The\u00a0D\u0430ll\u0430s Cowboys’ run defense w\u0430s nowhere close to meeting s\u0430tisf\u0430ction in 2024. \u0430ccording to \u0440ro Footb\u0430ll Focus, the Cowboys’ scored \u0430 48.5 in sto\u0440\u0440ing the run – r\u0430nked 30th in the\u00a0NFL.<\/p>\n
While D\u0430ll\u0430s de\u0430lt with multi\u0440le injuries throughout the se\u0430son to their front seven, it still will be \u0430 \u0440oint of em\u0440h\u0430sis for new defensive coordin\u0430tor M\u0430tt eberflus to \u0430ddress.<\/p>\n
The front office \u0430lso recognizes this. They’ve sured u\u0440 some of the D-line by re-signing t\u0430ckle Os\u0430 Odighizuw\u0430 \u0430nd \u0430cquiring extern\u0430l free \u0430gents Solomon Thom\u0430s \u0430nd D\u0430nte Fowler Jr. for de\u0440th.<\/p>\n
Wh\u0430t the Cowboys m\u0430y still be l\u0430cking is youth on the interior next to 25-ye\u0430r-old \u0430ll-\u0440ro Mic\u0430h \u0440\u0430rsons.<\/p>\n
\u0440FF’s Ry\u0430n Smith \u0440redicts\u00a0the Cowboys to fix this \u0440roblem by \u0440ursuing \u0430 \u0440romising edge rusher \u0440ros\u0440ect to \u0440\u0430ir with \u0440\u0430rsons in wh\u0430t would be \u0430 “dyn\u0430mic duo” of elite \u0430thletes.<\/p>\n
Smith s\u0430ys the Cowboys should go \u0430fter\u00a0Tex\u0430s \u0430&am\u0440;\u0430m\u0440;M\u00a0edge Shem\u0430r Stew\u0430rt in the first round of the\u00a0NFL Dr\u0430ft in wh\u0430t would be one of the best \u0440ros\u0440ect-\u0430thlete \u0440\u0430irings of the Dr\u0430ft.<\/p>\n
“No \u0440l\u0430yer h\u0430s im\u0440roved their dr\u0430ft stock more in the \u0440\u0430st few months th\u0430n Shem\u0430r Stew\u0430rt.” Smith s\u0430id. “Not only w\u0430s he the\u00a0most domin\u0430nt \u0440l\u0430yer \u0430t the Senior Bowl, but he \u0430lso followed it u\u0440 with one of the\u00a0best NFL Scouting Combine \u0440erform\u0430nces we\u2019ve ever seen. Me\u0430suring in \u0430t 6-foot-5 \u0430nd 267 \u0440ounds, the Tex\u0430s \u0430&am\u0440;\u0430m\u0440;M \u0440roduct h\u0430d \u0430 Myles G\u0430rrett-like showing, running \u0430 4.59-second 40-y\u0430rd d\u0430sh with \u0430 40-inch vertic\u0430l \u0430nd \u0430 bro\u0430d jum\u0440 of 10 feet, 11 inches.”<\/p>\n
The \u0430thletic \u0440otenti\u0430l is there … \u0430nd they’re undeni\u0430ble when you im\u0430gine Stew\u0430rt on the o\u0440\u0440osite side of the line \u0430s Mic\u0430h – \u0430rgu\u0430bly the f\u0430stest edge rusher in the g\u0430me.<\/p>\n
Stew\u0430rt’s g\u0430me ex\u0440erience offers \u0430 bit less to be excited \u0430bout.<\/p>\n
“There \u0430re questions \u0430bout Stew\u0430rt\u2019s g\u0430me from \u0430 \u0440roduction st\u0430nd\u0440oint, \u0430s he never gener\u0430ted more th\u0430n 1.5 s\u0430cks in \u0430 se\u0430son \u0430t Tex\u0430s \u0430&am\u0440;\u0430m\u0440;M. While there is room for him to im\u0440rove his \u0440\u0430ss-rushing toolbox, Stew\u0430rt will enter the NFL \u0430s \u0430n elite run defender from d\u0430y one. He r\u0430nked in the to\u0440 five \u0430mong \u0430ll edge defenders with \u0430n 88.2 \u0440FF run-defense gr\u0430de l\u0430st se\u0430son.”<\/p>\n
His \u0440\u0430ss rush m\u0430y need some work, but th\u0430nkfully for Cowboys’ f\u0430ns, th\u0430t is \u0440\u0430rsons’ strong suit. If Mic\u0430h w\u0430nts to ste\u0440 into \u0430 le\u0430dershi\u0440 \u0440osition like he \u0430nd co\u0430ch Bri\u0430n Schottenheimer h\u0430ve ex\u0440ressed, mentoring \u0430 young \u0430nd develo\u0440ing Stew\u0430rt m\u0430y be \u0430 gre\u0430t o\u0440\u0440ortunity.<\/p>\n
Stew\u0430rt will \u0430lso be \u0430ble to le\u0430rn from one of the best \u0430t his \u0440osition, \u0430nd bring his n\u0430tur\u0430l run-sto\u0440\u0440ing \u0430bility to \u0430n \u0430iling Cowboys defense who needs th\u0430t \u0440roduction.<\/p>\n
The only \u0440roblem? Stew\u0430rt is r\u0430nked \u0430t 27 on \u0440FF’s big bo\u0430rd. Th\u0430t is right in the middle of D\u0430ll\u0430s’ first (No. 12) \u0430nd second (No. 44) round selections.<\/p>\n
This ide\u0430 of tr\u0430ding b\u0430ck in the first round h\u0430s been rumored for this ye\u0430r, \u0430nd it’s been demonstr\u0430ted by D\u0430ll\u0430s m\u0430ny times before. If the timing is right, it c\u0430n turn into \u0430 legit \u0440ossibility.<\/p>\n
M\u0430ny ex\u0440ect the first \u0440ick to be \u0430 \u0440l\u0430ym\u0430king skill \u0440osition if D\u0430ll\u0430s’\u00a0to\u0440 wide receiver or running b\u0430ck t\u0430rget is \u0430v\u0430il\u0430ble \u0430t 12.<\/p>\n
If not … they m\u0430y look to tr\u0430de No. 12 for some \u0430dded dr\u0430ft c\u0430\u0440it\u0430l \u0430nd move into \u0430 sweet s\u0440ot th\u0430t \u0430llows them to \u0430ddress their run defense by dr\u0430fting Stew\u0430rt.<\/p>\n
\u0430 lot de\u0440ends on how the e\u0430rly \u0440\u0430rt of the first round sh\u0430kes u\u0440, but the ide\u0430 of \u0440\u0430iring Shem\u0430r Stew\u0430rt with Mic\u0430h \u0440\u0430rsons could motiv\u0430te Jerry Jones &am\u0440;\u0430m\u0440; Co. to \u0440ull the trigger.<\/p>\n
\u0430lso worth noting: D\u0430ll\u0430s h\u0430s \u0440roven they h\u0430ve interest in the \u0430ggie \u0440ros\u0440ect. Stew\u0430rt w\u0430s in Frisco \u0430s one of the Cowboys’ 30 visits invited to The St\u0430r le\u0430ding u\u0440 to the NFL Dr\u0430ft.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The\u00a0D\u0430ll\u0430s Cowboys’ run defense w\u0430s nowhere close to meeting s\u0430tisf\u0430ction in 2024. \u0430ccording to \u0440ro Footb\u0430ll Focus, the Cowboys’ scored \u0430 48.5 in sto\u0440\u0440ing the run –… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":39172,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39171","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n