Cowboys roster 2023 countdown to kickoff, Asim Richards profile and overview

We’re continuing our countdown to the opening game of the Dallas Cowboys 2023 regular season. Each day we’ll present a new player whose jersey number represents the countdown to opening day. Today is number 76.

OL Asim Richards
Born: 2nd October 2000 (22) – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
College: North Carolina Tar Heels
Draft: 2023, Round 6, Pick 169, Dallas Cowboys

2022 Stats: (College)
Total Snaps: 971
Pass Block Snaps: 574
Run Block Snaps: 326
Sacks: 2
Pressures: 14
Penalties: 3

College:
Asim “Awesome” Richards enrolled at North Carolina in 2019 and took a backup role during his freshman year on the offensive line. During his freshman year he also took snaps on special teams. By his sophomore year he was playing as the Tar Heels starting left tackle. He would be a key player that would help quarterback Sam Howell break school records. His efforts got him named third-team All-ACC when he allowed only three sacks on 667 pass blocking snaps. In his final year playing at North Carolina he was the teams best pass blocker and his abilities clearly stood out. His game against Miami Hurricanes in Week 6 was the best he ever played as he dominated the entire game helping North Carolina win a closely contested game.

Cowboys Outlook:
The Cowboys offensive line has some important positions that have got suddenly older, and with that come questions to how much time is left. As a result, fans and coaches want to keep an eye on the future of the offensive line, and that was exactly the reason for Richards getting selected by Dallas. Some wanted the front office to take an inside lineman early, but it was Richards the Cowboys wanted and they targeted him in Day 3 of the draft. His height, weight and ability to occupy space in the run game, as well as his finesse blocking technique mean he could play guard in the NFL as opposed to the tackle position he played in college. Where he lines up during camp will be the biggest tell for the coaches intentions, and hopefully he does enough to show off his skills to help add depth along the offensive line for 2023.

Projected 2023 Stats:
Total Snaps: 14
Pass Block Snaps: 6
Run Block Snaps: 8
Pressures: 1
Sacks: 0

The Big Question:
What position will Asim Richards play as a depth player this year? Leave your answers in the comments section