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With pick No. 251 in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys took Ken Bishop, a defensive tackle out of Northern Illinois University.
It is not often that a seventh round pick can come in and make an immediate impact, but that might not be the case with Bishop. I say that because during OTA’s, Bishop has had the lion’s share of snaps at the 1-technique spot in defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli’s defense, and has been impressive.
Prior to the Draft, Bishop was a guy that I was personally very high on. I was particularly impressed with his power at the point of attack; he can swallow up multiple blockers. However, Bishop offers a lot more than just power at the point of attack. In fact, I think that once we see him on the field, Bishop will surprise with his athleticism and quickness.
In college, Bishop was a consensus first team All-MAC selection in 2013 after posting 70 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, two interceptions, 1.5 sacks and one fumble recovery. Those numbers are pretty solid given that he is primarily asked to eat up the double team and stop the run.
Heading into training camp, Bishop will have to battle with 2013 starter Nick Hayden, free agent acquisitions Jeremy Mincey, Amobi Okoye and Terrell McClain, and fellow rookie Davon Coleman for playing time.
I fully expect that the Cowboys will have a new starting 1-technique defensive tackle when the season kicks off because Hayden’s play last season was dreadful. In fact, Hayden was Pro Football Focus’ second-worst graded starting defensive tackle with an overall grade of -27.4.
I cannot say with certainty that Bishop will be a starting at defensive tackle, but if he can go into camp and continue taking advantage of the opportunity, it could go a long way toward fixing the atrocity that was the Cowboys defense.
Jesus Flores is a Dallas Cowboys writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @SSgtFlo1 or add him to your network on Google
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