2016 NFL Mock Draft: Dallas Cowboys Select OLB Myles Jack at No. 4

With the fourth pick in the 2016 DBN Community NFL Mock Draft, the Dallas Cowboys select...

Myles Jack, OLB, UCLA

The selection and write-up were made by Manly and Loving It:

The Dallas Cowboys are lucky this year. Lucky that I am drafting for them in the first round instead of Jerry Jones.  Because of this, they end up with linebacker Myles Jack with the fourth overall selection instead of Alabama running back Derrick Henry, which became Jerry Jones's plan after Jerry watched the Combine and circled Henry's name at #4 after being shown the graphic comparing the eerily similar measurables of Henry and Denver's Von Miller. "They don't make 'em like that up North" he said, while doodling a picture of cow with a bell around its neck next to Henry's name.

Myles Jack will help Dallas right away on a defense that needs a playmaker. Sean Lee is a good linebacker when healthy, which is roughly as often as Josh Gordon is eligible. Rolando McClain is a good linebacker, but will undoubtedly be out for some portion of the season after deciding which infraction will keep his resume interesting. Myles Jack will lesson the blows of those inevitable losses, and will be an immediate starter in Rod Marinelli's defense, with the former Tampa Bay defensive coordinator hoping to mold Jack into his new Derrick Brooks.

Jack is a linebacker that will be suited in the 4-3 defense of Dallas under Marinelli, where he can use his athletic gifts and tenacity to fly around as the weak-side linebacker, covering tight-ends better than most safeties, and chasing down plays he has no business making in both the run and passing game.

Cowboys fans in noisy sports bars across the nation will initially be uncertain about this pick as the name "Myles Jack, LB" scrolls across the bottom of the TV screen, since Cowboy fans can't read.  The Yankees fan in their group will then explain that they drafted the linebacker with the bum knee, and much hilarity will ensue as they try to figure out why the Cowboys drafted that guy from Notre Dame.

At the end of the day, however, the Cowboys get a valuable commodity their defense is lacking: versatility and explosiveness. Sean Lee and Myles Jack immediately make a terrifying duo of coverage linebackers for opposing offensive coordinators, while Rolando McClain will simply remain terrifying. Fans of Tony Romo should be happy with this selection, as the Cowboys get a versatile weapon for their defense while there will likely be a strong group of talent at the wide receiver and defensive line positions available for their second round selection. Romo should be happy that he gets an injection of talent on the other side of the ball, and avoids the indignity of having Derrick Henry end his career by accidentally wrenching the ball from his hands too aggressively during a handoff, exploding Tony's clavicle into a fine powder.

I think the Cowboys have been too associated with a quarterback in the draft for the past several years. I understand that Tony Romo keeps getting hurt, but this team should really be talented enough to compete in the NFC East even with a servicable backup. If they aim for a quarterback, it should be in a later round so they don't have to pass up on a very good defender like Jack.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are up next, led by Bob Stalnaker.

2016 DBN Community Mock Draft Results (so far)