Second-Day Draft Grades

A Replacing David Irving just got easier with Hill bringing his quick get-off to Dallas. McGovern could play guard or center, depending on the health of veteran pivot Travis Frederick. Look for Jerry Jones to try and find more weapons for the offense on Saturday.

Steven Ruiz, For The Win

B+ Here’s your David Irving replacement, Cowboys fans. Trystan Hill produced dominant film at UCF and he’s only getting better. He’s a strong pass rusher who lives in the backfield, and he might be a better pro than college player. Playing under one of the best defensive line coaches in NFL history, Rod Marinelli, will aid his development.

B+ Love this pick with Travis Frederick’s future in doubt. Connor McGovern can play all over the interior, which makes him an ideal depth piece for the Cowboys offensive line.

C+ The Cowboys emphasize initial quickness off the snap more than almost any team, as it’s key to their gap-penetrating scheme and the slants and stunts that define their four-man rush concepts. Hill is raw but has that good first step. Dallas only needs him to play 20 or so snaps a game, as he’ll fill the spot left by dedicated pot smoker David Irving.

B+ Last year’s supposed second-round steal Connor Williams struggled to anchor and maintain pass blocks as a rookie, and he might not have the girth to prosper in the NFL. McGovern provides some long-term insurance here. Plus, if La’el Collins is not re-signed in 2020, that could necessitate Williams moving to right tackle, opening a spot at guard.

Pete Prisco, CBS

A There were some issues off the field that led to him sitting out some games, spending time on the bench. When you pop on the tape the kid is a force. I love this pick.

B This is a good solid pick. He is a player who will be a quality starter in a few years. He opened a lot of holes for good runners at Penn State.

B+ Rod Marinelli still has some pull in the room . . . he was high on Mr. Hill from the get-go, even taking him out to eat! I thought Hill might be available in RD3 (had a Grab on him there), but if anyone can light a fire under him, Rod is the man!

B- McGovern is good quality, an interior OL who can play all 3 positions and it never hurts to draft to your team's strength.

C+ This is a slight reach, so I wonder if the Cowboys were trying to trade down, given how much time they took on the clock. Trysten Hill is a very physically gifted nose tackle, but he's very raw. I don't know if he'll be ready to contribute all that much as a rookie, so I thought he should have been chosen in the third round. Still, the upside is there, and Hill could potentially fill a huge need.

A- This pick makes a ton of sense. The Cowboys need both an insurance policy for guard Connor Williams, who was predictably awful as a rookie last year, and also for center Travis Frederick, who may not be able to play again because of his unfortunate auto-immune disease. Connor McGovern can play any position in the interior, and he's a prospect who could've been chosen a bit earlier than this.

Mike Tanier, Bleacher Report

A- Hill has tape to match the top defensive tackles in this class: an electrifying first step, a powerful punch and a relentless (though not always disciplined) style. But something clearly happened when Josh Heupel replaced Scott Frost as the Knights' coach, since Hill lost his starting job and barely played in the Fiesta Bowl. This is a strong pick. The Cowboys need a replacement for suspended/retired David Irving on the interior line. And Hill has the potential to be a special player if coaches don't feel threatened by his "opinions," something which is rarely a problem in Dallas.

C This draft class is loaded with major-program interior linemen with experience at both center and guard but adequate-at-best athleticism: McGovern, Alabama’s Ross Pierschbacher, Ohio State’s Michael Jordan, etc. The Cowboys have health and depth concerns on the interior of their once-vaunted offensive line, but McGovern, who shares his name with a Broncos guard, is a big high-effort guy with slow feet and questionable balance. He probably maxes out as a multiposition sub.

Eric Edholm, Yahoo

C+ After butting heads with the new coaching staff, Hill was a disappointment last season and was made a reserve after starting for two seasons. Ability-wise, he appears to be a nice fit in a Rod Marinelli system as a one-gap penetrator. He shoots off the snap but must fight inconsistencies and buy into the scheme to be a good fit.

B- With center-guard versatility, McGovern could project to either inside spot and give Dallas nice insurance for injured center Travis Frederick. McGovern has good athleticism and flashes some nastiness in his game but is still growing into the high-talent template he possesses. He is naturally smart, athletic and competitiveness and will be a good addition here.

- - Hill produced PFF grades of 78.7 in each of the past two seasons and played over 460 snaps in each of the past three seasons. He was as effective as a pass-rusher as he was against the run, notching 26 total pressures on 233 pass-rushing snaps in 2018.

- - McGovern is a versatile interior lineman who can play at both guard and center effectively. These last two seasons when he was lined up at right guard, McGovern recorded a 77.3 pass-block grade. When at center, his pass-block grade dropped slightly to 75.7. McGovern was PFF’s sixth-ranked interior offensive lineman and his flexibility on the line allows him to play at either guard or center in Dallas.

Charles McDonald, SB Nation

- - Dallas needed some more juice on the interior and Hill has the athletic profile of a good three technique. I really like this pick for them.

- - Dallas opted to add more beef to their offensive line with Penn State guard Connor McGovern. He’s a talented interior guy who might be able to see the field this year.

- - Talk about a classic Cowboys pick. On the clock for the first time this year, they take an explosive interior pass rusher with first-round talent but Day 2 baggage for Rod Marinelli to maximize. Remember, the Cowboys have run into trouble left and right along their D-line this offseason, when Randy Gregory was suspended, David Irving retired and Tyrone Crawford was involved in a bar fight that's being investigated by the league. Hill is a fun player to watch on tape because he just goes and goes and consistently makes plays in the backfield. The talent is translatable; will he be able to fall in line with a team where many go astray? Boom-or-bust pick, just like the Cowboys like around this spot in the draft.