Dallas Cowboys select Arkansas defensive lineman John Ridgeway in 2022 NFL Draft

Another former Arkansas standout is off the board. John Ridgeway is heading to the NFL.

The Dallas Cowboys selected Ridgeway in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He started 11 of 12 games in 2021 after transferring from FCS Illinois State — only missing the season opener after undergoing an appendectomy.

Ridgeway had 39 total tackles last season to go with 4.0 tackles for loss and two sacks. Between Illinois State and Arkansas, he totaled 141 tackles, 12.0 tackles for loss and three sacks during his four-year career.

Out of high school, Ridgeway was a three-star recruit and the No. 59 prospect in the state of Illinois from the Class of 2017, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about John Ridgeway

Mock Drafts largely projected Ridgeway to go in either the third or fourth round heading into the draft. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein offered his assessment Ridgeway, saying a position change might come once the former Razorback enters the league.

“College nose tackle with the size and length for consideration along the interior or as an odd front defensive end,” Zierlein wrote. “Ridgeway is more wrestler than gap-eater when taking on blocks as a nose. He’s likely to be coveted by traits-based evaluators eager to develop the physical ingredients into a more polished product.

“While most of his experience has come at nose tackle, the sum of his parts might make more sense as a 3-4 defensive end, where his long arms and natural power would become more beneficial as an edge-setter. Regardless of position, he won’t offer much help as a pass rusher, so rotational lineman with upside is likely to become his tag as a Day 3 prospect.”