The Dallas Cowboys acquired veteran defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins from Las Vegas in a move to bolster the run defense for one of the NFL’s best units, a person with knowledge of the trade said Tuesday.
Dallas is giving the Raiders a sixth-round pick in next year’s draft and getting a seventh-rounder in 2024, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn’t been announced.
Hankins was a healthy scratch two weeks ago in his third season with the Raiders, with one start in the five games he has played.
The 30-year-old Hankins was drafted in the second round by the New York Giants in 2013. He didn’t get a second contract there, spending 2017 with Indianapolis before joining the Raiders.
The Cowboys lead the NFL with 29 sacks and had a season-high five takeaways in last week’s 24-6 victory over Detroit, pushing that total to 12.
The closest thing to a weakness for the Dallas defense has been against the run. The Cowboys are ranked sixth overall, but 20th in run defense.
Hankins has 366 total tackles with 36 tackles for loss over 10 seasons.
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