ESPN Gurus: Dallas Targets DL in 1st Rd.

The Cowboys defensive front is pretty good, but they're getting pretty old

ESPN’s uncontested draft experts Mel Kiper, Jr. and Todd McShay have sent in their final mock drafts and both of them have the Dallas Cowboys targeting a defensive lineman in the first round.

McShay’s pick: Mizzou defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson (pictured).

Kiper’s pick: North Carolina defensive end Sylvester Williams, a man he believes could make an immediate impact as part of a Cowboys’ defensive front that is only getting older.

“The Cowboys currently have 31-year-old Jay Ratliff as one starting defensive tackle, and 30-year-old Jason Hatcher as the other,” Kiper writes, per ESPN Dallas. “They may have other more pressing needs, but if the Cowboys can't put together a solid rotation on the interior of their defensive line, the conversion to a 4-3 is going to be ugly.”

Those “more pressing needs” are at safety and offensive line, the interior of the offensive line in particular. But the Cowboys won’t likely be able to get their hands on any of the linemen or safeties that are worth a first round pick.

Then again, we’d never put anything past Jerry Jones and co.--which is both aggravating and exciting.

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