Cowboys Reveal D-Line Belief; 'Historical High' Hints at Calijah Kancey & NFL Draft 7-Round Plan

Would the Dallas Cowboys use four of their first five picks in this NFL Draft on defensive linemen?

At the recent NFL owners meeting, Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy in talking to CowboysSI.com's Mike Fisher and a small group of reporters, was transparent about the impact defensive line depth has in today's game. 

"Defensive line play," McCarthy said, "is at a historical high. The value that's put into the D-line play, as far as from the draft and free agency, that's a priority position. You've seen the good defensive lines that have the six- or seven-man rotation, they're getting it to eight to 10. Just look at our division alone. You have to pay close attention to that."

And that statement follows in many of the latest mock drafts where the Cowboys to focus on the trenches, such as selecting Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee or Michigan man Mazi Smith. 

And even after re-signing nose tackle Johnathan Hankins, CBS Sports predicts Dallas to select Pittsburgh defensive tackle Calijah Kancey with its No. 26 pick in its latest mock draft.   

"He may be undersized in comparison to the prototypical NFL defensive tackle," CBS Sports said. "But Kancey is a modern defensive tackle, built to disrupt the passing game. He's at his best when exploding off the line of scrimmage with his quickness and an ability to get lower than opposing offensive linemen."

"Measuring at 6-foot-1, 281 pounds at the combine, he has a similar athletic profile to another Pittsburgh Panther, the Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (tied for the most in NFL history)," CBS Sports added, which is not the first time Kancey has been linked to Dallas and Donald. 

Following their first-round selection, CBS projects the Cowboys focus on the front seven for the rest of the draft - using five of their seven picks on that side of the ball. 

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You can find Riley Sheppard on Twitter @RileyDSheppard

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