We are less than a week out from the NFL draft, and the Dallas Cowboys currently own the 12th overall pick, and as of now, it really is not clear what they might do with the pick.
We will probably have to wait and see what happens above them, this is the first draft in awhile where it feels like a player that could be drafted at 5 or 6 could fall all the way down to 15-16.
With that said, the front office once again are staying cheap before the draft and added another offensive lineman who is recovering from a major knee injury.
The Cowboys have a deal with OL Hakeem Adeniji, who has experience at guard and tackle. He spent last year on injured reserve with Cleveland after suffering a knee injury. More OL depth for Dallas.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) April 17, 2025
Hakeem Adeniji
The 27-year-old began his career as a sixth-round pick by the Bengals in 2020 and appeared in 15 games with five starts as a rookie.
Adeniji didn’t earn a starting job entering the 2021 regular season, but he took over at right guard in Week 9 and started every remaining game in Cincinnati’s run to the Super Bowl.
He made five starts as a rookie and 15 total appearances. Adeniji suffered a torn pectoral muscle ahead of the 2021 campaign and consequently only played in nine games that season. In his final season with the Bengals, Adeniji served as a backup right tackle.
He suffered a knee injury as a member of the Browns last season, was placed on injury reserve, and here we go again, the Cowboys taking a chance on a guy who is cheap with starting experience and hoping they get lucky and hit a home run.
Hakeem Adeniji is holding on for dear life out there, without a flag.
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) January 16, 2023
He can play both guard and tackle. The Dallas Cowboys will welcome the help up front. Last season, the Cowboys gave up 52 sacks, the third-most in the NFL.
Other Signings
The Cowboys have now signed three external free agents on the offensive line with the addition of Adeniji, joining Saahdiq Charles and Robert Jones from earlier points in the offseason.
If they do not draft an offensive lineman with the 12th overall pick, this looks like all they will have as they enter 2025.
This is a huge gamble. With the retirement of Zack Martin, they got worse up front, and they already gave up 52 sacks. Not ideal.
The right guard position is still up for grabs, with Adeniji possessing the ability to play at both tackle and guard for Dallas.
He’ll likely be battling Charles, Jones, Brock Hoffman and T.J. Bass for the vacancy left by Zack Martin, as well as backup jobs across the entire line.
If I had to pick someone, Bass is the man that I would guess will take that job by the horns and run so far away with it, nobody will even think about wanting him to give it back.
Bass has made 32 appearances with 5 starts, showing the potential to play multiple positions on the offensive line. As the team gears up for the NFL Draft, Bass faces competition but aims to secure a more prominent role on the roster.
Bass started 34 straight games throughout three seasons in college. He played over 2,000 snaps and earned first-team all-Pac-12 honors from the coaches in 2021 and 2022.
Yet Bass went undrafted when he was a projected first round pick.
Look, I hope I am totally wrong about Adeniji, and he somehow becomes a great offensive lineman, even if it is for a year, but it is so hard to come off nearly a career-ending injury and be able to step back in and be great.
Bengals OL Hakeem Adeniji just forced a fumble by Bengals RB Trayveon Williams, with his butt.
The Cowboys recovered and returned it for a touchdown, to lead 10-0.
Bengals with the upper hand, early on.
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) December 13, 2020
This offensive line has a lot to fix, and by the guys they have signed this offseason, I think they may be worse than they were a year ago.
You lose a first ballot Hall of Famer, and sign three guys who have struggled in this league from the jump.
Drafting Guard Tyler Booker or OT Kelvin Banks Jr would go a long way to help this O-line almost instantly. Both these guys can forklift, pancake, ragdoll, and they play through the whistle and a bit more.
There will be plenty of OL options in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, just like last year:
Jonah Savaiinaea
Wyatt Milum
Aireontae Ersery
Josh Conerly Jr.
Marcus Mbow
Tate Ratledge
Emery Jones
Ozzy Trapilo
Cameron Williams
All of these should still be there and could likely be starters at RG, or even RT or LT if Steele and Guyton don’t get it together during the offseason.