Dallas Cowboys mock drafts, and the NFL draft in general, simply mean more than it does for many other franchises. Fans of other organizations get excited about the prospect of free agency. Cowboys fans either get their hopes up for the inevitable nothingness that’s as inevitable as Thanos, or they’ve already given up on the exercise entirely.

The NFL draft is how Dallas builds their roster. No team had more homegrown talent on their roster than the Cowboys did heading into 2022. But while they remained largely inactive in the free agent market, Dallas used draft picks to trade for Stephon Gilmore and Brandin Cooks, erasing their two most-significant needs.

The Cowboys must draft well to maintain competitiveness, and they do it at an insane rate. Over the past decade, Dallas has only truly missed on one selection in the first round, when they drafted Taco Charlton. Everything else has been nailed on the head.

Latest Dallas Cowboys 2023 NFL Mock Draft

Using mock draft data collected by Cowboys mock drafters on PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator, we’re selecting Dallas’ first four rounds, and having a little fun along the way, trading for and trading away picks in the process.

Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan | Round 1, Pick 27

Trade: Dallas trades pick 26 to Buffalo for picks 27 and 137.

No player ends up a Cowboy more often than Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith. Smith is a Cowboy on 3.3% of user-selected mock drafts. While that seems insignificant, that is an entire percentage point higher than Dalton Kincaid, who ends up in Dallas 2.3% of the time. That percentage difference is the difference between Kincaid and the 11th-most frequently drafted player, Dorian Williams.

MORE: FREE NFL Mock Draft Simulator With Trades!

Smith’s previous ADP probably has a lot to do with that. He moved up significantly in the latest update, and for good reason. Smith is a phenomenal talent worthy of first-round consideration. The 320-pounder moves incredibly well and has tantalizing power in his hands.

While a bit of seasoning and consistency is necessary for Smith’s game, it’s hard to land in a better situation than on a Dan Quinn defense with Micah Parsons, Tank Lawrence, and a host of other talented defenders taking the pressure off. With his size, power, and athleticism, Smith can survive playing anywhere from face-to-face with the center to shaded outside of offensive tackles.

Steve Avila, OL, TCU | Round 2, Pick 54

Trade: Dallas trades picks 58 and 137 to Los Angeles Chargers for pick 54.

Jerry and Stephen Jones listen to ASMR of Sam Elliott saying, “position flex.” That’s the last thing they hear at night before falling asleep. They love players who can be a jack of all trades, even if they’re a master of none.

During his time at TCU, Steve Avila played all five positions across the offensive line. And even though Dallas’s best five are probably Tyron Smith, Tyler Smith, Tyler Biadasz, Zack Martin, and Terence Steele, Avila would provide them the option of keeping Tyron healthy and available as a swing tackle. And with over 1,000 snaps at left guard and center while playing for the Horned Frogs, Avila is a beautiful fit for the Cowboys’ needs.

Avila is big, powerful, and sturdy. He also possesses 33-inch arms, which is outstanding for an interior blocker and the threshold many teams have to play tackle at the NFL level. He also gets off the line incredibly well for a 330-pound behemoth, although his footwork could use a bit of work.

Avila is the fourth-most frequent Cowboys pick in PFN mock drafts, behind only Smith, Kincaid, and Bijan Robinson.

Zach Evans, RB, Ole Miss | Round 3, Pick 90

The Cowboys’ third-round pick was the biggest struggle. Zach Evans and Noah Sewell both fit needs and are intriguing prospects. However, Dallas probably feels better about Damone Clark than they do about the future of the RB room. It’s absolutely critical that the Cowboys add one or two running backs from this class.

With the power of hindsight, I would have gone with Sewell. There were still some very interesting RB prospects available at 129, while the linebackers available at the time weren’t as appealing. No matter, the player selected in Round 4 seems like a Cowboys special.

Evans is fun, and that’s what you want in an NFL back these days. The Rebels running back averaged 7.7, 7.0, and 6.5 yards per carry, respectively, at the college level in three seasons. He’s elusive and explosive. In short, Evans is a big-play threat, a necessity at the NFL level.

In terms of the frequency of mock drafts for Dallas, Evans is the No. 6 RB, but that number could rise after his impressive pro day. He ran a 4.45 in the 40-yard dash.

Zach Harrison, DE, Ohio State | Round 4, Pick 129

Zach Harrison is a peculiar prospect. At one time, he was believed to be the next in a long line of outrageous Buckeyes pass rushers, including both Bosa brothers and Chase Young. Harrison was ranked 12th nationally by 247 Sports, 10th by ESPN, and 23rd by Rivals. He was, expectedly, a consensus five-star recruit.

But it just never came together for Harrison at Ohio State. It’s hard to become an elite rusher as a stiffer athlete. While one cannot deny the abundance of explosiveness and length the defensive end possesses, Harrison never truly became a consistent arc threat because of his stiffness.

But with a ridiculous 36.25-inch arm length in a 275-pound frame, there’s no reason to believe Harrison couldn’t be a rotational piece and strongside run defender as long as he possesses the hand placement and power necessary for it.

And he has that. So while he’ll probably never consistently produce pressures and sacks unless his rush plan and hands become absolutely elite, Harrison should still contribute to a successful defense as a rotational piece.

Harrison doesn’t show up in the mock draft data, but there were no viable options at the time that were present in the simulation, and I’m not one to fudge a one-off and rig a draft for content purposes.