TL;DR: Can I use a SATA docking station as internal storage for a custom TrueNAS build?
I’m planning to build a NAS using some old computer hardware we have at work, primarily for cold storage. I’m still learning about NAS setups (though I do have a personal one already). I’m wondering if it’s feasible to use a SATA docking station that supports around 5 drives (like those you can buy on Amazon) and connect it directly to the internal SATA data port on the motherboard of my old computer. My current NAS uses three drives, but it has three dedicated SATA (power/data) ports on the motherboard. Would a docking station work in a similar way?
If so, I'd love some suggestions! Most of the SATA docks I can find are USB-C. If that will work — awesome! If not, I wonder if there are docks that have SATA data, rather than USB-C.
Thanks in advance!
EDIT: I should clarify that I realize TrueNAS (Debian) will technically allow me to use external drives as storage, but I'd really rather have dedicated storage that can't easily be removed. I hope to mount the drives/docking station to/with the computer in the server room.