Getty Dallas Cowboys' Jerry Jones and Mike McCarthy speak to the media.
The Dallas Cowboys are set to make their first pick of the 2023 NFL draft at the 26th spot, and one local prospect is hoping the NFC East franchise selects him.
Of course, there’s quite a gap between a player wanting to be on a team and the front office actually selecting him. However, TCU standout offensive lineman Steve Avila is the type of hometown prospect any NFL franchise would like.
The former Horned Frog is from Arlington, Texas and was a captain for TCU during their run to the CFP National Championship Game. Now, he’s telling TMZ that he’d be happy to stay in Dallas to start his NFL career.
“I didn’t really watch football [growing up] as funny as it sounds, but being in Dallas, everybody’s a Cowboys fan. My parents are so it was hard to not be around the Cowboys growing up. There is a respect I do have for them and honestly any organization. But it would be honestly, the best to stay home. I’ve been home my whole career, so we’ll see if we can keep that streak going,” Avila explained.
Avila has been the definition of a “hometown hero” with TCU, but getting to the Cowboys would take his profile to another level.
Avila Takes TCU to the Top
Something NFL teams want to see in top prospects is the quantity and quality of reps. Avila has that in spades, starting in 35 games for the Horned Frogs over the past three seasons. The fact that he’s split time between guard and center over that span only helps.
And while Avila was clearly a talent after the 2021 season, the 2022 campaign was his best by far. He was TCU’s first consensus All-American since 2015, and led the team in snaps while doing it with 1,044, according to the university’s website.
Further, Avila has not been credited with a sack in the past two seasons. That includes the games against National Champions Georgia and in the semi-final against Michigan. When TCU faced the best of the best, Avila delivered.
Cowboys Could ‘Steal’ Avila
While Avila could definitely go in the first round and before the 26th overall pick, some mocks have him going on Day 2. In fact, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein describes him squarely as a Day 2 pick.
“Three-year starter who offers versatility, power and athleticism. Playing at a lighter weight should not be a problem if teams want that from him. His girth makes him resistant to opposing power, and he’s light enough on his feet for pass protection duties and run blocks that extend beyond the box, Avila is likely to start right away as a Day 2 draft pick and should have a solid NFL career as either a guard or center,” the profile reads.
If he does slip into the second round or even third round, it would be hard to pass on his resume. However, Dallas has Tyler Biadasz at center, legendary OL Zack Martin and they just signed Chuma Edoga.
That would mean that Avila has an uphill climb to an immediate starting job, but sitting behind someone of Martin’s quality would also be the perfect tutoring for a rookie. The Cowboys have other needs as well, but Avila feels like a safe pick if he’s around on Day 2.