Cowboys’ Potential Pick: Dallas Thomas, OT, Tennessee

My latest scouting report is on Tennessee OT/OG Dallas Thomas.

Thomas is a tall, lean player at 6-5, 306 pounds. His 33-inch arms are about average for someone his size, so he should be fine to play either inside or out. It’s worth wondering why he was moved inside for his senior season because Thomas certainly has the athleticism to play left tackle in college. He’s somewhat of a finesse player, excelling in space when asked to get to the second level.

I watched four of Thomas’s games—two from 2011 and two from 2012—and he is a natural bender whether playing at guard or tackle. He does a really nice job of mirroring defenders when playing guard, using his arms to shield them from the quarterback in pass protection. His hand usage is outstanding.

Check out the full report at NBC.

Cowboys’ Potential Draft Pick: Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford

My latest scouting report is on Stanford tight end Zach Ertz.

At 6-5, 249 pounds, Ertz has a somewhat lanky frame for a tight end. He added some bulk over the past year, but he still has room for improvement. Ertz’s added mass hasn’t necessarily translated into on-field strength because he can really struggle at the point-of-attack. In the game against USC, Ertz whiffed on numerous blocks throughout the game and got drove into the backfield other times.

Perhaps the biggest concern for Ertz is that his arms are only 31 ¾ inches. That might not seem like a big deal, but tight ends, like offensive linemen, need long arms to extend in the running game. Ertz can let longer defenders get into his chest and control him at the line. In comparison, pretty much all of the other top tight ends in this class have arms over 33 inches long, so Ertz’s arms are well over an inch shorter than average.

The entire report is published at NBC.

Cowboys’ Potential Draft Picks: Safeties Jonathan Cyprien, Eric Reid

There’s probably a better chance than most believe that the Cowboys draft a safety in one of the draft’s first two days. If they’re looking at one in the second or perhaps third round, Florida International’s Jonathan Cyprien and LSU’s Eric Reid might be options. I broke down both players at NBC.

Jonathan Cyprien:

Cyprien is an aggressive safety who isn’t afraid to stick his nose into the running game. When he plays from a deep position, he’s willing to fly up to hit ball-carriers. He played from both a deep position and in the box at Florida International, practically changing positions based on the opponent.

Cyprien can play well from both spots—deep and in the box—assuming he isn’t asked to cover too much ground in the back end. He’s not a ball-hawking free safety who can play the deep middle because there are some questions about his straight-line speed. The Combine is going to be really important for him; if he’s a 4.50 guy, it might change some things.

Head over to NBC for the full scouting report on Cyprien.

Eric Reid:

Reid is a tall (6-2, 212 pounds) safety who many believe to have good versatility. He was asked to play in both the deep middle and in the box at LSU. Reid seems most comfortable near the line-of-scrimmage where he isn’t asked to turn and run long distances with receivers. He can struggle as a deep free safety, in my opinion, sitting off way too far in coverage and allowing receivers to easily catch passes underneath him.

In the box, Reid has some short-area quickness that he uses to play underneath zones well. He doesn’t necessarily have the skill set to play man-to-man coverage against slot receivers, but since Reid is taller and has longer arms than most safeties, he has a better chance to potentially combat the effectiveness of tight ends who generally won’t beat him with speed.

Check out the entire Reid report here.

Cowboys’ Potential Draft Pick: Datone Jones, DT/DE, UCLA

My latest scouting report is on the versatile Datone Jones of UCLA.

Jones is a hybrid defensive lineman capable of playing in either a 4-3 or 3-4 defense. In a 3-4, he’d be a slightly-undersized five-technique, whereas he could potentially play any position along the line in a 4-3. Some people seem unsure of whether or not Jones is big enough to hold up inside or quick enough to rush off the edge. I think the latter question is a real concern, but Jones has what it takes to play as a three-technique defensive tackle.

At 6’4’’, 280 pounds, Jones is considered a “tweener” who doesn’t necessarily have the build of a “prototypical” defensive end or defensive tackle, and naïve teams will hold that against him. The truth is that Jones is very strong—plenty strong enough to play in the interior—so his weight shouldn’t be a major concern. Plus, he’s relatively lean, easily capable of adding 10 pounds if needed.

See the entire report on Jones at NBC.