Siaki Ika is an inch taller, thirty pounds heavier, and almost ten years younger than the Cowboys current nose tackle, Jonathan Hankins. Before they traded for Hankins midway through the 2022 season, Dallas had never seemed to value that type of interior defensive linemen. In reality, giving up a sixth rounder for a low-salary veteran on an expiring deal isn’t exactly shoveling money out the window either. But when the most sizable prior investment was a late Day 3 pick on Quinton Bohanna, Hankins’ acquisition was monumental progress.
Re-signing Hankins this off-season projects hope Jerry Jones and his son Stephen know the team needs impactful one-technique defensive tackles. That philosophy change could lead to the team trying to get a younger, powerhouse run stopper for the future of the defense in the top 100 of the draft. If defensive coordinator Dan Quinn requests this type of commitment to the position, one of his targets in that range could be Ika.