How bad was the Amari Cooper trade for Cowboys? Take a look around the league and find out

 Matt Waletzko.

That will be the name that will forever be etched in the transactional record books when someone spends the time to dust off the 2022 volume and dive deep into what exactly the Dallas Cowboys were able to fetch for Pro Bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper when they traded him to Cleveland to alleviate their financial stress.

Matt Waletzko. Or, to be fair, the Cowboys could have used that pick on whatever gem was available at pick No. 155. And not only that, with pick No. 193 Oklahoma State linebacker Devin Harper was secured. But, that also cost them pick No 202.

https://theathletic.com/3293279/2022/05/04/cowboys-amari-cooper-trade-browns/

2017 NFL Draft Profile - DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame

DeShone Kizer

QB - Notre Dame- #14 - RS Sophomore

6-4 - 233 - 4.83 speed

Two-year stats: 23 Starts - 423 of 696 for 5,809 - 60.8 percent - 47 TD/19 INT - 992 rushing yards - 18 rushing TDs

Kizer has all of the potential to be special, but his 2016 regressed enough to make many skeptical.

POSITIVES: There is no question that people are looking for their Cam Newton/Dak Prescott/Jameis Winston type.  In this dual-threat QB world, you want someone who is able to make the throws and able to keep the ball and sturdy enough not to succumb to contact or injury while being able to shrug off a linebacker and still stand tall and make the throw.  On his day, Kizer can do all of these things and look the part.  If you simply took his highlight film of his top moments, you can make the case that Kizer is your #1 pick in the entire draft.  He is so big and strong and on a QB draw looks powerful and able to move the chains.  When he throws, he does not lack for strength and even on the run can make it look easy.  His double moves on a pump and go can make corners look silly.  He moves well and gets out of jams.  He really can do it all.

CONCERNS: After that glowing review, there must be a real question about what the issues with Kizer could be.  The differences between someone like Kizer and Prescott comes down to between the ears for me.  Kizer simply has poor processing in the moment of truth and makes some inexcusable mistakes that cannot be characterized as anything other than carelessness with the football.  Now, let's be clear: every young QB has a tough time deciding on the run when to not even try the throw.  They all can be more careful, while trying to make plays.  But Kizer's panic throws are too much for me.  His accuracy is all over the place, and I just don't trust his decision making.  I realize his ceiling is very high, but I also would suggest his floor is quite low.  He will have to harness this massive issue that is a real deal breaker for me.  If someone can do it, they will have something.  Because on the run, the man is very impressive.  And his arm is strong.  I just don't know that he knows where it is going.

In the end, Kizer has a chance and someone will take it.  I am just not willing to get involved.

2015 NFL Draft #53 - Xavier Cooper, DT, Washington State

I have never been a scout or a NFL General Manager, but I am willing to watch a ton of football. By watching about 200 snaps of each prospect, we can really get a feel for a player and then know what we are talking about a bit better. It is no exact science, but the NFL hasn't quite figured out drafting either, so we are going to do the best we can.

Find all the profiles here.

Click here to see an interactive of how Cooper compares with the top DTs of the draft.

Xavier Cooper, DT, Washington State - 6'3, 296 - Junior - 4.86 40

Washington State defensive lineman Xavier Cooper speaks to the media at the 2015 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on Feb. 20, 2015. (Trevor Ruszkowski / USA TODAY Sports)

When we discuss what sort of defensive linemen fits the profile for Rod Marinelli, maybe we don't spell out enough of the attributes.  So, here is a brief thumbnail description of that player:  Can move - needs solid times for his size group, high motor - never stop moving until the whistle, can win with his arms and quickness, and can penetrate - looking for guys who can get in the backfield.   He is looking for a pack of players who can rotate and offer versatility in where you line them up, and can wear down an offensive line with relentless battle and strength in numbers.

So, when you see a guy who checks all of the boxes, you know him when you see him from his college tape.  Xavier Cooper looks like that guy to me.  He runs as fast as any interior linemen in the draft, both in the 40, 10, or the cone drills.  He played on a  Washington State team that was often having a rough day, but he was winning his battles with consistency.  I looked at his games against Utah, Oregon, and Stanford to see what this guy is all about.

What I liked:  This guy is full of the attributes I look for in an interior defensive linemen.  He is in the backfield a ton and gets off the snap as quick as you would ever want.  He has a tremendous ability to stay after a play, even if he sees a double team in front of him (this is a true test of a player's motor as many will shut it down if they see they are facing a double).  He is bowling ball quick and just has a violent explosion right off the snap of the ball.  He is a relentless battler, and does not stop.  He has very impressive skills to penetrate and get into the backfield on a regular basis and is a nightmare at the 3-technique for opposing guards.  He is very good with slip moves and uses his short arms to his advantage in a phone booth.  He is also very aware of what is going on around him as he showed by sniffing out screens and counters, and also getting his hands up in passing lanes to knock down a few passes.

What I did not like:  If we are going to credit this player for having exceptional "move" measurables, then we better admit that he has other numbers from the combine that are troubling to some.  He has about the shortest arms and wingspan of any defensive linemen in this draft and will be amongst the shortest in the league.  This is not something that is a deal breaker, but just know that he must make up for that with his ability to move. He also had a noticeable drop off in energy late in a few games.  I rationalize this as a snap count that is too high for a player who plays with this energy, and in the NFL, his snap count will be kept down to make sure that when he is on the field he can go 100%, but it should be noted that he only has so much to give you on a given day if you want him maxed out each play.

Summary:  This is a position where the Cowboys could really use a disruptive player who will just keep battling and looking to make a difference inside.  Cooper fits this profile very well and even though I didn't know much about him before the combine, I will tell you that I never want to fall in love with a workout unless the player has the tape to back it up.  He is versatile and played all across the defensive line at every single spot - making plays at each along the way.  Washington State is off my radar, but after the work, I am satisfied that he is one of those players who is stuck in a situation where his team might not be ready to win, but he was more than pulling his own weight under the national radar.  There are quite a few defensive tackles that can help the Cowboys this spring in the crop, but the difference makers are all going to be snapped up pretty quickly.  This one, though, is one of my favorites and fits the Cowboys style perfectly.  I would be quite pleased to see this lightning-quick big guy end up in the fold on draft weekend.

You can view plenty of his tape here at Draftbreakdown.com.

And, if you don't mind, please check out the Bob and Dan (BaD) Radio show in Dallas-Fort Worth, from 12p-3p, Monday-Friday, on Sportsradio 1310 and 96.7fm, The Ticket.  www.theticket.com 

2015 NFL Draft #47 - Cam Erving, OL, Florida State

I have never been a scout or a NFL General Manager, but I am willing to watch a ton of football. By watching about 200 snaps of each prospect, we can really get a feel for a player and then know what we are talking about a bit better. It is no exact science, but the NFL hasn't quite figured out drafting either, so we are going to do the best we can. Find all the profiles here.

Click here to see an interactive of how Erving compares with the top lineman of the draft.

Cameron Erving, OL, Florida State - 6'5, 313 - RS Senior - 5.15 40

We may all know, deep down inside, that certain football players are dependent on their coaches to find their proper home.  There is a popular thought that a guy is a "football player" and you can just plug him in anywhere and he will be fine.  Well, 90% of the time, that is absurd.  You can't just put a guy anywhere and he will excel.  The sport is too competitive where his ability and your use of his ability are equally responsible for reaching his potential.  I think that is pretty well demonstrated here with Cam Erving, a player who was a Defensive tackle, then a left tackle, and now the top center prospect in the entire draft.  To watch Erving, we viewed Clemson, Miami, and Georgia Tech.

He wears #75 in these clips for the Seminoles.

What I liked:  He is a bit of a complex study, because he was only moved to center at about the first week in November.  So, we have a rather small body of work for him at center, but it is very impressive.  He is a strong, smart competitor who was being exposed in space, but in the phone booth of the interior line, he is really very good.  He tested well at every single combine event, showing as one of the very top athletes in the offensive line division.  But, he had to find that home inside where he can use what he does well and avoid what he doesn't.  He run blocks with a mauling ability and doesn't lose.  He gets out in space and runs very well.  Above, notice how he gets pieces of 3 different rushers as Miami is trying to blitz inside.  He gets all 3 of them.  That clip shows how quick he is and how he gets squared up against them and is able to avoid being off-center where holding happens.  He seldom gets pushed back and is able to keep that pocket from ever collapsing from the middle.  I really think this is his proper home and one where he can get into that 1st round even if someone wants to invest that highly.

What I did not like:  He was just out of place at left tackle - despite being an All-American and All conference at that position.  He had no chance against Vic Beasley in his meeting against Clemson (see below) and was just obliterated in space.  He can't get to the edge in time to cut off the speed rushers.  Could he do it most of the time?  Yes.  But, in the NFL, one failure a game is often too much, so let's move him inside where he won't be attacked and exposed in space anymore.  I think this was a great idea from Florida State - even though the narrative was that they had to do it due to injury - to get Erving inside where he was going to be matched up against giant DT-types, not the quick edge rushers like Beasley.  Perfect fit.  He also needs to get squared on his pulling opportunities, because Miami's Denzel Perryman knocked him silly from the side in the Miami game.

Summary:  Overall, in Erving, you have a versatile player who might be able to play anywhere on your offensive line in spurts, but I highly recommend you keep him at center because that one move turned his situation into a near lost cause into one of the more interesting and desirable OL prospects in this draft.  He just needed to find a spot where he is exceptional, and on the inside - center or either guard - he can dominate and really turn into an anchor that you set your line around.  I am not suggesting there are no rough edges at all anymore, but he sure looked the part once they moved him in those final 6 games or so on the inside protecting that pocket from the front.  Teams started to avoid the middle blitzes, and Dallas fans will tell you that everything on the offense started turning around when they got a top-class center in the middle to patrol any sort of challenges opponents would want to present.  Erving can be that guy for someone.

You can view plenty of his tape here at Draftbreakdown.com.

And, if you don't mind, please check out the Bob and Dan (BaD) Radio show in Dallas-Fort Worth, from 12p-3p, Monday-Friday, on Sportsradio 1310 and 96.7fm, The Ticket.  www.theticket.com 

2015 NFL Draft #33 - Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon

I have never been a scout or a NFL General Manager, but I am willing to watch a ton of football. By watching about 200 snaps of each prospect, we can really get a feel for a player and then know what we are talking about a bit better. It is no exact science, but the NFL hasn't quite figured out drafting either, so we are going to do the best we can.

Find all the profiles here.

Click here to see an interactive of how Ekpre-Olomu compares with the top CBs of the draft.

In this Oct. 12, 2013, file photo, Oregon's Ifo Ekpre-Olomu defends against Washington in the second half of an NCAA college football game in Seattle.

Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon - 5'9, 192 - Senior 

There is no question every draft season we have some special cases that require us to squint our eyes and venture even further into the realm of the unknown.  What do we do about those very talented college players who were last seen on a football field holding their knee and being carted off to go get ACL surgery?  Between Todd Gurley, Cedric Ogbugei, and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, we have 3 players who have all been seen in Top 20 rankings in the last 12 months.  But, now, with the current state of their health - and even more importantly, their durability - in question, we don't know how far any of these players will fall down the charts.  In the case of Gurley, it appears he will still be in Round 1.  With Ogbugei and Ekpre-Olomu, teams have a chance to roll the dice and draft a player who would be Round 1 value more likely a ways down the board.  That represents the risk/reward quandary that often pays off big.

When examining this small, physical corner's resume, I did depart from my normal routine, as I grabbed one game that was not from 2014.  I wanted to get a strong feel for how he matched up with Brandin Cooks (New Orleans Saints 1st Rounder, 2014) who was with Oregon State in 2013.  Additionally, we watched Washington, Stanford, and Michigan State from this year.

What I liked: As previously noted, I am a fan of the physical corner.  I want a guy who is going to tackle with conviction and power, and battle with emotion for every inch and yard on the field.  Ekpre-Olomu is that guy.  He loves to hit.  He loves to run up and tackle.  He had over 200 tackles at Oregon in 3 seasons.  He is not afraid of your running back turning the corner as he protects the flank.  For me, I think Antoine Winfield as a similar corner, and that should get most people excited.   I also love a corner who is ready to attack the receiver at the top of his route and at the sticks.  Again, Ekpre-Olomu is my guy for that as well.  He looks to be the prototypical slot corner who is ready to bang and ready to fight against the underneath routes.  Additionally, he is smooth in space and can find the ball and then bring it in on the routes up top.  He has very fluid hips and while his 40 time is not elite, it is right at 4.5 which is plenty strong.  Of course, that 40-time is far more unofficial, given his ACL situation.

What I did not like:   There are some issues here that need to be taken seriously.  First, he is 5'9 and there are several teams in the league that just won't draft a short corner with a premium pick anymore.  They want their corners to be 6'0 or taller and he will not be that team's cup of tea.  Also, in my work, I saw him play one game dragging his right arm, another game on a sprained ankle, and now an ACL to his knee.  It is very possible we can correlate an undersized corner playing so physically with one who has a body that can not support that style.  I think that might be harsh, but as many wise men have said, "ability minus durability equals nothing".  Beyond that, he does get over-aggressive at times and over-runs tackles or plays and occasionally gets bullied by stronger guys across from him.  He also played a ton of zone, so again, let's make sure we know what our team philosophy is before drafting a corner who does not fit the scheme (again).

Summary:  Despite my reluctance about a few issues, I really like this player and would be torn about him at a certain point of the 2nd round as being "too talented to ignore".  Combine the 1st round skill-set with the idea that you can never, ever have too many corners and the idea that the Cowboys corner situation is hardly set in stone, and you arrive at the reasonable conclusion that this is something to consider hard if he falls down to you at #60.  That said, given the tape of him out there - including a very impressive showing against Cooks in 2013 - there is a chance he doesn't get close to that pick.  But, you never know since it is more than likely he will not run a 40-time before draft day, given his December ACL.  This is a very talented player who possesses the type of mentality you have to have to play corner in the NFL.  Somebody is going to get a real value on draft day.

You can view plenty of his tape here at Draftbreakdown.com.

2015 NFL Draft #28 - Duke Johnson, RB, Miami

I have never been a scout or a NFL General Manager, but I am willing to watch a ton of football. By watching about 200 snaps of each prospect, we can really get a feel for a player and then know what we are talking about a bit better. It is no exact science, but the NFL hasn't quite figured out drafting either, so we are going to do the best we can.

Find all the profiles here.

Click here to see an interactive of how Johnson compares with the top RBs of the draft.

Duke Johnson #8 of the Miami Hurricanes avoids a tackle by Jonathan Walton #28 of the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first quarter of the Duck Commander Independence Bowl at Independence Stadium on December 27, 2014 in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Duke Johnson, RB, Miami (Fla) - 5'9, 207 - Junior

As we continue to roll through the high number of impressive running back prospects that make the 2015 unique in that regard, we arrive at the first of three (also, Ameer Abdullah and Mike Davis) who are under 5'10 and therefore are looked with the awkward eye that questions durability and the ability to be more than a change-up back.  All 3 are built well, with weight over 205, but when looking at the size and build of each of these players, durability and disposition are going to go heavily into how we see them fit in today's NFL molds.  Never mind that Barry Sanders and Emmitt Smith were both under 5'10 and above 200, the league now asks these questions as most of the fulltime backs are at or around 6'0.  To examine the accomplished Miami Hurricane RB who is the all-time leading rusher of that famous school, we looked at his games against Nebraska, Virginia Tech, and Florida State.

What I liked:  For me, having watched Johnson quite a bit this year, the first thing I like is his competitiveness and his reckless abandon when he hits the hole up inside.  He seems pretty fearless and not bothered at all about being the smallest guy in most scenarios, because he seems to do a lot of his best work between the hash marks and most of his runs between the tackles.  He is a really solid runner in the zone stretches where he must plant his foot and head upfield with decisiveness and explosion.  He has both.  He is a smaller player who runs even smaller in terms of staying low and making yourself a tough target to hit.  He also is delivering the hits and stiff-arms and fighting to not go to the ground.  As a receiver, he just might be the best in the group as not only is a good screen/safety valve RB, but he is actually dangerous with arrow and wheel routes as a primary receiver.  They throw a lot at him and he catches very well and then hits the nitro.  On the 2nd level, there is so much to like as he gets in space and is hard to track down.

What I did not like:  He is not much of a pass protector, but even in that scenario, he doesn't get rushed much because his defender is backed off and concerned about losing Johnson in the flat.  He isn't the best in two important categories for a RB - short yardage and the 4-minute drill situations where the defense is sitting on the run, it seems like he might not quite be to the level of the other backs we have examined.  I would call him average in both of those.  Also, when you get him to turn his shoulders and go wide, he does lose some of his steam and punishment.  I need him with his shoulders square going north and south where he is at his best.  He has a few nagging injuries that have some wondering about long-term durability as well as a concussion/migraine headache issue or two on his sheet that will get a thorough examination from a prospective employer.

Summary:  There is a lot to like here with Duke Johnson, but it is understandable that he might be on that tier below the top with regards to some of the items listed above.  That said, as a zone runner with fantastic receiving skills and an attitude that you just have to love, he might be the type of guy who people wonder in 4 years why we were picking him apart when we should have been merely focusing on what makes him special.  If you were to focus on his strengths, you could really fall in love with what he brings to the table in so many regards.  But, if you want him to be your #1 RB, you might want to make sure your stable behind him is ready to pick up some of the workload just in case.

You can view plenty of his tape here at Draftbreakdown.com.

2015 NFL Draft #22 - Nate Orchard, DE, Utah

I have never been a scout or a NFL General Manager, but I am willing to watch a ton of football. By watching about 200 snaps of each prospect, we can really get a feel for a player and then know what we are talking about a bit better. It is no exact science, but the NFL hasn't quite figured out drafting either, so we are going to do the best we can.

Find all the profiles here.

Click here to see an interactive of how Orchard compares with the top DEs of the draft.

Nate Orchard, DE, Utah - 6'4, 251 - Senior

Utah's Nate Orchard walks off the field after practicing with his team Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2014, in Las Vegas. Utah is scheduled to play Colorado State in the Las Vegas Bowl NCAA college football game Saturday. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Here is one of the more interesting players that we will look at this spring as we prepare for the draft.  He certainly was not on any of my watch lists from last summer as to who might emerge as serious contenders for Rounds 1 and 2 in the 2015 draft, but Nate Orchard has made everyone take notice of a season where he personally amassed 18.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss for an insane 39.5 explosive plays in one year.  That number is an entire college career for most of the prospects we will examine who rush the passer.  During the spring time we will measure these guys and time them to see who has the raw, physical tools to make them a premier player in the NFL.  But, we must remember that no less than 75% (for me, closer to 90%) of their overall grade must be the performances they had as college football players - not running 40 yards in February.  For Orchard, I looked at a lot, but mostly UCLA, Stanford, and Oregon State from this past season.

What I liked:  This guy is like the Jason Garrett dream.  He is a guy who plays hard and seldom is seen taking plays off.  He competes at a very high level when the ball is snapped.  He is a team captain, married, with a daughter, and settled down already.  He shows a fantastic jump off the snap and an array of moves that center mostly around playing until the whistle as hard as he can.  He has an array of moves for sure and put on a clinic (video below) against 1st round target LT Andrus Peat from Stanford, with balance and often a refusal to be blocked for long.  At the Senior Bowl he started a run play from the opposite hash and pushed the carrier out of bounds on the opposite sideline.  He plays RDE and LDE and occasionally stands up in the MLB spot on 3rd Downs.  He can bend his body at that precise angle to turn the corner on left tackles that you look for which speaks to good flexibility.  He chases the ball down and gives pass protectors real issues with his motor.  I found plenty to like here.

What I did not like:  The question when you watch a lot of Utah is that their scheme is relentless as well.  They often rush 5 and 6 and are trying to cause tons of chaos with their scheme so you don't want to attribute credit to a player when the scheme is getting him statistics and opportunities because you are not going to do in Dallas what they did at Utah.  The Cowboys do not believe in blitzing so if half of his sacks are coming from those reasons, we must be careful.  He also is not stout at all against the run and may be more of a weak side DE (RDE) which is what the Cowboys drafted last year in DeMarcus Lawrence.  He can really get pushed out of the way on the runs right at him and it appears he could spend a little more time in the weight room from a strength and definition standpoint.

Summary:  If I have a flaw in my evaluations, it is that I am always a sucker for a high motor.  Scouts are not looking for high motors in the 1st round, they are looking for freakish attributes first and foremost.  For that reason, he might get downgraded at the combine because I don't know if he will score extraordinarily well on those tests.  But, from a character and accomplishment standpoint, I really like the player quite a bit.  The stats are inflated from the scheme and the Cowboys will have to ask themselves if he could get all home if they are always only rushing 4.  I think his battle level is such that he fits at the right price and I would love to add him to the arsenal and hope that with 5-10 more pounds of weight training on his frame, he might even be able to be a bookend for Lawrence for years to come.  I really like him as a prospect at the right place in the draft which might now have to come late in the 1st round.

You can view plenty of his tape here at Draftbreakdown.com.

2015 NFL Draft #8 - Danny Shelton, DT, Washington

I have never been a scout or a NFL General Manager, but I am willing to watch a ton of football. By watching about 200 snaps of each prospect, we can really get a feel for a player and then know what we are talking about a bit better. It is no exact science, but the NFL hasn't quite figured out drafting either, so we are going to do the best we can.

Click here to see an interactive of how Shelton compares with the top DTs of the draft.

Danny Shelton, DT, Washington - 6'2, 343 - Age 22

Washington defensive lineman Danny Shelton cools down while warming up before facing Colorado in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game in Boulder, Colo., Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Every couple years, one of those rare birds comes along that we all wonder about.  They are massive, massive humans who still retain quickness and flexibility.  Some, with the proper motors, can weigh nearly 350 pounds and make their share of plays - but, more importantly, they prevent countless others because opponents stop trying to test them up the middle.  They are earth movers, best set in "30" fronts, as the NT in a 3-4.  The best are very established stars in the NFL, Wilfork, Ngata, and Poe.  If you can find one, he is always drafted quickly because unlike WR, CB, or LB, there are not 5 others like him.  In this draft, there is nobody like Danny Shelton from Washington, and that is why he is sure to go in Round 1 at the draft.

The question then, for interested teams, is whether he is one of those chosen ones listed above - along with Casey Hampton, Shaun Rogers, and at times, BJ Raji.  Or, is he more of a Alameda Ta'Amu type, a similar man of great size 6'3, 350, from Washington, that we debated just a few short years ago.  Not every large man of Polynesian descent is Haloti Ngata.  And that is why we are carefully looking at Shelton to decide if he is worthy of the hype. What makes it somewhat difficult is that Shelton is joined on that Washington defense with 3 other defenders who might all be Top 50 players as well.  He was on a loaded defense, to say the least.  We examined the Stanford, California, and Hawaii games to get a feel for his work and of course, watched the Senior Bowl week where he was the talk of the town.

What I liked:  Well, there is so much to really like about Shelton.  He is very athletic for a man of his size.  He also appears to play very hard and generally seems to be in the right condition, although he would "gas out" occasionally.  He is an absolute strength mismatch up the middle against any guard or center he faces, and therefore demands double teams at all times or he is laying on top of your Quarterback.  He also holds up run plays by 1-arming a guard or center and pushes him to the side to make the play with real strong leverage techniques.  He is not going to get out-wrestled at the point of attack and that is why it was interesting to see a team like Stanford (who runs right at everyone) to pretty much shelf their interior runs against Washington.  He splits through gaps and double teams with impressive agility and occasionally reaches from a pile to grab the ball carrier and not let go.  He is a force to be sure.  He also is ending each play in the frame, which is rare amongst men of that size.  That means when the play goes away from him, he is rallying to the ball which is a prerequisite on this defense.

What I did not like:  More than anything, I think we are getting a little carried away with how good he was.  He had 9 sacks this season, for instance, but 6 were in the first 2 weeks against overmatched Hawaii and Eastern Washington.  The rest of the year, he had a more reasonable pace, but this business that he was leading the nation in sacks halfway through the season gives the impression that he will be double-digit sack guy from the interior, and that is not reasonable.  More than anything as we speak from a Dallas point of view, he just doesn't seem to be a scheme fit.  That doesn't mean he can't play in a 4-3, because he can and he would be very good.  But, the value a 4-3 team puts on a guy like this would be well below what a 3-4 team would.  That is why the 3-4 teams are willing to give him a Top 15 pick and run, give that they know the team behind him will do it if they won't.

Summary:  Excellent prospect for sure and as we said at the top, there are just not any others like him.  Either you get Danny Shelton to play nose tackle or you don't.  You don't have a Plan B at this spot, which means that it then becomes a candidate for over drafting just because of his positional rarity.  Odds are low that he has a career like Ngata, but the idea that he could is too much to resist on draft day.  He carries his weight well and looks like a freak of nature when he is on his game, but I don't see how Dallas would value him nearly as highly as a 3-4 team would.  For those teams, this guy might be worth a trade up.

You can view plenty of his tape here at Draftbreakdown.com.