2025 NFL Draft: Defensive tackles who could be sneaky-good late-round finds for the Cowboys

If the Cowboys wait to find a defensive tackle, here are three players they should target on Day 3.

The big day is here. Soon, the Dallas Cowboys will add new talent to their roster. The team could use help in a multitude of areas, but sadly, they only have three premium draft picks to work with. With more needs than picks, the Cowboys will inevitably have to leave an area unaddressed, or at least, unaddressed in the sense of not grabbing one of the top 100 players in the draft.

Over the weekend, I posed the following question to those in the X universe…

While it would be nice to cover each of these needs, the one most people were most content with leaving out was the nose tackle. Maybe it’s because if Mazi Smith continues to improve, he presents a livable floor for the position, whereas gaps in these other areas present bigger problems.

If that’s the route they take, all is not lost. The team can still throw some late-round darts at some big noses. Here are three defensive tackles who could be sneaky-good late-round finds for the Cowboys.

Jay Toia, UCLA

At 340 pounds, Toia has spent the last three seasons taking up space for the Bruins’ defensive line. He’s a hyper player, always moving and slowly pushing the pile. He’s a consistent roadblock that forces offenses to find another path. While he’s not a great shedder, he does have good play awareness and will follow the play. This creates opportunities for pass deflections and late-play tackles. He doesn’t quit. And while his role will be a two-down run-stopping nose, his happy feet allow him to create pressures on the quarterback.

But as big as he is and the energy he brings, his college production just doesn’t tell much of a story, and that’s why he’ll be available later in the draft. He’s not able to bring the power you’d hope a guy his size would, and he’s just there to absorb blocks and let the other guys clean up. If his game were a little more disciplined and he wasn’t just out there running amok, he might be a more productive big man.

Yahya Black, Iowa

The Hawkeye big man brings a different kind of size to his game as his 330 pounds is distributed throughout his 6’5” height and 84-inch wingspan. He’s a big fella. Black uses his arms well to create leverage and shed blocks. He’s not a crafty escape artist when it comes to disengaging, but he’s effective in keeping linemen from getting the better of him. And he’s good at cutting loose at the last second and using those long arms to snap ball carriers firing through the creases. There is nothing dazzling about his play style, but he’s an effective run-stopper and uses his length to make plays. He had five deflected passes in 2023.

Similar to Toia, Black isn’t able to maximize the benefits of a player of that size. He doesn’t possess the athletic traits to punish blockers and get after the quarterback. His tall stature contributes to an upright playing style that will see him lose leverage here and there. His size and decent mobility offer that “what if” potential, but his lack of splashiness up until this point will keep his draft price low.

Nazir Stackhouse, Georgia

For three years, the Bulldog bulldozer has brought strength in the middle of Georgia’s defensive line. While Toia is a heavy wrecking ball and Black is a tall Venus flytrap, Stackhouse is built more proportionally and provides better movement. He’s a strong guy who, like these others, is hard to move, but he also exhibits better balance and the ability to explode at the ball carrier.

Similar to these other guys, Stackhouse just doesn’t have the splash plays to put on his résumé. His college production is like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. He clogs the lanes, and others get the glory. He also suffers from narcolepsy, which has presented its own challenges. While he’s just one of many in a great Georgia defensive line, he’s not one that should be forgotten.

If the Cowboys don’t address defensive tackle early, these three are great-value nose options that should be available later in the draft.