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SAN ANTONIO – If the Dallas Cowboys want to find a pass rusher in the draft to replace DeMarcus Ware, they don’t necessarily need to target one in the first round, a noted draft analyst said Thursday.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. pointed out in a conference call that several stellar edge rushers in the past decade have been selected in later rounds.
“People say you got to get pass rushers early. No, you don’t,” Kiper said. “You can find pass rushers. They tend to drop a lot further than they should. If you scout well, you can find those guys even on Day 3 of the draft.”
Kiper cited the following edge rushers as examples: Carolina’s Greg Hardy, a 2013 Pro Bowl end selected in the sixth round in 2010; free agent end Jared Allen, a five-time Pro Bowler taken in the fourth round in 2004; and Indianapolis outside linebacker Robert Mathis, a five-time Pro Bowler grabbed in the fifth round in 2003.
The Cowboys cut Ware, the club’s franchise sacks leader, in a salary cap move Tuesday and then watched the seven-time Pro Bowler sign with Denver less than 24 hours later.
Kiper’s latest mock draft has Dallas selecting Florida State defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan in the first round. He previously had the Cowboys selecting Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.
But Kiper said Dallas should consider drafting UCLA outside linebacker Anthony Barr should he still be available when they are on the clock. Barr played in a 3-4 alignment in college, but Kiper believes the 6-foot-5, 255-pound California native could make the transition to playing end in the Cowboys’ 4-3 Tampa 2 scheme.
“This kid has a lot of natural ability,” Kiper said of Barr, who blazed the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds at the Bruins’ pro day. “He’s going to get better and better. He’s deserving of going (as high as No. 10 to Detroit or No. 11 to Tennessee).”
If Barr is gone and the Cowboys take Jernigan, they could find Oregon State’s Scott Crichton, Arkansas’s Chris Smith, Louisville’s Marcus Smith, Boise State’s Demarcus Lawrence or West Texas A&M’s Ethan Westbrooks in later rounds, Kiper said.
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ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. pointed out in a conference call that several stellar edge rushers in the past decade have been selected in later rounds.
“People say you got to get pass rushers early. No, you don’t,” Kiper said. “You can find pass rushers. They tend to drop a lot further than they should. If you scout well, you can find those guys even on Day 3 of the draft.”
Kiper cited the following edge rushers as examples: Carolina’s Greg Hardy, a 2013 Pro Bowl end selected in the sixth round in 2010; free agent end Jared Allen, a five-time Pro Bowler taken in the fourth round in 2004; and Indianapolis outside linebacker Robert Mathis, a five-time Pro Bowler grabbed in the fifth round in 2003.
The Cowboys cut Ware, the club’s franchise sacks leader, in a salary cap move Tuesday and then watched the seven-time Pro Bowler sign with Denver less than 24 hours later.
Kiper’s latest mock draft has Dallas selecting Florida State defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan in the first round. He previously had the Cowboys selecting Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.
But Kiper said Dallas should consider drafting UCLA outside linebacker Anthony Barr should he still be available when they are on the clock. Barr played in a 3-4 alignment in college, but Kiper believes the 6-foot-5, 255-pound California native could make the transition to playing end in the Cowboys’ 4-3 Tampa 2 scheme.
“This kid has a lot of natural ability,” Kiper said of Barr, who blazed the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds at the Bruins’ pro day. “He’s going to get better and better. He’s deserving of going (as high as No. 10 to Detroit or No. 11 to Tennessee).”
If Barr is gone and the Cowboys take Jernigan, they could find Oregon State’s Scott Crichton, Arkansas’s Chris Smith, Louisville’s Marcus Smith, Boise State’s Demarcus Lawrence or West Texas A&M’s Ethan Westbrooks in later rounds, Kiper said.
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