The Dallas Cowboys are projected to pick a defensive end at No. 4 selection, according to the latest NFL mock draft.
The Cowboys are one of the several teams who are looking to snatch a quality quarterback in the 2016 NFL draft, but the latest prediction has the team in play to select a defensive prospect.
According to ESPN's Bill Barnwell, the Cowboys, who select at No. 4 come draft night, may elect to pick a defensive lineman in Ohio State's Joey Bosa, if the team misses out on the top quarterbacks in this year's draft class.
Barnwell noted that it would "make sense" for the Cowboys to target a pass-rusher in Bosa, with defensive lineman Greg Hardy exploring free agency and Randy Gregory facing a four-game ban at the start of the 2016-2017 season.
"There is a far more plausible prospect on the edge for the Cowboys at No. 4 in Ohio State product Joey Bosa, who had 26 sacks despite seeing steady double- and even triple-teams during his time in school," Barnwell wrote.
"Even if Bosa's ceiling isn't quite as high as you might hope for with the fourth pick, he should be an immediate contributor to a defensive line, which would suddenly look very stout with his arrival."
The Detroit News' latest NFL mock draft also has Bosa being selected by the Cowboys at No. 4 as a replacement for Hardy. However, Bosa has been deemed by ESPN's Ryan McGee as a potential risk for any NFL clubs, with the 6-foot-5 269 pounder's violation of athletic department policy that led to a 2015 season-opening suspension.
McGee added, citing NFL team officials, that Bosa's suspension was because of a drug test the 20-year-old DE skipped over fears of a prescription drug that would cause him to fail the test. But according to GM Bill Polian, Bosa's action raises concerns about "bad judgment skills," which could put a team in jeopardy.
"I think teams were more willing to ignore these things in the past, but not now," Polian said, reports ESPN. "There is too much money and time invested at the top of the board. If there's a flag that says 'bad judgment skills,' not every team is going to care. But way more care now than ever have before."
The Cowboys have a great chance of being the first NFL team in draft night to pick a quarterback, and they might as well head with that plan if Dallas consider Bosa as a risky option at No. 4.