Former Oregon Duck and top 2016 NFL Draft prospect DeForest Buckner cuts an imposing figure. But Buckner doesn't just look terrifying - he's got the athleticism and agility to put that mammoth frame (6-foot-7, 291-pounds) to use in a variety of highly effective ways. And while Buckner, who played in a base 3-4 at Oregon, looks like and, well, is a prototypical 3-4 end, there are NFL teams, like the Dallas Cowboys, looking for help along the defensive line who should seriously consider Buckner with their first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Sure, the Cowboys signed a couple of defensive linemen in free agency - former Eagles run-stopper Cedric Thornton, a quality pickup who will add depth and a stoutness to the Dallas front, and Benson Mayowa, an inexperienced player with all of two sacks and three teams to his name in 30 NFL games over four seasons - but it's not enough to push a journeyman like Nick Hayden to the bench or replace the loss of Greg Hardy.
With Hardy and his 40-career sacks headed for the long, lonely walk to obscurity, the Cowboys remain sorely in need of pass rush punch and overall defensive line talent.
Buckner, if he makes it to No. 4 in the first round later this month, should be the name the Cowboys brass scribble on a piece of paper and rush to the stage. And considering the attention they've paid to him already, it really wouldn't be a surprising outcome in the least.
Yes, it will be difficult for Jerry Jones and Co. to pass up on a player like Myles Jack or one of the top quarterbacks should they fall unexpectedly, especially with a 35-year-old Tony Romo coming off a serious collarbone injury and surgical procedure, but Buckner would just be too talented a prospect to pass up.
He's a guy Dallas has already worked out privately and is, this week, headed for a visit to the Cowboys facility.
The 2015 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, Ted Hendricks Award finalist and several-times over All-American would be a perfect fit in a 3-4 base, where he could use his long frame to hold off offensive linemen while working to the ball and keeping the linebackers behind him clean.
But he also brings elite pass rushing potential that former Oregon teammate, 2015 first-round pick and current San Francisco 49er, Arik Armstead, didn't. As such, Buckner should be able to produce in any kind of base alignment, whereas Armstead was always destined for a 3-4 end role.
In the 4-3, Buckner would line up on early downs as a defensive end, likely on the left - typically a larger player tasked with acting as an anchor against the run - and then kick inside in obvious passing situations as a kind of nickel or dime tackle, providing interior pass rush. With the addition of weight, Buckner could even become a full-time tackle if need be.
In fact, the player most often associated with Buckner is longtime Arizona Cardinals standout, Calais Campbell. Campbell, in Arizona's odd front, plays a number of roles. He's built an extremely successful career off his length and athleticism - Buckner could do much the same.
With Thornton now in place, the Cowboys seem to have good size along their defensive front. Tyrone Crawford played well after picking up his extension and Demarcus Lawrence managed good production in his first full season as a starter (55 tackles, 8 sacks) last season. But, as with the vaunted Dallas offensive line, you can never have too much talent along either one of the trenches and adding Buckner would give the Cowboys defensive staff and Rod Marinelli the flexibility to shuffle bodies and mix and match as they see fit.
Thornton, a 3-4 end and 4-3 tackle during his time in Philly, could easily slide inside if Buckner is added to the mix. Thornton is a limited pass rusher (4 sacks through four seasons), so he's likely best suited to an interior role anyway.
While it's still early and no one really knows what the Jones' are thinking, if Buckner is available at four the Cowboys should give serious consideration to tabbing him as their pick, solidifying a defensive line that, with a few more additions, could soon become the envy of the rest of the league, in much the same way the Dallas offensive line has.
