Cowboys NFL Draft Connection With Penei Sewell? Coach Mora Analysis

Imagine top left tackle Penei Sewell protecting Dak Prescott's blind side.

DALLAS - Who the Dallas Cowboys draft with their 10th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft is very much up for debate. There are glaring holes in the Cowboys defense and, should the contract situation with Dak Prescott remain hazy, they may need to grab a quarterback...

[READ: If No Dak Deal, Cowboys Must Draft QB Now - Ex NFL GM]

However for the purposes of this article, let’s presume Prescott and the Cowboys agree to terms...

Imagine top left tackle Penei Sewell protecting Prescott's blind side to help repair an offensive line that was decimated by injuries last season. The 6-foot-6, 330-pound Sewell is projected to go as high as the third pick but should he somehow slip... Dear Cowboys, do all that you can to draft Sewell. 

"Penei Sewell is going to be a great player for a long, long, long time in the NFL," said our football analyst Jim Mora in a visit with CowboysSI.com. "Do all that you can to go get him if he is sitting there at 7, 8 or 9. This guy is a franchise offensive tackle. He is going to be, if he stays healthy, a Hall-Of-Fame type talent... He is a guy that changes your franchise."

Sewell elected to opt-out of the 2020 season when the Pac-12 conference put the season on hold in September, which was a hurdle for the Ducks but doing so saved himself a year of wear and tear on his body, that could be considered another year in the pros. The 2019 Outland Trophy Winner's athleticism shines in run and pass blocking and his instincts dominate in the screen game. 

While head coach of UCLA, Mora "came after Sewell, hard" in recruiting, he told us. At the time Sewell was a consensus four-star and the No. 1 prospect in the state of Utah. Sewell ultimately picked Oregon over UCLA but earned a lot of respect from Mora in how he handled the process.

Said Mora: “Obviously I was disappointed in his choice... Maybe if he hadn't (picked Oregon over UCLA) I'd still be coaching, I don't know. But I am happy he's put himself in the position that he has."

Sewell could be the prospect to help cool Mike McCarthy's always-warm seat as coach of the Dallas Cowboys.