Cowboys Lawrence & Gregory vs. Brady: Is That Enough to Beat Bucs?

A VERY early mock draft has the Dallas Cowboys taking an Ohio State defensive end in the first round next April. Tonight begins to tell us if that's even a need.

Maybe tonight in Tampa Bay will deliver a vision as to what the Dallas Cowboys can accomplish in 2021 ... and what they might do in the next NFL Draft.

Should the Cowboys bolster their pass rush with their first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft? Or will Dallas' present collection of talent at defensive end - led by DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory, who are in charge of chasing down Bucs QB Tom Brady in the "Thursday Night Football'' NFL season opener - suggest the future needs are elsewhere?

The staff of Fan Nation’s NFL Draft site believes defensive end will be the way to go.

After Week 1 of the college football season, the staff had the Cowboys selecting No. 21 next April and taking Ohio State defensive end Zach Harrison.

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The site’s rationale? The Cowboys appear set on offense, and while the Cowboys’ haul in the 2021 NFL Draft — one that saw every selection make the team coming out of the preseason — was a good start, the Cowboys should continue to build on that next April.

The Cowboys are stocked pretty well on offense — it's the other side of the ball that needs a makeover. Adding Micah Parsons, Kelvin Joseph, and Osa Odighizuwa was a good start, but Harrison could bring the fire and pressure in the trenches to make it all work. He was consistently disruptive all day versus Minnesota and finally burst through with an influential strip-sack. Pairing his raw athleticism with the tutelage of Demarcus Lawrence could take Harrison to the next level, and the value in the low 20's for the Cowboys is too good to pass up.

Harrison had three tackles, a sack and a forced fumble in that season opener against the Golden Gophers.

The site had the Cowboys selecting No. 21 overall, a pick that would indicate the Cowboys would make the playoffs in 2021.

Harrison was a Second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2020. Entering his junior season, he is considered the most experienced end on the Buckeyes’ roster. He was selected a third-team preseason All-American by Athlon’s and is on the watch lists for the Bronko Nargurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy.

Is it ever too early to think "NFL Draft''? Cowboys COO Stephen Jones likes to say he's in the "365-day business'' of talent judgment and acquisition. So in that sense? The judgment begins tonight.

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You can reach Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.