Dallas Cowboys 7-round 2020 NFL mock draft after postseason elimination

Despite coming into 2020 with an impressive pass-rush unit, the Dallas Cowboys finished this season wanting more from the unit. DeMarcus Lawrence earned a giant contract extension this offseason, making him the highest-paid player in Dallas Cowboys history. But with only five sacks playing in all 16 games this season, the Cowboys can’t help but feel slightly shortchanged in the deal.

Robert Quinn had a great year, by comparison, racking up 11.5 sacks according to Fox Sports, having played in two fewer games. But entering his ninth season in the league come 2020, the Dallas Cowboys have to be interested in cycling in some new faces on the edge.

The Cowboys tipped their hand earlier in the season when they acquired Michael Bennett from the New England Patriots, to serve as a veteran presence on the defensive line. Ostensibly for when the team reached the playoffs this January.

Now that’s out of the picture for this season, the team should be open to moving off from Bennett and getting some depth for the day Quinn decides to hang up his cleats.

Notre Dame’s Khalid Kareem had a monster season for the Fighting Irish, racking up 5.5 sacks this season along with 10 sacks overall the past two seasons. On top of that, Kareem had three forced fumbles in 2019. Kareem is also a unique pass defender threat, racking up an insane five passes deflected in 2018. For a defensive lineman, that is incredible.

At 6-foot-4 265 pounds, it’s easy to see how Kareem got all those pass deflections. He towers over offensive lineman and shrugs off pass-blocking tight ends and running backs. Kareem requires at least two offensive linemen to block him when he gets a full head of steam going.

The reason he falls all the way to the fourth round is Kareem has a rough outside rush from a mechanics side. It didn’t look like his team trusted him to get consistent pressure all the time, as they would place another defender on his side when pass-rushing to give him a boost. Which is a shame, because he has all the attributes of an elite defensive end at the next level.

Kareem attacks the arms of pass blockers well and can use his size to move offensive linemen at the line of scrimmage. He tends to lean into the interior of the offensive line more often, so his future might lie in being a defensive tackle. No matter where on the defense he ends up, with a little training and proper pass-rush techniques being picked up, Kareem could be an interesting player for the Dallas Cowboys.

The Dallas Cowboys still have Quinn and Lawrence, so they shouldn’t jump for an edge rusher too early in the draft. But with Quinn aging and Lawrence under-performing this year the Jones would be well served in bringing a developmental pass-rusher for the future. At the very least, he can serve as depth and a replacement for the likely departing Bennett. At best, he could develop into a force against opposing teams tackles.