DRAFT: Dallas Cowboys MUST Draft Cashius Howell! | 3 First Round EDGE Prospects Dallas SHOULD Target!

Summary

Podcast Episode Summary

Podcast: Locked On Cowboys – Daily Podcast On The Dallas Cowboys
Episode: DRAFT: Dallas Cowboys MUST Draft Cashius Howell! | 3 First Round EDGE Prospects Dallas SHOULD Target!
Hosts: Marcus Mosher, Landon McCool
Release Date: February 16, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the second tier of edge rusher prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft, focusing on players who could realistically be available for the Dallas Cowboys at pick number 20. Marcus Mosher and Landon McCool break down the traits, strengths, and concerns of three intriguing pass rushers—Cashius Howell (Texas A&M), Keldrick Falk (Auburn), and Akheem Mesidor (Miami)—and how each might fit into the Cowboys’ defensive plans. The hosts provide detailed scouting insights, player comparisons, and spirited debate on draft philosophy and scheme fit.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Cowboys’ Draft Need: Micah Parsons Replacement?

• [01:12] Marcus introduces the episode theme: while the Cowboys are seeking their next impact edge rusher, replicating Micah Parsons is unlikely, so targeting "Tier 2" prospects at pick 20 is the focus.
• This episode spotlights players outside the top three: Reuben Bain, David Bailey, Arval Reese.

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2. Cashius Howell (Texas A&M): Explosive, Undersized Game-Changer

Profile and Early Impressions

• [02:50–06:49] Landon details Howell’s rise from a “meager” three-star recruit ranked 2162 in the class of 2021, through Bowling Green, then Texas A&M.
• Noted for being undersized (6'2", ~250 lbs), but with a powerful lower half and “sawed off” physique.

Scouting Report

• "He just kind of has a, like a shorter torso, but he's got really strong lower half… He's sudden, but he's also very, very physical for being that size." – Landon McCool [03:38]
• Effective in pass rush roles, with experience dropping into coverage (approx. 10–15% of snaps).
• Leverages natural leverage, burst, and core strength to win against bigger linemen, but is susceptible to being moved by NFL-sized blockers.

Key Strengths & Weaknesses

• "Explosion, suddenness, and power are his game more than fluidity." – Landon McCool [05:10]
• Concerns about his lack of length: 30¾ inch arms, 73-inch wingspan—the smallest for any edge rusher at the NFL combine.
• Marcus minimizes worry over weight/height, referencing successful sub-250lb players, but flags the short arms as significant.

Scheme Fit & Draft Value

• “You have him dropping into coverage a little bit… I think he would fit that role excellently.” – Landon McCool [08:06]
• Best suited as a specialized pass-rushing outside linebacker in schemes like Dallas runs. Might be scheme-limited, but is a perfect fit for Cowboys' odd-front defense.
• “If it’s pick 20 and not pick 12, he’s just going to be a part of a defensive line, and I think he can add the juice that this defense desperately needs.” – Marcus Mosher [07:48]

Development & Projection

• Not expected to be a three-down starter immediately; likely impactful as a situational rusher and developmental piece.
• Both agree Howell’s scheme-specific fit could push him down boards, making him available at 20 and potentially a “steal.”

Summary Quote

• “If the Cowboys took him at 20, I would be thrilled. It’s not going to be Micah Parsons, but you’re adding somebody with Donovan as a Rocku. That helps give you a lot of juice.” – Marcus Mosher [09:49]

Notable Segment:

• Howell’s fit for Dallas and physical profile – [06:49–10:25]

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3. Keldrick Falk (Auburn): Raw, Massive “Ball of Clay”

[14:03–23:03]

Physical Profile & Versatility

• 6’5”–6’6”, 270–280 lbs, 34.5” arms, 10” hands; extremely long and strong, with versatility to play both inside and out.
• Only 20 years old, played up and down Auburn’s defensive line, sometimes to his own developmental detriment.

Evaluative Take

• “He’s a jack of all trades, master of none right now at 20 years old. And he specifically needs to sit down with the defensive line coach and learn one position, I think, and he'll get better.” – Landon McCool [15:40]
• Lower-body flexibility, strength to anchor, and ability to deconstruct blocks all noted, but lacks polish as a dedicated edge rusher.

Concerns & Projection

• Needs to further develop a pass rush plan and finish plays—produces pressure but not always sacks.
• Projection hinges on upside; not an immediate Edge 1 or even Edge 2, but has rare tools to become a critical rotational and matchup piece.

Player Comparison & Value

• Marcus parallels Mikel Williams' draft profile last year; sees similar “bet on traits” proposition.
• “I think the hope is that you’re getting like an Eric Armstead type of player.” – Marcus Mosher [20:39]
• Both agree: Falk makes most sense as a developmental piece, not the centerpiece of a pass rush unit.

Notable Segment:

• Falk’s evaluation as a versatile, high-upside project – [14:03–21:21]

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4. Akheem Mesidor (Miami): Polish and Production, But Flags

Physical & Background

• [24:47–29:51] – Shorter, stocky rusher (~6’2”, 260+ lbs), very springy lower half.
• Entering NFL as a 25-year-old rookie due to repeated injuries (notably foot, elbow, and lingering “lower extremity” issues).

On-Field Skills

• “On the field he’s incredible, right? He plays with good pad level, has a good forward lean in his play posture. He’s a fluid athlete… everything is extremely well-timed. High motor, relentless pursuer, plays with a plan, incredibly well-developed as a pass rusher.” – Landon McCool [25:15]
• Can rush inside and outside; hand usage already NFL-caliber.

Issues & Debate

• Serious age and injury questions, as well as concerning lack of power for his age/conference.
• “I couldn’t be more out on Akeem Mesidor as a first [round pick]. …I don’t see anybody that has NFL power at all. That should be—if you’re 24 years old playing in that conference and you don’t show any kind of power. That is terrifying to me.” – Marcus Mosher [28:11]
• Landon is willing to bet on Mesidor’s unique polish, arguing “the tape shows a guy that is… elite with his hand usage in a way that I haven’t seen a lot of guys come out of college doing.”
• Both agree he’s unlikely to be a first-rounder; day 2 seems more realistic given profile.

Notable Segment:

• Heated debate on Mesidor’s value and risk – [28:11–29:51]

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Memorable Quotes

• On Howell’s NFL potential:
  “He is sudden in that sense, but maybe not a guy that’s Gumby… he added strong hands. And he can control his blocker. Needs to vary his pass rush moves a little bit.” – Landon McCool [05:06]

• On scheme fit for Howell:
  “If we’re able to put this guy way out of the outside like in a W9 technique, just bend around the corner, use that first step and be explosive. I don’t worry about it.” – Marcus Mosher [07:47]

• On Falk’s developmental needs:
  “He’s a jack of all trades, master of none right now at 20 years old… It’s hard to ignore the fact that he’s 6'5", 280 and he plays with such a smooth—good pad level and can get around… He just hasn’t quite seemingly put it all together yet.” – Landon McCool [16:45]

• On Mesidor’s upside and risk:
  “I think if I had to choose one player to win one pass rush rep out of the whole class, it would be Mesidor. I think he’s that good as a pass rusher. … But the injury and the age are the two biggest negatives to talk about.” – Landon McCool [27:46]

• On Mesidor’s first-round viability:
  “If you’re 24 years old playing in that conference and you don’t show any kind of power, that is terrifying to me. On top of the injury concerns, on top of the age concerns… this is somebody that you draft in the middle of day two, early on day three of the draft, and put him in your rotation.” – Marcus Mosher [28:11]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro & episode overview: [01:12–02:50]
• Cashius Howell breakdown: [02:50–11:13]
• Howell’s scheme fit & draft range: [06:49–10:25]
• Keldrick Falk introduction & scouting: [14:03–23:03]
• Akheem Mesidor discussion and debate: [24:47–29:51]

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Final Thoughts

This episode is a must-listen for draft enthusiasts and Cowboys diehards wanting nuanced, in-the-weeds scouting talk on edge rush prospects likely to be in range at Dallas’ first-round pick. The hosts’ contrasting outlooks—particularly regarding Mesidor—offer depth and balance, while detailed player insight grounds the discussion firmly in scouting reality.

If you’re looking for scheme context, evaluative philosophy, and realistic draft scenarios for the Cowboys on edge rushers outside the consensus top tier, this episode delivers.

Transcript

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[Marcus Mosher]

The Dallas Cowboys are searching for their Micah Parsons replacement in the 2026 NFL Draft. They probably won't find it, but there are three really intriguing options that that could be available at pick number 20. We'll get to them next. You are Locked On Cowboys, your daily Dallas Cowboys podcast, part of the Locked on podcast network your team every day. Welcome back to the Lock On Cowboys podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast network your team every day. We'd like to thank you for making us the number one sports podcast network and today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Use your profit boost on an NBA future and get entered for your chance to win a trip to the NBA Finals. Play your game with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Welcome back. I am your host Marcus Mosher. He is Landon McCool and on today's show we're taking a look at we're going to call the Tier 2 edge rushers in the 2026 NFL Draft. This is not Reuben Bain, it's not David Bailey, it's not Arval Reese. But it's that next group of edge rushers who realistically could be available for the Cowboys that picked number 20. We're talking Akeem Messador from Miami, Keldrick Falk from Auburn. But I want to start with Cassius Howe and undersized edge rusher from Texas A and M. Of these three players, he probably has the most juice. What did you see from the tape, Landon?

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, I mean you said it kind of a sawed off edge right. 6 2ish, probably around 250 is what we're looking at. He's probably what he's in playing in the NFL, you know, and let's just start high school. This guy is, you know, I came out of nothing, right? He was a three star and I looked it up. He was the 2000th 162nd ranked player in the 2021 class. So this guy came from, you know, very meager beginnings in high school. Ended up at Bowling Green. Played there for, well, was there for three years and really started playing those last two years. In his last year there, he ended up at nine and a half sacks before transferring. His last two years at Texas A and M. And I just think he's a really interesting player. I mean he's, he, he's obviously like we mentioned, a little bit shorter, but even though he's shorter, he, he looks like a full size defensive end in his lower body. He just kind of has a, like a shorter torso, but he's got really strong lower half. And, and because of that and his flexibility, he's able to play with, with a little bit of an edge. I mean, I think early on he's going to be probably a pass rusher. You know, not exclusively, but that's definitely where you're going to be playing him the most because he is a little bit undersized. But even though he's, he's, you know, like 62250, he could play the edge a little bit because he can get low with the wide base. He'll get his inside hand above his eyes and then he'll keep his outside hand free and you see him, he's so sudden. He can get into position and gain leverage really, really quickly. And I think that's really serves him well, especially as a pass rusher, but, but also as a run defender as well. Despite excellent general technique in the run game, he could still be rooted out of place by stronger offensive linemen with leverage. I mean, that's just because he's literally 62250. As we mentioned, he has experience dropping into coverage about 10 to 15% of his snaps. You can see him defending a wheel in man coverage versus Miami, which I remember even seeing at the time and going, wow, that was pretty impressive. For a guy that doesn't, you know, do that quite often. His effort and physicality are what really stand out. You know, he's sudden, but he's also very, very physical for being that size. You'll see him bully offensive who are twice his size I mean, just kind of go watch the Miami game. He's against guys that are much, much bigger than him. He's.

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He's.

[Landon McCool]

He's throwing them around a little bit at times. Explosion, suddenness, and power are his game more than fluidity. I don't know that he's like, you know, bending underneath a table a ton or changing direction. Great. But I think what he can do is he'll get off the ball extremely quick. He'll change the path of his attack to the quarterback with. With a lot of sudden movements. So he's. He. He is sudden in that sense, but maybe not a guy that's Gumby. Like, he's got a strong core tied to powerful thighs and butt, and he added strong hands. And he can control his blocker. Needs to vary his pass rush moves a little bit. He has all the pass rush tools. I mean, I saw a little bit of everything with him as a pass rusher, but he, he tends to kind of constantly go back to speed rushes, to cross chops, to ghost. You see him doing the ghost a lot where he's ducking under blockers and then the bull as well. So I just feel like he has all those tools. I'd like to see him use all of them more often. He's sudden enough to change his path abruptly. I mentioned that disorienting his blocker physical tools are fairly marginal for his draft stock. So how quickly will his game fall off if he's less than 100% healthy? That's my concern. When you get a guy like this who's an effort player, who's kind of earned everything he has to get where he is. You know, those are. They're great. It's. It's a, It's a proven thing. But you worry, like, what happens when they lose just an ounce of athleticism? Do they become, you know, a lot more inefficient because they, you know, they are living on the edges there already. Where does he win? Powerful sudden pass rusher. Unanswered questions. Is he scheme limited because of his size? Can he hold up against NFL offensive tackles in the run game? Consistent, certainly.

[Marcus Mosher]

So I don't worry about the height and weight. 6,021, 249. The NFL is littered right now with guys who are under 250 pounds who are playing really well, like Nick Bonito, Nick Herbert. We talked about a bunch. Nolan Smith for the Eagles who was £240 on the dot. Like, we could go through the list of names. A lot of guys that are productive at 250. The issue is the length. He has verified 30 and 3/4 inch arms, a 73 inch wingspan. That is the, that's the smallest wingspan that we've ever had for an edge rusher at the NFL combine. That'll get verified here in a couple weeks. How much do you care about short arms? Probably is going to factor into your evaluation here. But I think for like the Cowboys you've got the defensive tackles. You're going to be playing, you know, more of these odd man fronts where you need edge rushers that can play in space, that can drop into coverage. And if we're able to put this guy way out of the outside like in a W9 technique.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, exactly.

[Marcus Mosher]

Just bend around the corner, use that first step and be explosive. I don't worry about it. I've seen Nolan Smith in that same defense be awesome. And again, if you're, if it's pick 20 and not pick 12, he's just going to be a part of a defensive line and I think he can add the juice that this defense desperately needs.

[Landon McCool]

Well, I, I think I point back to my unanswered questions here. Is he scheme limited? I think he might be a little bit scheme limited. But the good news for the Cowboys is that he's limited to the scheme that the Cowboys are running. Right. Like I think you, you mentioned you put him out as a seven technique, nine technique. You have him dropping into coverage a little bit as maybe that strong side, you know, more jack of all trades, you know, offense outside linebacker type. I think he would fit that role excellently. Right. And I think you could still reduce him down in a four man front if you needed to in a nickel situation or 425 if you wanted him to come out off the edge that way. I think he can do all those things. I think if you are looking for a 4, 3 traditional defensive end who can give you three down snaps kind of, you know, against the run, I would have questions. But I think in our scheme like what the Cowboys run, I think he could go in and play on first and second down, no problem because of the way that they will be running the defense. And I think that he, you know, and as part of a rotation too, I think maybe he doesn't come in necessarily as a starter, but I think he will give you extremely valuable pass rush snaps as he's learning to be a complete three down player in the NFL and fits right away for what the Cowboys are looking to do.

[Marcus Mosher]

And that's the thing you sign A Jadavian Clowney. You bring in a couple veteran defensive ends. He's on the field when it's third and nine and that's the money down in the NFL anyway. So I, I think he's, he's an awesome fit for this scheme because he can drop into coverage Now I don't think you have to take him at 12 because there's going to be enough teams that are scared off because of the lack of length.

[Landon McCool]

That's what it helps. The scheme. Limited helps you there. Right. Because I think he's going to fall because of that. If he was available for everybody in their scheme, I think 12 would be a more appropriate spot. But because of that I think you're right. Taking him at 20 is probably where his value is going to be.

[Marcus Mosher]

And you saw this year against certain teams he really dropped off. But man, he gets a matchup. You get a slow footed tackle, they've got no chance because he gets so low. I think he can bend well. I don't think he's like the best bender I've ever seen, but his height actually helps him. Right. When you're six two and you can get that low to the ground, these offensive tackles cannot move to get to that spot, you know, in their drop steps. I, I'm a big Cassius how fan. If the Cowboys took him at 20, I would be thrilled. It's not going to be Micah Parsons, but you're adding somebody with Donovan as a Rocku. That helps give you a lot of juice.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. This is what we talk about. We talk about the deep edge class. Right. Like there's just a lot of these guys who can serve an extremely important role for the right defense for the Cowboys. This is the kind of guy that you could easily take and you, you're looking for to kind of serve the role as the outside linebacker. He's going to drop sometimes. He's eventually be valuable as a run defender but he's going to be a pass rusher and he's going to, you know, be, you know, attacking and moving forward. And I agree he's got the lower body flexibility to kind of help, you know, be a leverage player to kind of. And that's how he was bullying tackles that are twice his size. Right. He said he plays with such incredible leverage. You feel like you can eventually leverage that into him being a good running back player. I mean run game defender as well. So yeah, I really like him a lot. I think he has some development to do as well, but I think he can come in right away and be a valuable piece of your defense.

[Marcus Mosher]

All right, let's talk about the player that has Cowboys Nation just fighting each other on X every single day. And that's Keldrick Falk from Auburn. We'll get to him next. This episode is brought to you by Sock Doc. Finding a doctor that you actually like can feel like discovering a diamond in the rough. Sure, you want someone who's in network nearby and has availability, but you also want a doctor who listens and makes you feel comfortable and explains things clearly. That kind of. That kind of doctor exists and finding them is easy with ZocDoc. ZocDoc is a free app and website that helps you find and book high quality in network doctors so you can find someone that you love without all of the hassle. We're talking about booking in network appointments with over 150,000 providers across all 50 states covering over 200 different specialties from primary care and dentistry to dermatology and eye care. So stop putting off those doctor appointments and go to zocdoc.com locked on NFL that's locked on [e-mail] lotdonnfl one more time zocdoc.com lot NFL and thanks to Zocdoc for sponsoring this message. This episode is brought to you by fanduel. Have you ever wanted to experience the NBA Finals live and in person? FanDuel is giving you the chance to turn that dream into reality with their NBA Sweepstakes. Here's how it works. Use your profit boost on any NBA future and you'll automatically be entered for a shot to win an NBA Finals trip for two. That's right, flights, tickets. The entire experience. If you're already looking on the board, maybe you think like my Lakers are going to make a deep run to the playoffs. Probably not, but this is the perfect time to lock in. I love futures. And now that we're past the NBA All Star break, the action is really heating up. So visit FanDuel.com to get started and use your profit boost on an NBA future and get entered for your chance to win a trip to the NBA Finals. Play your game with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Welcome back to the Lockdown Cowboys podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen every single day. The off season doesn't exist for the everyday club. Join the group chat to talk Cowboys year long and get every episode of the Lockdown Cowboys podcast ad free. Head over to LockedOn cowboys.supercast.com or hit the link in the show notes to learn more. All right, later, let's talk about Keldrick Falk, the edge rusher from Auburn. Again, you're an Auburn guy but I know you're not biased when it comes to full disclosure.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, no, absolutely not.

[Marcus Mosher]

What did you think of Falk when you turn on the tape?

[Landon McCool]

Well, I mean first of all I, I again should say that I, I watch Falk. I've seen every one of his snaps that have been televised as far as far as I'm aware. And, and so it was one of the situations that obviously I knew the player when I turned it on. I, I think first off we got to talk about the kind of insane ball of clay he is. He's 6, 6, 270. I mean you have a fish, you.

[Marcus Mosher]

Probably have more efficient 651, 651, 280 with 34 and a half inch arms and he's got I believe 10 inch. He has. So he is a huge defensive vet.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. And, and those hands really are where we start. Right. He has incredibly powerful hands and if he gets his hands into your chest he will control the blocker. He could rip pretty handedly when he gets his hands outside as well. I think when he's operating outside as a pass rusher he wants to get around you with like a chop swipe or, or slip move. He wants to get past you quickly. Right. He doesn't want to spend a bunch of time hand fighting. He's he, despite being that kind of big guy, you said it's 6, 5, 2, 8. He actually is more of a smooth player I think, you know, especially on the outside you see him trying to finesse his way around him, his way around things at time. Auburn didn't really do him a lot of favors with the way they used him. I'll say this, and it's not just that they played him a lot at the four eye because I think that that's a position that he probably will get some snaps at in the NFL. To me the issue is that he didn't get. He was so versatile as his last year at Auburn that they played him everywhere. And I don't feel like at 20 years old and this is, you know, this is what we should say. He's in the 20, 23 high school class like these, some of these, these other guys that we're going to talk about. I'm pretty sure a key messador's high school class was 1999 if I'm not mistaken. And, and you know, the other, a lot of these other guys are like fifth and sixth year senior. This guy's only 20 years old and we'll talk more about that later. And we can have a whole other show about age and prospects and he's going to be a part of that. But I think part of this, that, that is really kind of frustrating is that he's coming into the NFL very young, having spent a year kind of at Auburn, basically playing all up and down the defensive line. But I don't feel like he got the coaching he needed at any one position to kind of truly unlock him. He's not, you know, excellent as an outside pass rusher yet because he doesn't really fully have a plan all the time. He's not, you know, super useful as a four eye because he's, he, you know, is big and physical. He can move guys, but he's not necessarily like, you know, a, a people mover like that. So it's, to me, the problem with him in general is that he's a jack of all trades, master of none right now at 20 years old. And he specifically needs to kind of sit down with the defensive line coach and learn one position, I think, and he'll get better. So he has good lower flexibility, especially for his height. He can dip, although he doesn't do it a lot. I mean, he's got that kind of like hip and ankle flexion that, I mean, that you, I mean, all the tools are here. And I think that's what's, you know, frustrating is that he's, he, he can, he has the strength to hold the edge because he's a leverage player. He deconstructs blocks very swiftly. He, he, he needs to finish better. I think that's been an issue at times too, is that he generates too many pressures without, you know, finishing with sacks. And I think when, if you're a box score scout, you're going to look at his numbers and be like, why, why are we even talking about this guy in the first round? But then you turn on the tape and you, I think you see all the kind of accoutrement of a really good edge player that you need to win in the NFL. But he hasn't yet put it together. So, you know, his evaluation is a lot about projection and about understanding that he's still incredibly young player and young and is maybe hasn't quite been giving all the coaching that he needs at an early age to kind of fully unlock one position. But it's hard to ignore the fact that he's 6 5, 280 and he plays with such a smooth, plays with such good, you know, pad level and can get around and he does so many things well. He just hasn't quite seemingly put it all together yet. Where does he win? Length, quickness, versatility. I mean these are all things that are very easily readily seeing on his tape. Unanswered question how long does it take a guy like this to reach his final form? And I think that's where the investigation has to go in. Like what kind of guy is this? You know, does. Is this just a case where he needs to more professional coaching to kind of get where he needs to go? It's not like Auburn was some, you know, podunk. No nothing college. It's in the sec, it's a major college football program. But it does feel like this guy still has some, you know, learning to do about how to play the position before he's going to be really truly unlocked the way that I think scouts are projecting him to be.

[Marcus Mosher]

I gotta be honest, just even watching him and reading about him the last couple days, I feel like I had deja vu to this time last year when we were talking about Mikel Williams being the pick at 12. Because it's a lot of the same exact things, right? Mikel Williams is a 20, you know, year old from the SEC who didn't have big production. But you're looking at one of these six foot five, six foot six guys that you're betting on now. We didn't get to see how it played out in the NFL with Mikel last year because he got hurt early in the year. I, I guess what I struggle with is if you think Mike Kel Williams was a top 12 pick last year, I think he went 11 to the 49ers. How is Keldrick Falk not a top 20 pick in this year's draft? Because I don't, I mean, let me ask you, do you think there's a big difference between those two players?

[Ad Voice]

No.

[Landon McCool]

I mean I actually make prefer Keldrick Falk to Mikel Williams, to be honest. Like I, I think, and I think it's interesting too because the other, you know, thing that kind of gets associated with them is that they, you know, they both played a lot of four I. When, when maybe they're not going to be playing that in the NFL or the, or the projection is to them not necessarily playing that in the NFL. I think that the difference is that I saw more from Keldrick fall on the Outside than what you saw from Mikel Williams. I thought that he played almost exclusively kind of five technique and in which wasn't necessarily his fault. I didn't think he couldn't necessarily do it. But I've at least seen Falk do this a little bit more and I have an understanding of where he is to get from here to there if he needs to.

[Marcus Mosher]

I think the hope is that you're getting like an Eric Armstead type of player or something like that. Like one of these 6 foot 6, 280 pound guys that can play up and down the line. And if you're going to be playing an odd man front, you, you can never have too many of these guys that can, you know, play head up on the tackle or can kick inside, you know, be a four eye or whatever you need them to be. I, I think there's a scenario where Keldrick Falk is actually one of the best picks the Cowboys can make at 20, assuming they go out in free agency and they get some edge rushers that can bring the juice. But if it's just the same kind of group of guys that we had last year with Keldrick Falk, I don't know if you're going to have enough speed on the edge to really threaten teams.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, I mean, I'm trying to remember who it was that we were comparing to that. Like, it's like where they're the additive, like you don't want them as the main source. Right. And I can't remember what it was, but it's, it's very similar to that where I don't know that I would draft Falk to be my, certainly not my, my premier pass rusher. The, the, the thing I'm the one building around. Yeah. The Edge 1 and even Edge 2. Like, I mean if you're, if that's your expectation from like year one as a pass rusher, I think that you're probably going to have a bad time. Right. But I think the. I. Yes, I think where Keldrick Falk has a future, a big time future in the NFL is exactly as you explained it, as this important glue guy that has become an important part of these modern NFL defensive line rotations. A guy that is in this body type range, who has the quickness to play outside, who has the strength to play inside, who could, but who can play upside down. You're going to have a body type, a guy like this on your, on your team this year. But the question is, how good is he going to be like Is he a guy who's just eating up snaps for you because you need a certain amount of guys to fill up your roster? Or is he a guy like Keldrick Falk you think, who could project into a plus plus player who you don't really you could put in at any point of the line and he's helping kind of draw away attention and maybe even getting more one on one opportunities because of the guys that he has around him. So yeah, I think he's it's kind of a nuanced thing, but the but the thing about it is that there just aren't very many guys who are this size who play the way that he does, that has that level of smooth that you feel like could even be in range of being the kind of thing that Keldrick Falk has the potential to, you know, potentially grow into.

[Marcus Mosher]

Let's talk about one more pass rusher, Akeem Mazador, who is honestly one of the most fascinating players in this draft. We'll get to him next. This episode is brought to you by TurboTax tax season doesn't have to take over your life this year TurboTax is making it easier than ever to just hand things off and move on with your day. With TurboTax Full Service, you can have your taxes done for you by a trusted local expert, start to finish, without the stress or the guesswork. And instead of spending hours trying to figure out forms, you can meet with a local TurboTax expert in person or connect online. It is a huge time saver and it gives you real peace of mind knowing that an expert is handling it all. And so for a limited time only, you can have your taxes done by a local TurboTax expert for just a hundred and fifty dollars all in. If a TurboTax expert didn't file for you last year, just file by February 28th. So take taxes off your plate and get back to your life. Visit turbotax.com local to book your appointment today.

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[Marcus Mosher]

Welcome back to the Locked on Cowboys podcast. We'd like to thank you for Making us your first listen every single day. Let's talk about a key Mezador from Miami who I find as a is one of the most fascinating players in the draft.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah.

[Marcus Mosher]

What say you?

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, I mean, look, it's really straightforward with him. You know, honest to me, like I, I think it's. It's very straightforward. Let's talk about the player real quick. Stubby defensive end with a very springy lower half. You know, an older prospect who will be 25 his rookie year. Right. Those are kind of the two things to start off with. And then the third thing is that he has an injury history, which is why he is a 25 year old rookie. You know, he had a. There's rumors of, of kind of ongoing foot stuff going on. He had a foot surgery in 2023, but there were also reports that, that maybe he, you know, had some issues at times with Miami. He had an elbow and an arm injury during this season that kind of kept him out. But he was able to make it back to the national championship game. He had a lower extremity injury in 2025. He's just had a series of these and he's gotten some extra time in that because of that, obviously. And he was part of the 2020 class. He was a three star, 636 ranked player in the 2020 class. And you know, again, these are all things that kind of all add up together. But it's part of his, you know, his story and it's probably the biggest negative in his evaluation because on the field he's incredible, right? He plays with good pad level, has a good forward lean in his play posture. He's a fluid athlete moving forward. And especially considering he's 260 pounds plus. He's, he's a stubby defensive end, but he's got the size right. He's very strong and he's very, very well put together. Versatile deployment deployed from three technique all the way out to drop linebacker. His feet are incredibly coordinated with his hands. Everything is extremely well timed. High motor, relentless pursuer. Plays with a plan. Incredibly well developed as a pass rusher. I mean, just moves on top of moves constantly and he always knows what he's going to next. There's no like hesitation and his hands move in a flash. His hands are so good. I bet he could reduce inside and win consistently as a pass rusher in the NFL from the three technique position. You know, in past passing situations, lack of length for him is not a problem at all unless he exposes his chest See the Notre Dame right tackle, 59, who got him a couple times in the chest and kind of stunted his movement. But I mean, again, there's going to be talk about the length here. This is not an issue at all for Messador. Swipe Bull, long arm, swim, Swim Bull. He does them all extremely well versus the run. He will jolt blockers with his chest strike in order to try to immediately create separation to peak. Can get overwhelmed at point of attack at times, especially if his jolt doesn't blow the blocker back. I mean, just because he is a little bit smaller. I mean, just compared to offensive tackles. I think if I had to choose. I mean, I honestly thought about this before I wrote this down. I think if I had to choose one player to win one pass rush rep out of the whole class, it would be Messador. I think he's that good as a pass rusher. Where does he win? He's a ready to go pass rusher, and he needs to be. He's going to be 25 going into the NFL. Unanswered question. What does an NFL career timeline look like? And honestly, the injury and the age are the. Are the two biggest negatives to talk about. He is super, super impressive.

[Marcus Mosher]

I couldn't be more out on a key. Mezador as a first.

[Landon McCool]

Wow. Okay, let's do this.

[Marcus Mosher]

Let's do this. There's a. You mentioned all of the reasons, but I. I don't see anybody that has NFL power at all. And that should be. If you're 24 years old playing in that conference and you don't show any kind of power. That is terrifying to me. On top of the injury concerns, on top of the age concerns, to me, this is somebody that you draft on middle of day two, early on day three of the draft, and put him in your rotation. Because again, if you're looking like historically at this.

[Landon McCool]

Oh, yeah, that's fair.

[Marcus Mosher]

These guys don't hit very often at all. And you're really betting on an outlier here. I would let somebody else take the chance again. I know people are going to say, well, what about Terrence Newman? Terrence Newman did not have the injury history coming out of school like. Like Mezador has. We're actually going to talk more about Mazador and a bonus episode on Monday, so make sure you check that out. But Lynn and I, I'm out.

[Landon McCool]

I. You know, look, the injury and the age thing is scary, and I get it. And for more than one reason of just, you know, him being 25 and you know, being, you know, older, quicker, it's, it's not just about that. It's also has an effect on how you evaluate, you know, these players. So, yeah, I get that. But I think to me, I'm betting on this outlier. I mean, I obviously hoping stays healthy because the tape shows a guy that is, you know, elite with his hand usage in a way that I haven't seen a lot of guys come out of college doing. And I think that he could probably come in and be a pass rusher with some success pretty early in a way that a lot of noted. A lot of pass rushers aren't coming out of college.

[Marcus Mosher]

And we're going to talk about his athleticism later, but I don't think he's going to test at all. And if he does, I don't think he's going to test well. And that would terrify me. So again, we'll check that out. That is it for today's show. We'd like to thank you for making Locked on Cowboys your first listen every single day. If you haven't done so already, check out the everyday club ad free episodes of the Locked on Cowboys podcast available wherever you get your podcast, just go to locked on cowboys.supercast.com to join the club. Follow Landon on Twitter @McCool BCB. I'm @Marcus Underscore Moser and we'll see you right back here tomorrow.

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[Landon McCool]

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[Ross Jackson]

Hey everyone, this is Ross Jackson, one of the hosts of the Locked On Podcast network. If your group chat's been a little quiet lately, I want to invite you to come and join ours. If you sign up for the Everydayer Club, you get access to the members only group chats for your favorite teams, plus national chats for every sport. Personally, I love watching folks talk a little smack in the NFC South Trash talk chat. You also get an ad free version of your favorite Locked on show and a whole lot more. You can check it out by tapping the Everydayer Club link in the show notes.