No. 19 Dallas Cowboys (9-7)
The Pick: Nathan Shepherd, DT, Fort Hays State
If you ask me, Shepherd is the player who is being most overlooked in this draft class. At the Senior Bowl last month, Shepherd was unblockable in basically every rep. He’s an anchor against the run and is violent when collapsing the pocket. He showed his lower level competition in his tape isn’t something to be concerned about by whipping up on the best the Senior Bowl had to offer.
The Cowboys are likely going to retain DeMarcus Lawrence, and drafting Shepherd for the inside at defensive tackle allows them to put David Irving back at full time defensive end opposite Lawrence. Throw Randy Gregory into that rotation on the edge, in whatever capacity that may be, with Taco Charlton and Dallas’ defensive line looks a lot better.
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Trevor Sikkema is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat reporter and NFL Draft analyst for PewterReport.com. Sikkema, an alumnus of the University of Florida, has covered both college and professional football for much of his career. As a native of the Sunshine State, when he's not buried in social media, Sikkema can be found out and active, attempting to be the best athlete he never was. Sikkema can be reached at: [email protected]
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