CFZ Recent Focus on Defensive Tackle position

[Jumbo075]

Since last summer, the Cowboys have used 3 draft picks to add 3 defensive tackles to the team.

1. The Cowboys traded a 2023 6th round pick for former NY Giants 2nd round pick DT Johnathan Hankins, plus a 2024 7th round pick.
2. The Cowboys drafted DT Mazi Smith in the 1st round of the 2023 draft
3. The Cowboys drafted DL Viliami Fehoko in the 4th round of the 2023 draft

Last year, the Cowboys spent a 5th round pick on DT John Ridgeway.

Go back a couple of seasons, and the Cowboys spent 3 more draft picks on defensive tackles in 2021.

1. The Cowboys drafted DT Osa Odighizuwa in the 3rd round of the 2021 draft
2. The Cowboys drafted DL Chauncey Golston in the 3rd round of the 2021 draft
3. The Cowboys drafted DT Quinton Bohana in the 6th round of the 2021 draft.

In 2020, the Cowboys also spent a 3rd round pick on DT Neville Gallimore.

Since Mike McCarthy took over as Head Coach, the Cowboys have spent 8 draft picks acquiring defensive tackles. Not a single Defensive tackle remains on the team from before McCarthy came to Dallas. Seven of those draft picks have been spent on DT since Dan Quinn became the Defensive Coordinator.

It seems as if the Cowboys are finally taking the Defensive Tackle position seriously...at long last.

Here are the draft resources spent on the Defensive Tackle position since McCarthy took over:

1st round - Mazi Smith
3rd round - Neville Gallimore, Osa Odighizuwa, Chauncey Golston
4th round - Viliami Fehoko
5th round - John Ridgeway
6th round - Quinton Bohana, Johnathan Hankins

 

[glimmerman]

Yeah but was about 5 years too late. The Mazi type should have been gotten when Linehan was still here but he wanted an undersized person that was unusually strong and fast. The last time we had one we abused him and he screwed us. Get the player sized for the position. Imagine if we had a donald type player years ago. They wanted it but don’t want to pay for it. Looking for ways to save 10-15 million a year for a position of need. You need that clog. Just like we needed safety since Roy Williams left. Easier to try to find a big corner than a big DE that can play DT.

 

[Jumbo075]

McCarthy and especially Quinn have changed the conversation. This is evidence that the Jones family listens to their coaches. For whatever reason, Garrett didn't want defensive tackles. Before Garrett, Parcells understood the need for good defensive tackles. But Garrett didn't want them.

Under McCarthy and Quinn, the Cowboys have spent 21% of their draft capital on a position that is only 9% of the roster. Ridgeway is already gone, and it is unlikely the Cowboys will be able to keep more than 5 DT's on the roster this year. So, I expect Gallimore and Bohanna to be casualties.

This is real evidence that coaching matters, especially if you draft what the coaches want.

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

This isn't all that different than the previous regime, and it's pretty generous to count Golston and Fehoko, since they were both DEs in college and haven't done anything in the NFL. But from the 4 years previous:

2nd round - Trysten Hill
3rd round - Maliek Collins
6th round - Michael Bennett
7th round - Joey Ivy, Jordan Carroll
They also signed: Datone Jones, Stephen Paea, David Irving, Brian Price, Antwaun Woods, Christian Covington, Terrell McClain, Cedric Thornton

There's no more significant investment at DT now than previously.

 

[Big_D]

This isn't all that different than the previous regime, and it's pretty generous to count Golston and Fehoko, since they were both DEs in college and haven't done anything in the NFL. But from the 4 years previous:

2nd round - Trysten Hill
3rd round - Maliek Collins
6th round - Michael Bennett
7th round - Joey Ivy, Jordan Carroll
They also signed: Datone Jones, Stephen Paea, David Irving, Brian Price, Antwaun Woods, Christian Covington, Terrell McClain, Cedric Thornton

There's no more significant investment at DT now than previously.

Trysten Hill was a desperation pick after getting demolished in the playoffs. The DT position under Garrett and Marinelli was a joke. There's a huge difference between being proactive and reactive. It was nothing but late round picks and low end FAs with the exception of Collins before they took Hill. There's not only a significant difference in addressing the position, but also evaluating it. That goes for the rest of the defense as well.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Trysten Hill was a desperation pick after getting demolished in the playoffs. The DT position under Garrett and Marinelli was a joke. There's a huge difference between being proactive and reactive. It was nothing but late round picks and low end FAs with the exception of Collins before they took Hill. There's not only a significant difference in addressing the position, but also evaluating it. That goes for the rest of the defense as well.

Hill was a Marinelli pick. He liked how Hill responded to his coaching. That essentially how he evaluated players. Nick Hayden is exhibit A.

He was a terrible talent evaluator.

 

[Big_D]

Hill was a Marinelli pick. He liked how Hill responded to his coaching. That essentially how he evaluated players. Nick Hayden is exhibit A.

He was a terrible talent evaluator.

He was terrible. Him and Garrett was just a bad situation. And if they didn't get completely embarrassed by the Rams, they wouldn't have drafted a DT.

 

[Havic]

You can see how the Eagles have had huge success in our division investing in the trenches.

 

[kskboys]

This isn't all that different than the previous regime, and it's pretty generous to count Golston and Fehoko, since they were both DEs in college and haven't done anything in the NFL. But from the 4 years previous:

2nd round - Trysten Hill
3rd round - Maliek Collins
6th round - Michael Bennett
7th round - Joey Ivy, Jordan Carroll
They also signed: Datone Jones, Stephen Paea, David Irving, Brian Price, Antwaun Woods, Christian Covington, Terrell McClain, Cedric Thornton

There's no more significant investment at DT now than previously.

No, not all that different, just polar opposite!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ghst187]

Guessing Gallimore and Bohanna get cut this summer.
Gholston may be on the hot seat next summer depending on Armstrong.

 

[Havic]

Guessing Gallimore and Bohanna get cut this summer.
Gholston may be on the hot seat next summer depending on Armstrong.

I think Armstrong is gone after this year with a nice FA contract.

 

[ghst187]

I think Armstrong is gone after this year with a nice FA contract.

Probably. He’s been a nice rotational guy for us but pretty replaceable

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Gholston really came on in the second half and outplayed Gallimore and started taking his snaps. He had 12 tackles and a sack against Washington for example.

Odighizuwa, Gholston and Fehoko are 5-3 types while Hankins, Smith, and Gallimore are 1-3 types.

 

[Teague31]

Rod really did us dirty.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Probably. He’s been a nice rotational guy for us but pretty replaceable

Armstrong is pretty good upfield pressure player but his anchor on the edge leaves more than a little something to desire.

 

[gimmesix]

Since last summer, the Cowboys have used 3 draft picks to add 3 defensive tackles to the team.

1. The Cowboys traded a 2023 6th round pick for former NY Giants 2nd round pick DT Johnathan Hankins, plus a 2024 7th round pick.
2. The Cowboys drafted DT Mazi Smith in the 1st round of the 2023 draft
3. The Cowboys drafted DL Viliami Fehoko in the 4th round of the 2023 draft

Last year, the Cowboys spent a 5th round pick on DT John Ridgeway.

Go back a couple of seasons, and the Cowboys spent 3 more draft picks on defensive tackles in 2021.

1. The Cowboys drafted DT Osa Odighizuwa in the 3rd round of the 2021 draft
2. The Cowboys drafted DL Chauncey Golston in the 3rd round of the 2021 draft
3. The Cowboys drafted DT Quinton Bohana in the 6th round of the 2021 draft.

In 2020, the Cowboys also spent a 3rd round pick on DT Neville Gallimore.

Since Mike McCarthy took over as Head Coach, the Cowboys have spent 8 draft picks acquiring defensive tackles. Not a single Defensive tackle remains on the team from before McCarthy came to Dallas. Seven of those draft picks have been spent on DT since Dan Quinn became the Defensive Coordinator.

It seems as if the Cowboys are finally taking the Defensive Tackle position seriously...at long last.

Here are the draft resources spent on the Defensive Tackle position since McCarthy took over:

1st round - Mazi Smith
3rd round - Neville Gallimore, Osa Odighizuwa, Chauncey Golston
4th round - Viliami Fehoko
5th round - John Ridgeway
6th round - Quinton Bohana, Johnathan Hankins

Gallimore, Bohana and Ridgeway haven't outplayed their pick, so we got a little more serious about trying to fix the DT spots (particularly 1-tech). Mazi is a reaction to the Bohana and Ridgeway failures. Fehoko is a reaction to the Gallimore failure. You have to keep shooting when the bullets miss.

Jury is still out on Odighizuwa and Golston.

 

[Teague31]

Gallimore, Bohana and Ridgeway haven't outplayed their pick, so we got a little more serious about trying to fix the DT spots (particularly 1-tech). Mazi is a reaction to the Bohana and Ridgeway failures. Fehoko is a reaction to the Gallimore failure. You have to keep shooting when the bullets miss.

Jury is still out on Odighizuwa and Golston.

Disagree on OO. Dude can play.

 

[gimmesix]

Disagree on OO. Dude can play.

He had four sacks last year at the 3-tech spot, which is supposed to be a high-pressure spot. He needs to do more. Now, if you mean he can play better than our other 3-tech options, you are correct. We still don't have that stud there that offenses have to devote resources to stop, creating mismatches for other players. Right now, he capitalizes on the mismatches created by offenses focusing on Parsons and, to a lesser extent, Lawrence.

 

[nalam]

Yeah but was about 5 years too late. The Mazi type should have been gotten when Linehan was still here but he wanted an undersized person that was unusually strong and fast. The last time we had one we abused him and he screwed us. Get the player sized for the position. Imagine if we had a donald type player years ago. They wanted it but don’t want to pay for it. Looking for ways to save 10-15 million a year for a position of need. You need that clog. Just like we needed safety since Roy Williams left. Easier to try to find a big corner than a big DE that can play DT.

That was on that stupis Marinelli and JG

 

[plasticman]

Names like Carlos Watkins, Nick Hayden, Antwaun Woods and Terrell McClain are listed as starters for an entire season over the past seven years. The fact that three 3rd round draft picks (Maliek, Osa, and Neville) were starters for the majority of their rookie seasons within the past seven seasons also demonstrates the lack of attention placed on these positions.

The defensive line of the 90's Cowboys was dominated by two DT's (Maryland, Casilles) that were drafted #1 and #2 overall.

The Doomsday II defense's DT's (Randy White, John Dutton) were drafted #2 and #5 overall.

Nine of the top ten DT's in NFL history with the most Pro Bowls were 1st round draft picks. Five of them were top 4 overall.

I'm not suggesting that the Cowboys make a deliberate effort to jump to the top of the 1st round to get a DT. I'm just saying that drafting Mazi is a step in the right direction and they shouldn't rule out doing it again very soon.

It's true that you can find some gems in the later rounds like Cole, Pugh, Lett, and Ratliff. However, they are the only four out of sixteen DT's drafted in rounds 4-7 that started a significant number of games.