The Dallas Cowboys have done a good bit of work to improve their interior defensive line, signing Dontari Poe and Gerald McCoy to shore up inefficiencies up front.

But there is still more work to be done.

Given their age and contracts, neither Poe nor McCoy is a long-term solution inside, so Dallas could still be in the hunt for some defensive tackle help in the NFL draft.

Luckily for the Cowboys, this draft class is filled with talented 1- and 3-technique defensive tackles who can provide depth before developing into quality, starting options. With that in mind, let’s look at five defensive tackle prospects who would be great fits on the Cowboys’ defense.

This is not a ranking, but rather, a list of players who would fit well.

Derrick Brown, NT, Auburn

Listed at 6-5, 326 pounds with 34 1/4-inch arms, Derrick Brown is a big, mean, run-stuffing machine who would fit like a glove at the nose tackle position.

Love this from Derrick Brown. 6-foot-5 and 324 pounds, but look how low he gets to win the leverage battle, hold the point against the double and help close down the running lanes.



This is beautiful. pic.twitter.com/XJVItZaMGO — John Owning (@JohnOwning) March 7, 2020

Brown’s heavy hands bludgeon blockers at the point of contact, enabling him to reset the line of scrimmage and stack blocks against the run. He makes great use of his outstanding length to press and separate off of blocks, which makes it easier for him to shed and escape blocks to pursue the ball carrier. He also has outstanding lower-body strength that makes him a near immovable object along the line of scrimmage, even against double-teams.

Despite facing a constant stream of double-teams, Brown’s overwhelming power enabled him to record two straight seasons with double-digit tackles for loss, illustrating just how disruptive he can be.

Auburn DT Derrick Brown is just comically strong. Completes power through the anchor of the RG here. pic.twitter.com/zprDmu8LLD — John Owning (@JohnOwning) March 7, 2020

Brown isn’t quite as impressive as a pass rusher, which -- in combination with poor athletic testing at the scouting combine -- is why there’s a sliver of a chance he’s available for the Cowboys at pick No. 17. Still, Brown isn’t completely inept in that department, displaying the power to consistently push the pocket on top of an expanding repertoire of pass-rush moves, including a chop-spin, snatch-arm over and swipe-rip.

Drafting Brown would be a huge boon for Cowboys, effectively solving one of their biggest weaknesses from last year for the next half-decade.

Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina

Brown is the best interior defender in this draft, but South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw isn’t far behind.

Listed at 6-5, 324 pounds with 34 7/8-inch arms, Kinlaw has nose tackle size to go with a defensive tackle skill set. The first thing that stands out when watching Kinlaw is that although he didn’t accrue great production at South Carolina (no seasons with 10-plus tackles for loss), he did cause a ton of disruption against offenses.

Impressive sequencing of the hands by Javon Kinlaw to get pressure versus Kentucky. pic.twitter.com/k2KTkDkPz8 — John Owning (@JohnOwning) March 7, 2020

Kinlaw is extremely explosive with incredibly powerful hands that enable him to completely overwhelm offensive linemen at the point of contact. Along with their power, his hands are very active and he often sequences between multiple moves to beat offensive linemen (above clip).

Kinlaw stacks 300-pound linemen along the line of scrimmage like they’re Lego pieces, using his power to create knock-back on contact and his length to create separation for him to escape blocks. This ability sets him up well to have success between the B-gaps in the NFL.

And this is what happens when you don't corkscrew and your base narrows vs a double. pic.twitter.com/8GHVJvsjvm — John Owning (@JohnOwning) March 7, 2020

Kinlaw has all the traits you want in a defensive tackle: size, power, burst and elevated hand technique. Unfortunately, inconsistent and inefficient footwork often limited his production in college and will need to be cleaned up. He struggles with consistency against double-teams, which is a big reason why he’d be a better 3-technique than 1-technique defensive tackle. Cowboys defensive line coach Jim Tomsula is exactly the kind of coach teams should want to pair with Kinlaw, as Tomsula has a proven track record of improving defensive linemen’s footwork, leverage and pad level.

Kinlaw also has some injury questions -- a pesky knee injury bothered him throughout the 2019 season and ended his Senior Bowl week early.

Nonetheless, there’s no question that although Brown may be rated higher, Kinlaw is the interior defender with the most potential in this class.

Justin Madubuike, DT, Texas A&M

While Brown and Kinlaw are massive defensive tackles with prototypical size for the position, Texas A&M’s Justin Madubuike is an undersized tackle with the play style of someone much larger.

Listed at 6-3, 293 pounds, Madubuike is an impressive athlete who will need to add some lower-body girth to consistently hold the point against double-teams in the NFL. He has outstanding upper-body strength, which allows him to stack and shed blocks with frequency along the line of scrimmage.

So good.



Good initial footwork enables Madubuike to maintain alignment leverage/press 76 into the backfield, influencing 23 to cut upfield. Madubuike knows that & plays the cut, which in concert with the filling LB gets 23 to bounce. Madubuike expands back outside for tackle. pic.twitter.com/o8vAcmDGXJ — John Owning (@JohnOwning) March 9, 2020

Moreover, Madubuike possesses great read-and-react footwork to maintain gap discipline and leverage against blockers post-snap. In combination with his heavy hands, he was able to consistently be a force against the run vs. single blocks.

Madubuike also possesses the necessary traits to develop into an impact pass rusher at the next level. He’s an excellent athlete with an ever-improving pass-rush repertoire. His impact as a pass rusher was stunted by the lack of talent on A&M’s defensive line, as opposing offenses made an effort to double-team Madubuike in pass-rush situations as often as possible.

A&M schemes up Madubuike a 1v1 pass rush with the center, and he takes full advantage of with a stutter-swipe-rip to win quickly and hit the QB. pic.twitter.com/x0vJa6yhrR — John Owning (@JohnOwning) March 9, 2020

But when A&M schemed up one-on-one opportunities, Madubuike was consistently successful, showing linear explosion, lateral quickness and effective hand technique to beat blocks, pierce the pocket and pressure the quarterback.

Madubuike is someone who Dallas could target late in the first round if they trade down from No. 17.

Leki Fotu, NT, Utah

By signing Poe, the Cowboys have made it apparent that they want size at the nose tackle position. Well, they don’t make them much bigger than Utah’s Leki Fotu, who stands at 6-4, 330 pounds with 34 1/4-inch arms.

Trying to study Bradlee Anae but it's so hard to not just watch Leki Fotu.



Resets the LOS vs the USC center with power and totally mucks up this run. pic.twitter.com/qYtn5CRKhU — John Owning (@JohnOwning) February 24, 2020

Don’t get it twisted, though. Fotu isn’t just a 330-pound blob who occupies space in the middle of a defense -- he has some explosive qualities for his size that can create a lot of disruption for offenses.

Fotu uses his long arms and the overwhelming power in his hands to control blockers with ease. He shows the ability to be an effective two-gapper, doing a nice job of using his hands to control blockers while his length creates the separation necessary to escape blocks and make a play on the ball carrier. Fotu’s size and power make him incredibly tough to move off his spot, especially when he’s able to identify the incoming double-team or down block. When he plays from an efficient stance, he shows impressive get-off, burst and range for his size.

Give Utah DT Leki Fotu your chest at your own risk... pic.twitter.com/Cp2AD11hhw — John Owning (@JohnOwning) March 6, 2020

As a pass rusher, Fotu has a lot of admirable traits, but they are almost completely inhibited by poor pad level and an inefficient stance. He does display the ability to bull-rush blockers in the quarterback’s lap, but that’s not done with nearly enough consistency at this point.

James Lynch, DT, Baylor

Baylor’s James Lynch made a living on the edge, but after weighing in at 289 pounds at the scouting combine, it became clear he would have to find a home inside at the next level.

Lynch was a bit of a boom-or-bust player at Baylor, generating outstanding production in his junior season (13.5 sacks, 19.5 tackles for loss) but also showing some troubling inconsistencies that inhibited his down-to-down effectiveness.

Length can be a tad overrated for interior defenders, but Lynch’s deficient length shows up on tape. It can make it difficult for him to escape blocks after being engaged. He will also play with high pad level at times, which drains his power at the point of contact.

Nevertheless, Lynch is a very good athlete for a defensive tackle, has a great motor and possesses elevated hand technique, which is why he was able to produce at such a high level in 2019. His hands are extremely active, enabling him to have a lot of pass-rush success off the edge. The hope is that Lynch can translate those abilities inside.

Lynch is also a tough defender who is unafraid to attack blocks and create havoc in opposing backfields. Due to his lack of length, he is most effective when utilizing a quick shed rather than the traditional stack-and-shed.

There have been some rumblings that Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule, who was Lynch’s coach at Baylor, could reach to select him in the third round. If that doesn’t happen, Lynch would be an ideal Day 3 target to improve the depth of Dallas’ interior defensive line. He has some considerable issues that need to be fixed, but Dallas would be smart to take a chance on his motor, hand technique and production in the fifth round.

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