Cowboys' Randy Gregory studying tape of former Pro Bowler Simeon Rice

Dallas cowboys pass rusher Randy Gregory has a lot to prove after questions surrounding personal issues allowed him to fall all the way to the second Round of the NFL Draft.

Gregory is leaning on defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli to improve his technique and quiet all of the questions surrounding the supremely talented rookie.

"I watch a lot of Simeon (Rice)," Gregory told NFL Media's Tiffany Blackmon on Thursday. "His length is probably the biggest thing I've taken notice of. He uses it very well and that's something I've really been trying to do. My long arm I think is getting better in camp and it's only going to get better the more I play, and Jason Taylor, he's real athletic, tall guy, long, kind of myself. So they're real athletic. They do a lot of good things and I'm gonna take the things that Coach Marinelli preaches and get off the ball. I'm trying to get off the ball as much as I can."

Rice and Marinelli won a Super Bowl together with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he complied 122 sacks over his 13 year career.

As Gregory bulks up, already up to 242 pounds and hoping to be at 245 by training camp, he will need to become a better fundamental player, unable to completely rely on his speed and acceleration at the NFL level.

"You got to really be a technician," he said. "That's why guys like J.J. Watt, Aldon Smith, Rice, guys like that, that I've looked at and tried to model my game after, they are just technicians and they do certain things really, really well."