Matt
Farniok.
Matt
Farniok.
Nebraska· 6'6"· 319 lb
"A 6-foot-6, 319-lb Nebraska five-year starter with 44 college games across right tackle, left guard and center — a Day 3 developmental interior projection where the versatility and length were the argument, not the athletic testing."Pre-draft read
As an interior blocker, he uses his frame and reach over quickness. He excels in a gap-and-power scheme, extending into a defender's chest and sustaining blocks by getting his eyes to the far shoulder. He recovers by pulling defenders past the point of attack, though he gets dislodged when over-stressing his front leg. He cross-trained at center, demonstrating clean shotgun snaps and good pre-snap communication.
In pass protection, he sets deep with wide hands, employing his frame to wall off B-gap rushers. He performs best on twists, cleanly passing off defenders and staying square. He struggles against quicker interior linemen who threaten half-a-man edges, showing late hand recoil and tending to catch rather than punch, which compromises his anchor.
A gap-and-power run scheme that prioritizes down blocks, double teams, and folds with consistent hand placement.
As a Year 1 player, Farniok projects as a versatile swing interior backup, bringing value from his ability to play all three interior spots thanks to his football IQ and grip strength. His ceiling is a long-term OL6/OL7.
An outside zone heavy run scheme where he's asked to consistently execute reach blocks or cut off on the back side.
Farniok’s strong hands and ability to sustain blocks once engaged make him a good fit for a power run scheme where he can excel in down blocks and combo scenarios.
Matt Farniok in 5 Plays
Game film cut-up of Matt Farniok's Nebraska tape.
Matt Farniok 40-yard dash
Game film cut-up of Matt Farniok's Nebraska tape.
Matt Farniok Highlights
Game film cut-up of Matt Farniok's Nebraska tape.
He projects as a swing interior backup, valued more for his center-guard flexibility and high football IQ than any single standout physical trait. Evaluators saw him as a potential depth piece, suitable for an OL7-OL8 role, capable of covering multiple interior line positions for a team.
He entered college as a highly-ranked tackle recruit, becoming one of the most experienced offensive linemen in his class by starting 44 games across right tackle, left guard, and center. This positional versatility and consistent availability were central aspects of his evaluation during the draft process.
The pre-draft assessment phase was limited during a pandemic year, with no NFL Combine invitation and testing at a scaled-down pro day where his athletic numbers did not distinguish him. These factors, coupled with concerns about his reactive quickness, positioned him firmly in the seventh-round to priority undrafted free-agent range, leading to his selection by Dallas with the 238th pick.
- 01
Positional versatility
Started 44 games across right tackle, left guard, and center, demonstrating significant experience at multiple spots.
- 02
Frame and length
With a six-foot-six official measurement, he possesses above-average arm length for an interior lineman, aiding in leverage and extension.
- 03
Grip strength
Once hands are engaged inside, he sustains blocks through the whistle; power-scheme run blockers rarely manage to disengage him.
- 04
Football IQ and communication
Experience at center required ownership of protection calls and front identification, noted for his pre-snap processing.
- 05
Down-block and combo work
Comfortable in a gap-and-power run scheme, showing an ability to fold, short-pull, and combo up to the second level effectively.
- 01
Reactive quickness
Struggles to mirror shorter, twitchier interior rushers; his hip flip is late, often leading to catching rather than punching on contact.
- 02
Anchor versus power
His high pad level and tall frame create leverage opportunities for bull rushes; he can be walked into the pocket when his weight shifts forward.
- 03
Athletic testing profile
Pro day numbers did not reveal elite splits, aligning with film observations of below-average lateral movement ability.
- 04
Hand timing
Punch often arrives late and outside the defender's frame, particularly in pass protection, allowing swat and cross-chop moves.
| Yr | Team | G |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Nebraska | 10 |
| 2018 | Nebraska | 12 |
| 2019 | Nebraska | 12 |
| 2020 | Nebraska | 8 |
| Career | — | 42 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Versatile college-tackle-turned-interior swing who bounced between practice squad and active gameday roster as an emergency OL7.
Late-round Big 12/Big Ten interior with center-guard flex who became a rotational contributor on a good line.
Long, high-pad-level developmental frame whose reactive quickness limited him to camp/practice-squad tenure.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Pre-draft context. Farniok was a four-star Nebraska recruit who redshirted, then started 44 games across three positions — right tackle as a redshirt freshman, left guard in the middle of his career, and center by his senior season. He was not invited to the combine in a pandemic-shortened cycle and tested at a stripped-down Nebraska pro day; boards had him as a late-Day 3 or priority undrafted swing interior with real length and communication chops but limited reactive quickness.
NFL fit — Dallas Cowboys. Dallas took him with the second-to-last pick of the 2021 draft as a developmental interior body behind a stable veteran line. He bounced between the active roster and practice squad through the 2021 and 2022 seasons, then earned a more permanent gameday helmet in 2022 and 2023 as a reserve center-guard capable of dressing on Sunday when a swing interior was inactive-eligible. He drew emergency snaps at guard and center in that stretch, remained with Dallas through their 2023 season and continued cycling through the practice squad / active roster interior depth chart into the 2024 cycle.
Retrospective. Value-wise, a pick that clears the Day 3 bar: a seventh-round center-guard hybrid who stayed in the league on his original team for multiple seasons, got real NFL snaps in a pinch, and functioned as the swing interior insurance a contending line needs. He never developed into a starter, and the athletic and reactive-quickness limits scouts flagged in 2021 defined the ceiling, but the versatility and pro habits paid off — a mixed hit, sitting exactly in the OL7-OL8 role his profile projected.