IRVING, Texas- The Cowboys drafted their second defensive player of the night, but the first who could help them this year.
With the 67th overall pick, early in the third round, the Cowboys added Nebraska defensive tackle Maliek Collins, who will likely step in and contribute in the middle of the line. At 6-1, 311 Collins seems to be a true nose-tackle type who will play the 1-technique in Rod Marinelli's 4-3 scheme.
Collins, who skipped his senior season to declare for the draft, had eight sacks in three years, despite facing numerous double-teams. Collins also finds the ball in the backfield, registering 23 tackles for loss, including 14 as a sophomore in 2014.
A former high school wrestler that compiled a 48-0 record in Missouri, Collins uses his hands and arms for great technique and leverage.
He'll join a Cowboys' line that seems stacked at the 3-technique spot with Tyrone Crawford and Cedric Thornton, who can probably slide over to the nose spot. But behind him, Terrell McClain should be back from injury and now Collins can compete for snaps as well.[embeddedad0]
The Cowboys took Jaylon Smith with the 34th overall pick earlier Friday. Smith had reconstructive knee surgery in January and will likely miss the entire 2016 season.
