FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys drafted massive nose tackle Quinton Bohanna in the sixth round out of Kentucky for one reason, and for one reason only — to be the anchor of an improved run defense.
New defensive coordinator Dan Quinn made no secret about it following the NFL Draft three weeks ago. He said the 6-foot-4, 360-pound space eater will be placed in the middle of the defensive line.
“He’s going to be right over the center. Sometimes here, other times right there,” Quinn said with a gleam in his eyes, while measuring off the distance with his hands. “He’s a big guy, he’s got great length, he can really bend, and, so, he’s a nose tackle.”
The Cowboys bought into Quinn’s vision and released Antwaun Woods, the former starting nose tackle who’s listed at 6-1 and 318 pounds, the week after the draft.
Quinn has made it a point to bring more size to a defense that struggled mightily against the run last year, ranking 31st in the league and allowing the second-most rushing yards in franchise history.
However relentless Woods, 28, might have been, he was the past vision for what was needed at the position. Today he’s seen by many to be undersized.
Bohanna is the future, as he is one of six defensive linemen added by the Cowboys this offseason who are 6-2 or taller.
He is also the biggest defensive lineman in Cowboys history, making him the perfect wide-body run-stuffer the team was lacking. And it’s a role he relishes.
“I take pride in stopping the run,” Bohanna said. “And letting those guys behind me run free and make plays. My physicality just fits well with the system that Coach Quinn wants to run on defense.”
Bohanna said Quinn has followed through on his promise to place him over center. He barely moved from that spot during rookie mini camp last weekend, save for a few plays he took off because of a minor shoulder injury.
Bohanna will be asked to take on blockers and create traffic jams, allowing the linebackers to get after the ball/. His stats may not reflect his contributions, but he and the coaching staff know what happens when nobody does the dirty work.
“That ain’t hard for me to do. I don’t look at it as a bad thing. That’s a good thing,” Bohanna said. “The team and the coaches know my value and what I can do.”
He fashions himself as a linebacker’s best friend and he believes fellow rookie Micah Parsons and veterans Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith will come to appreciate him like all the others with whom he has played.
“Yes, sir. I’m always known to be like that, we go hand in hand,” Bohanna said. “Linebackers love me.”
