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Cowboys return to Arkansas, steal DT John Ridgeway with final 5th-round pick in 2022 draft

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The Dallas Cowboys have been having themselves a heck of a Day 3 of the 2022 NFL draft. With six picks on the day including five in the fifth round, Dallas has been sizing up specific targets all weekend. Each selection has been one the club has telegraphed and the final pick of the four fifths is similar.

Owner Jerry Jones is one of the proudest alums from the University of Arkansas, but for the first time since Felix Jones, the Cowboys have gone there with the selection of DT John Ridgeway. Ridgeway is a mammoth nose tackle, weighing in at 321 pounds, and will help Dallas on early downs in shutting down the run.

A transfer from Illinois State, Ridgeway was seen as a potential third-round pick from The Draft Network and Dane Brugler of The Athletic. To get him near the end of the third round is great value.

From The Draft Network:

In his one year at Arkansas, Ridgeway was able to make an impression and took on some of the best offensive lines the SEC has to offer. The Razorbacks played a grueling schedule which was a good test for the FCS transfer, playing programs like Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Auburn, and Penn State. Ridgeway passed the test. Ridgeway served as the anchor for the Razorback defense and was consistently able to take on double teams and be a disruptive force in the middle of the defense. Ridgeway has natural strength and heavy hands that, when he shoots his hands, can knock back the offensive lineman and literally press their upper body backward. Ridgeway plays in a low stance where he is able to play with good leverage, which makes him a difficult player to move even with double teams. On the next level in the right scheme, Ridgeway can be an immediate starter and can become an instant run-stopping interior defensive lineman.