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We contacted the Notre Dame SB Nation franchise, One Foot Down, and got their take on the Cowboys' first round pick.
We are all hoping for great things from Zack Martin, the Dallas Cowboys' first round selection. I contacted Eric Murtaugh and Jim Misele of the SBN Notre Dame site, One Foot Down. They were kind enough to answer a few questions about Martin for us.
1. Dallas was believed to have Zack Martin as one of a handful of targets for pick 16, and that turned out to be correct. Where were you expecting him to go? Based on a review of pre-draft projections, do you think the Cowboys got a bit of a bargain?
It appeared like 3 spots were going to be one of Martin's landing spots: Giants at 12, Cowboys at 16, or Dolphins at 19. It's still pretty crazy to think that he was being talked about as a top 10 pick by some folks--because that would have been an insanely meteoric rise for him since the end of the season--but those spots outside the top 10 felt right. Since he fell right in the middle I don't know if I'd quite call him a bargain. I really feel like you're getting exactly what kind of value you'd expect in the middle of the 1st round.
2. The Cowboys are planning on moving Zack inside, probably to ROG. What do you think about that move?
It was probably inevitable given his lack of length. I still believe he can make a good living as a tackle on the right side especially, but in this day and age it's understandable that a NFL team would want someone on the edge with more height and longer arms. Either way, Martin will be really successful.
3. I believe I heard he is the first ND player to play in 52 games during his college career. Is that correct? (Durability is good!)
Yes, he was so steady in that regard that we might have taken it for granted. We're at the point now where Brian Kelly is entering his 5th season as the head coach at Notre Dame and it's starting to feel like he's been here quite a while. Martin was a rock at left tackle for the entire previous 4 years. Every single game. You never had to worry about him. It's quite remarkable.
4. Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett is big on character. Talk a bit about the kind of person on and off field that he is.
Martin is definitely a quiet leader. There's no doubt about that. I don't foresee him being a big force in the Cowboys locker room in terms of getting in teammates' faces and all that. He's very much a down to earth and quiet guy who goes about his business in a professional manner. His teammates have always been quick to point out how he was the hardest worker on the team. Maybe more importantly, he has been instrumental in helping to develop the younger linemen on the team. There have been plenty of instances in practice where's teaching and correcting a player like he was a coach. You're just getting a really good guy on your team.
5. One important consideration for playing on the Cowboys' offensive line: How well does he rock a beard?
The first thing that comes to mind with his beard is Amish. He likes to rock it in that style. Will that fit in with the Cowboys offensive line?
They also sent along a couple of links for you to enjoy! You can go to them here and here. The first is an isolated look at his pass blocking, and the second looks at him in the run game. Lots of good pictures and diagrams for you.
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