A Dallas Cowboys Trade Up Idea: Aggressive Move Needed in NFL Draft?

After the free agent departure of Tyron Smith, a new mock draft has the Dallas Cowboys trading up to select Penn State left tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu.

Oct 21, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end JT Tuimoloau (44) goes up / Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA

The Dallas Cowboys are amid a disappointing offseason relative to the standards set by Jerry Jones. After making big claims that the Cowboys were “all in” and would “push the hell” out of trying to win a Super Bowl, he has spent the league’s lowest amount of money in free agency, at $11 million. 

The Cowboys' offseason has been marked by significant departures in free agency. Key players like left tackle Tyron Smith, center Tyler Biadasz, and running back Tony Pollard, among others, have chosen to sign with other teams. Meanwhile, veteran insider linebacker Eric Kendricks is the lone addition.

Despite the perception that the Cowboys have been 'cheap’ or' gun shy, ' a new mock draft from CBS Sports predicts the opposite. That move being, a mock trade with the Las Vegas Raiders, which saw the Cowboys move up from No. 24 to No. 13 and select Penn State offensive tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu.

"You got the second-best left tackle and one of the biggest needs on my offensive line, and maybe on my football team," Rick Spielman writes of the Cowboys’ mock trade.

Oct 21, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end JT Tuimoloau (44) goes up / Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA

The only offensive tackle projected to be taken before Fashanu was Notre Dame’s Joe Alt, who the Tennessee Titans selected with the No. 7 overall pick.

Offensive tackle continues to be the overwhelming projection for which need the Cowboys will fill first through the draft. CBS Sports has Fashanu being the answer. Not only would the Cowboys get a left tackle on a cheap rookie deal, but they could also keep Tyler Smith at left guard, a position in which he became a second-team All-Pro last season. 

With Fashanu, the Cowboys and Prescott will have a blindside protector who didn’t give up a single sack in his three seasons at Penn State and is coming off his final season, where he graded out at 78.8, according to Pro Football Focus.