NFL 2-Round Draft: Does Mel Kiper Know Something The Cowboys Don’t?

Mel Kiper is not interested in your hints.

FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys have openly hinted at their thoughts regarding the top of the upcoming NFL Draft.

Mel Kiper is not interested in your hints.

Writes the ESPN draft guru of pick No. 24 for the Cowboys …

“Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State … I’m a fan. I wanted to find a fit for him in Round 1. The Temple transfer really improved last season, putting up 9.5 sacks. He has a powerful lower body and knows how to use his hands. The Cowboys have to find a way to replace Randy Gregory, and Ebiketie could help.”

Fine … but haven’t the Cowboys indicated - except for the staff visit to Penn State’s Pro Day where they searched for more Lions like Micah Parsons - that they are not likely to take an edge here?

And haven’t they historically used the top pick on a player who’d been a 30 Visits guy?

Kiper does fudge a bit by adding, “They could also target a guard or wide receiver here.”

Well, yup - inasmuch as they have literally telegraphed that exact idea.

Oddly, in his mock, Kiper has available to him Zion Johnson and Kenyon Green … both of whom are on Dallas’ interest list and both of whom might be plug-and-play at left guard.

Meanwhile, the 30 Visits issue cannot be ignored. In 2020, CeeDee Lamb became the rare Cowboys top pick who had not been a 30 Visits guy for Dallas.

What about Kiper’s second-round pick? Here, he sort of heeds the words of owner Jerry Jones, who has announced that the Cowboys will pretty much draft an offensive lineman unless a “Lamb or Parsons” drops to them at one of their top slots. 

So, in Round 2, Kiper writes … “At 56. … Cowboys (take offensive tackle) Abraham Lucas of Washington State.

… The Cowboys released La’el Collins and think Terence Steele, a former undrafted free agent, can be the starter at right tackle.

Let’s add some competition, though.

Lucas impressed at the combine, and he stonewalled edge rushers on the right side for the Cougars. If he doesn’t start at tackle, he could move inside to guard.”

Issues: We see it as unlikely that a second-round pick is going to overtake Steele at right tackle … and if that does happen, doesn’t Dallas still have the same hole at left tackle? If so, what would be the logic and likelihood of taking an offensive lineman who - again - wasn’t a 30 Visits guy?

Taken as a package, the Cowboys taking a Zion Johnson or a Kenyon Green in the first, and letting Round 2 come to them seems like a smarter fit, especially when we factor in the Jones’ own remarks.

So either Mel Kiper knows something the Joneses don’t … or Mel Kiper doesn’t care what the Cowboys know.

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