Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys' seventh round rookie is confident he can help defense with its biggest problem

Originally posted on A to Z Sports
By Mauricio Rodriguez | Last updated 5/13/24

Seventh round rookies are never guaranteed a spot on the 53-man roster and Dallas Cowboys' nose tackle Justin Rogers is no exception to the rule.

But he sure has something going for him: The Cowboys perilously need nose tackles.

As of right now, it's second-year Mazi Smith, Carl Davis, and Rogers himself. Truth be told, the former Auburn Tiger won't be facing a lot of competition.

But Rogers believes he can make the roster more important reasons, particularly his ability to help the Cowboys fix their biggest problem on defense: Stopping the run.

Under Dan Quinn, the Cowboys emerged as one of the best passing defenses but they were vulnerable against the run against the big boys around the NFL, leading to painful moments like James Cook's dominant performance in a Buffalo Bills' 31-10 win over Dallas. In the second half of the Cowboys' postseason loss versus the Green Bay Packers, Aaron Jones couldn't be stopped by a Dallas front that was unable to get off the field.

That's why even one year after picking a nose tackle in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Cowboys' defensive tackle room remains one of its weakest. Losing veteran Jonathan Hankins in free agency didn't help, either.

"That's what I do best, stop the run," Rogers proudly told reporters with a smile at rookie minicamp. "Specially clogging the middle up, that's why they brought me in here."

Rogers, who names former Cowboys NT Quinton Bohanna as one of the players he watches for inspiration, thinks it's mindset over anything else that allows him to be the player he is versus the run.

"You just gotta have that mindset, you've got to have that switch," Rogers explained. "When you out there on that field you've got to make sure nobody is running through that middle."

Rogers plans to play at 320 pounds at the NFL, which is exactly what the Cowboys need up front.

"(At 320 pounds) I feel I'm a lot twitchier," Rogers said. "That's why I feel comfortable at that weight to move fast (...) and at 320 I still got power."

Rogers knows what he needs to work on in order to get on the field as a rookie, acknowledging that he isn't a finished product.

"I want to work on my pass rush," Rogers admitted. "Keep working on that, just talking to the vets and picking up knowledge from them."

One thing is for sure. With Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Osa Odighizuwa in that defensive line room, Rogers came to the right place to expand his pass rush repertoire as a pro.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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