Cowboys grab OT, RB, DB in new 3-round mock draft
After 11 seasons of not having to think about the position even a little bit, there’s a literal changing of the guard coming in Dallas. The retirement of nine-time All-Pro Zack Martin leaves a mammoth-sized crater on the Cowboys offensive line, a hole that new head coach Brian Schottenheimer will have to find an answer for sooner rather than later.
The team does have a contingency plan in its back pocket in Brock Hoffman. The undrafted free agent stepped in when Martin went down 10 games into the season and performed well enough to warrant a new contract that keeps him with the Cowboys. The team even has the option to move Hoffman to center- his natural spot- and slide second-year man Cooper Beebe to guard, where he played at Kansas State.
Or… with a top-15 pick in the draft, Dallas also has the opportunity to shore up the line with a first-round talent who- they hope- they can plug in and forget about for another decade. That’s precisely what Pro Football & Sports Network has in mind with their latest mock draft.
The outlet has the Cowboys selecting Missouri offensive lineman Armand Membou 12th overall. The 6-foot-4-inch, 332-pounder is a true right tackle, his writeup notes, “but he could slot in and play guard before eventually replacing Terence Steele.”
Membou, who just turned 21 on Thursday, turned in stellar stats as a junior for the Tigers. In 411 pass block snaps, per PFF, he did not allow a single sack or quarterback hit in 2024. H was no slouch in the ground game, either, posting a 87.5 run block grade.
“Membou is a powerful, athletic, flexible offensive lineman who plays with intense physicality and a mauling mentality,” PFSN’s mock says. “The Missouri right tackle possesses a strong leg drive to dominate as a run blocker. Meanwhile, his explosive footwork, movement, and sustained body control make him schematically and positionally versatile.”
That comes from his athleticism, which he put on full display at the scouting combine earlier this month. In Indianapolis, Membou placed in the 97th percentile in the 40, the vertical jump, and the broad jump.
Membou’s name has come up in connection with the Cowboys with increasing frequency during this pre-draft cycle. Earlier just this week, NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks also mocked Membou to Dallas, saying the big man would go along way in re-establishing “bully ball” to the Cowboys O-line.
That would be a significant step in resuscitating the run game that sputtered for most of 2024. PFSN wastes no time in providing a further spark by sending Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins to the Cowboys in the second round, at No. 44 overall.
Perhaps notably, Schottenheimer was reportedly in Columbus on Wednesday for the Buckeyes’ pro day and saw Judkins up close and personal. The 220-pounder is built like a tank and might offer similar upside to Ashton Jeanty or Omarion Hampton or Kaleb Johnson but with second-round value.
Judkins would almost certainly come in at the top of the Cowboys depth chart at RB, with recent add-ons Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders playing complementary roles.
In the third round, PFSN has Dallas taking Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts. An original commit to the Fighting Irish at wide receiver, Watts switched to defense early in the 2021 season. He adapted quickly, finishing 2023 as the Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner and a unanimous All-American.
All indications are that Watts is the type of defensive back that causes actual nightmares for opposing offenses, a versatile playmaker who figures to be in the conversation for a starting job in Week 1 of his rookie season… and is still getting better.
The Cowboys still have Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson, with Markquese Bell, Israel Mukuamu, and Juanyeh Thomas all on the rise. But a player like Watts wouldn’t be sitting for long and could prove to be a real revelation in the third round.
