Thursday’s 2023 NBA draft proceedings inspired the folks over at Touchdown Wire to work up a new NFL mock for 2024.
Dallas lands the 27th overall pick, thanks to Pro Football Network’s mock draft simulator, and they use the selection to once again bolster the defensive side of the ball.
But longtime Cowboys fans may have to get past an initial shudder when they hear the name written on the hypothetical card, as it’s one that once made an entire career out of tormenting America’s Team.
With the 27th pick in this mock draft, the Dallas Cowboys select Jeremiah Trotter Jr., linebacker, Clemson.
Jeremiah Trotter on the Eagles vs Cowboys rivalry #FlyEaglesFly | @JTrotter_54 pic.twitter.com/MkGbGh955Y
— JAKIB Sports (@JAKIBSports) July 7, 2022
Trotter’s father was a third-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1998. After only minor contributions as a rookie backup, the linebacker out of Stephen F. Austin was named a starter once Andy Reid took the reins in 1999. Over his next three seasons in Philly, Trotter led the team in tackles and was named to two Pro Bowls before a franchise tag dispute led to him jumping ship and signing with Washington in 2002.
Trotter returned to the Eagles in 2004 and played for three more seasons, earning two more Pro Bowl nods and playing in Super Bowl XXXIX. After a lone season in Tampa Bay, Trotter came back to Philadelphia for a third stint in 2009 as a September injury replacement. He was not re-signed in 2010, but was made a member of the franchise’s Hall of Fame in 2016.
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Jeremiah Jr. is entering his junior season at Clemson. A five-star prospect coming out of prep school in Pennsylvania, Jeremiah Jr. burst onto the scene in his sophomore year with the Tigers. A 14-game starter in 2022, he led the team in tackles and tackles for loss, and he was tied for the team lead in sacks. After adding seven defended passes, two interceptions (one returned for a score), and a forced fumble, Jeremiah Jr. was named a second-team All-American.
Expected to continue that kind of dominance in 2023, he’s considered the best returning linebacker in the nation and possibly a top-10 pick in the 2024 draft.
“For my game, I think I’m very versatile,” Trotter said, per PFF. “I feel like I don’t have a major weakness in my game. If you need me to cover a running back or tight end, I can do that. If you want to blitz me, I can blitz. If you need someone who’s physical in the run game and taking on linemen, I can do that. That’s a part of my game that separates me from a lot of linebackers.”
Jeremiah Trotter, Jr. pic.twitter.com/VeQ1ObXAGk
— Seldom Used Reserve (@seldomusedres) November 22, 2022
The only knock on Jeremiah Jr. might be his size. At 6 feet even and 230 pounds, he’s below ideal linebacker numbers. He’d be neck-and-neck with Devin Harper as the shortest linebacker on the Cowboys’ current roster and outweigh current rookies DeMarvion Overshown and Isaiah Land- the lightest ‘backers in the building- by just a few pounds.
But a solid 2023 campaign and the respect- especially around Dallas- that comes with that last name would certainly go along way in prompting the Cowboys to embrace the son of a former rival if he were to fall to them in next spring’ draft.
“Learning from my dad was an experience that I really enjoyed because of all the knowledge he’s gained throughout his career in college and the NFL,” says the younger Trotter. “All of the great minds that poured into him, he was able to pour out into me. It really helped me become the linebacker that I am today.”
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