know is that Dallas plucked Xavier Rhodes off the street and started him in the playoffs. That’s how troublesome the team’s cornerback room was near the end of the year and, if a player like Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr. is on the board with the 26th overall pick, the organization would be foolish to not go after him.
From his time in Seattle, we’ve seen Dan Quinn show the ability to maximize big, physical corners, which is exactly what the 6-foot-2, 198-pound Porter Jr. brings to the table. He’s not the fastest corner nor is he the most fluid. But his NFL bloodlines show with instinctive and high-IQ plays throughout the game.
Porter would be a terrific pairing with Diggs with his ability to jam and contain starting at the line of scrimmage with physical coverage. He was a stud for the Nittany Lions and could be well worth a first-round pick for the Cowboys given the dire need for answers at the position, especially if Brown departs in free agency.