Dallas fills a big need in round 1 — Dallas Cowboys mock draft v5.0

Round 5 — OL Braeden Daniels (142), Utah

Alternates at the same/similar position: iOL Nick Broeker (142), Ole Miss; iOL Ricky Stromberg (153), Arkansas; iOL Nick Saldiveri (156), Old Dominion; iOL Juice Scruggs (162), Penn State; iOL Atonio Mafi (232), UCLA

I chose between Braeden Daniels and Atonio Mafi (who the consensus has not caught up on) here.

The Cowboys love their offensive linemen to have position flex and that’s what made me go with Daniels.

Here is a breakdown of where Daniels lined up for his 43 starts at Utah:

Dane notes his ability to play both guard and tackle in the NFL.

I hoped to pick USC iOL Andrew Vorhees here who suffered a torn ACL at the NFL Combine in early March. He was projected to go in the third round before the injury.

Unfortunately, he was gone, but I still want to have that conversation.

If he lasts until the late fourth/fifth and they haven’t addressed the position yet, this would be a classic Cowboys move. Let’s explore why.

First, no one trusts their medical evaluations and staff like Dallas. There’s no bigger example than Jaylon Smith, who some suspected may never play again.

Then, look at last year’s fifth-round pick Damone Clark.

Most thought he wouldn’t play as a rookie due to spinal fusion surgery. He went on to play 12 games last season.

Next, there’s Terence Steele, who is also an offensive lineman recovering from a torn ACL. The team expects Steele to be ready by camp in July, which would be seven months after his original injury.

Even if recovery is a little slower than Steele’s, at let’s say nine months, Vorhees would be ready for the final stretch.

Which, to connect the final dot, was similar to when Tyron Smith was ready to return last year, just in time to replace the injured Steele.

The Cowboys pick an injured player almost annually so don’t be surprised if Vorhees is a Cowboy within the week.

On the position overall, maybe I’m just getting more familiar with the names now that we’re so close to the draft, but I was pleasantly surprised with the players available here on the offensive line.