Cowboys storylines and targets, area prospects, and more

The NFL draft is almost back to normal. Teams once again can conduct business at their team facilities and coaches and team personnel can visit colleges and universities for pro days. There wasn’t a scouting combine in 2021 (that could return in 2022) but teams were still able to evaluate talent from a limited amount of regular season college games.

The Cowboys, who hold the No. 10 pick, have many needs on defense. They were in the same situation last year yet selected Oklahoma receiver CeeDee Lamb in the first round, as you never know who’s going to be available when it’s time to pick.

Here’s our primer for what the Cowboys might do in the April 29-May 1 draft. Check back often as we’ll continue to update this guide with fresh content until the day of the draft.

After conducting a completely virtual draft last season, which included an appearance by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones from his superyacht, the NFL is returning to an in-person, three-day event in Cleveland.

Round 1: 7 p.m.-10:30 p.m., Thursday, April 29 (ESPN, ABC, NFL Network)

Rounds 2-3: 6 p.m.-10:30 p.m., Friday, April 30 (ESPN/ESPN2, ABC, NFL Network)

Rounds 4-7: 11 a.m.-6 p.m., , Saturday, May 1 (ESPN, ABC, NFL Network)

Cowboys’ picks

The Cowboys have 10 total selections, including four compensatory picks for players lost in free agency.

Round 1: 10

Round 2: 44

Round 3: 75, 99*

Round 4: 115, 138*

Round 5: 179*

Round 6: 192, 227*

Round 7: 238

*Compensatory selection

Key storylines for Cowboys

Trio of cornerbacks rise above

The Cowboys’ pass defense was miserable in 2020. The defense tied for the third-most passing touchdowns allowed (34) and had the second-fewest pass deflections (46) in the NFL.

It’s no surprise starting cornerback Chidobe Awuzie was not re-signed this offseason. The return of Jourdan Lewis as a slot corner is more about fit but doesn’t guarantee his long-term status.

This is a corner heavy draft and the Cowboys, with the 10th overall pick, have an opportunity to improve.

Patrick Surtain II, Jaycee Horn and Caleb Farley are the top three cornerbacks in this draft.

“I feel like I’m the best defensive player in the draft,” said Horn, a South Carolina corner whose dad was former NFL receiver Joe Horn. “I’m versatile. I got the size. I got the speed, athletic, I faced every receiver body type from Kyle Pitts (Florida) to Elijah Moore (Mississippi) to DeVonta Smith (Alabama). I feel like I’m the best cornerback in the draft.”

Helping Horn’s stock was a dynamic pro day where he ran a blazing 4.39 40 and produced a vertical jump of 41.5 inches.

Surtain is equally talented. He was the 2020 SEC Defensive Player of the Year and he displayed his speed (4.46 40) and strength (18 bench reps at 225 pounds) at Alabama’s pro day. Surtain looks more physical than Horn and that could be the difference between the two players.

Is Surtain a better man-to-man corner than Horn? He said his patience and poise at the line makes him good at man coverage.

“I’m very fundamental when it comes to press,” Surtain said. “Eyes on the hips, feet and hands. Just patience at the line of scrimmage just forcing the receiver to release and dictate where he’s going to go.”

Farley from Virginia Tech is an outstanding corner, too, but he recently underwent back surgery, raising questions about his availability for training camp.

Agent Drew Rosenhaus said Farley should be ready by the end of July and isn’t too concerned about the surgery.

Bypassing a corner in Round 1 is a gamble considering the type of talent available.

Yet, Greg Newsome (Northwestern), Elijah Molden (Washington) and Eric Stokes (Georgia) are late first-round or possibly early second-round players who might draw interest.

But considering what just transpired with the Cowboys defense in 2020, getting a corner on Day 1 of the draft seems imperative.

Last five picks at No. 10

The Cowboys have never held the 10th overall selection in the draft. Here are the last five players selected at No. 10:

2016: Eli Apple, CB, NY Giants

2017: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City

2018: Josh Rosen, QB, Arizona

2019: Devin Bush, LB, Pittsburgh

2020: Jedrick Wills, T, Cleveland

Should the Cowboys find their next tackle?

The Cowboys once used free agency to build their offensive line. Things changed in 2011 when the Cowboys selected USC tackle Tyron Smith with the ninth overall pick. That started a major rebuild that also produced elite interior linemen Travis Frederick (first round, 2013) and Zack Martin (first round, 2014). Martin and Smith are potential Hall of Famers. Both players were named to the 2010s All-Decade Team and have combined for six All-Pro selections.

Frederick retired last year, and while Martin remains at an elite level, it might be time to find a new tackle. Smith, the left tackle, is coming off neck surgery that limited him to two regular season games. La’el Collins, the right tackle, had hip surgery that forced him to miss the entire 2020 season.

Will the Cowboys move toward drafting a tackle again with the health issues Collins and Smith are trying to overcome? Is it time for another rebuild of the offensive line?

Northwestern’s Rashawn Slater is considered one of the better tackles in this upcoming draft. Despite opting out of the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic, his 2019 game tape speaks volumes.

His handling of Ohio State defensive end Chase Young in their 2019 matchup showed NFL teams he’s got the ability to become an elite tackle.

“That game gets talked about a lot,” Slater said.

Getting Slater at No. 10 is a risk considering the defensive needs of this team.

Slater, a Houston native, has few negatives. Yet, a 32 ¾ arm length is considered too short to play tackle. In comparison, Smith’s arm length is 36.3 inches and Collins’ is 33.1 inches.

“It’s definitely tiring,” Slater said when asked about his arm length. “When you put so much work in and put all that film out of you playing tackle and then people question a measurable. As far as teams it’s not a huge [issue].”

Slater has the ability to play both tackle spots and maybe guard for a season, something Collins did for the Cowboys before moving full time to tackle.

Yet, this is another draft in which finding a future tackle could be possible.

Penei Sewell (Oregon), Christian Darrisaw (Virginia Tech), Alijah Vera-Tucker (USC), Tevon Jenkins (Oklahoma State) and Slater are considered first-round tackles.

The Cowboys also could stay close to home and select Samuel Cosmi, a 6-7, 310-pound tackle from Texas, in Day 2.

Another Houston native, Walker Little from Stanford, at 6-7, 220 pounds, is another Day 2 possibility. Little and Cosmi are both three-year starters.

“I think when it comes to my competitors out there I love this game,” Cosmi said. “This game is everything for me. You’re not going to find another guy that is going to work as hard on and off the field when it comes to my playbook and putting time into my body and putting time into the team. I don’t think anybody in this draft class is going to come close to that.”

McCarthy’s history says to expect a QB

Mike McCarthy seeks to improve the backup quarterback position, by either drafting and developing a young quarterback or finding a veteran free agent.

In McCarthy’s 13 seasons in Green Bay, he turned to the draft with Aaron Rodgers as his starting quarterback. The Packers under McCarthy drafted five quarterbacks, ranging from Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn in 2008 to Brett Hundley in 2015.

With the Cowboys, McCarthy’s first year saw the team select Ben DiNucci in the seventh round. DiNucci would have been better served being an undrafted free agent considering how poorly he played against the Eagles in his lone NFL start.

McCarthy is in need of another backup quarterback, and, yes, the Cowboys have spoken to some veterans to back up Dak Prescott. But with 10 draft picks, the chance of selecting a quarterback at some point is strong.

“Well that’s a position we’ll continue to look at and it really goes back to the early answer of a competitive 90-man roster,” McCarthy said. “You definitely want the most important position in football in my view is the quarterback so you want as much competition, talent, young, veteran, we’ll just continue to watch that.”

The quarterback position is top heavy with talent among the first 10 picks. Five might go in the first round.

Dallas might find their next backup, or someone to compete with Garrett Gilbert, Cooper Rush and DiNucci, on Day 3.

Texas’ Sam Ehlinger has questions about his arm strength, and the Cowboys had their chances to see him up close in Austin and in the Senior Bowl. Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond could be gone on Day 2, but Peyton Ramsey (Northwestern) and Ian Book (Notre Dame), after playing in Power 5 conferences, are of interest on Day 3.

Some quarterbacks from teams outside the Power 5 conferences also could be drafted, including Central Michigan’s David Moore. Quincy Avery, DiNucci’s pre-draft quarterback coach, worked out Moore this spring. Appalachian State quarterback Zac Thomas is another quarterback worth watching in the late rounds.

DeMarcus Lawrence needs a reliable partner

Finding the next best pass rusher can be difficult for some NFL teams. Since 2017, the Cowboys have drafted five defensive ends, none whom made a significant impact.

DeMarcus Lawrence can’t play forever, and he continues to be the best pass rusher on this team going into the 2021 season. Yet, if the Cowboys expect to improve on defense, selecting a pass rusher in the draft is another way of doing it.

In free agency, the Cowboys signed Carlos Watkins (DE/DT), Brent Urban (DE) and Tarell Basham (DE). Mike McCarthy said body type played a factor in the signings. Urban is 6-7, 305 pounds; is Basham 6-4, 266; and Watkins stands at 6-3, 297 pounds.

That could be a blueprint to what the Cowboys are looking for in the draft when it comes to a pass rusher.

“I think you can see the common theme of the players we’ve had in the front,” McCarthy said. “You’re seeing players with more length and different body type. In my view, just in general terms, you can’t have enough 6-4, 6-5, 255-, 260-pound athletes on your football team. It makes it better on offense, defense and special teams.”

At No. 10, the best player available logic might propel the Cowboys to select a cornerback. Yet, in Day 2 and Day 3 there’s no doubt finding a pass rusher is a realistic scenario.

The Cowboys had a representative at Pittsburgh’s pro day, where pass rusher Rashard Weaver (6-4, 265) presented an impressive 6.98 three-cone drill. Ronnie Perkins of Oklahoma is just 247 pounds but plays stronger. Is his he too light for the Cowboys? Carlos Basham Jr., a 280-pound pass rusher from Wake Forest, participated in the Senior Bowl. The Cowboys love to draft players from that event.

Dallas has sought a partner for Lawrence for several years now, whether it was Robert Quinn, Randy Gregory, Aldon Smith or David Irving. The need is great, particularly as Lawrence, who turns 29 on April 28, gets older. It doesn’t mean he’s slowing down — he produced 6.5 sacks and 10 quarterback hits in 2020 — but the search continues for not only a partner, but a possible replacement who can make an impact.

Diminishing returns

The Cowboys have drafted five defensive ends since 2017 with little to show for it. The players and their key stats with Dallas:

2017: Taco Charlton, Michigan, first round (7 starts, 4 sacks)

2018: Dorance Armstrong, Kansas, fourth round (3 starts, 2.5 sacks)

2019: Joe Jackson, Miami, fifth round (0 starts, 0 sacks)

2019: Jalen Jelks, Oregon, seventh round (0 starts, 0 sacks)

2020: Bradlee Anae, Utah, fifth round (0 starts, 0 sacks)

Safeties can be found close to home

If the Cowboys want to find a safety, they should just take the trip to Fort Worth and visit the TCU campus.

TCU’s Trevon Moehrig and Ar’Darius Washington are safeties that should be drafted very quickly, but each has flaws.

Moehrig has a size issue. He’s a free safety at 6-1 but his weight (202 pounds) gives some NFL teams pause.

“He wasn’t as big as I wanted him to be or as fast as I wanted him to be all of the above,” TCU coach Gary Patterson said of Moehrig. “But at the end of the day, he has a lot of passion for the game and makes a lot of plays. You have all this going on and that’s what’s going on with him he has to do it.”

In 2020, Moehrig had 30 solo tackles with two interceptions and 11 pass breakups while playing in 10 games. He was named the Jim Thorpe Award winner as the best defensive back in the nation. Moehrig has the ability to cover receivers in the slot, something he did at TCU, but whether that can translate to the NFL remains an issue.

“I think being at TCU allowed me to play different spots on the field and show my versatility,” he said. “So whatever team comes and gets me I can fit into their scheme wherever they need me. I just want to be the best at whatever they put me at. I can be versatile and fill a bunch of needs.”

Washington, in three seasons, had 86 tackles and five interceptions with 12 pass breakups. His interceptions all came in the 2019 season. At 5-8, 178, he’s more of a free safety that has displayed nice range in the passing game.

That size problem is something to overcome for both players. That leads to UCF’s Richie Grant as a possible candidate to become the first safety taken off the board. Grant (6-0, 200 pounds) is a free safety with a team-leading 72 tackles in 2020. He also had three picks in nine games.

Jevon Holland (Oregon) and Hamsah Nasirildeen (Florida State) are two other quality safeties who could be gone on either Day 1 or Day 2.

Day 2 and Day 3 targets for Cowboys

The second and third day of the draft always is difficult to project. But here are five names that could be of interest to the Cowboys:

Isaiah McKoy, WR, Kent State: McKoy measured smaller (6-2, 200 pounds) at his pro day than what he was listed during the season. But McKoy (124 catches, 1,748 yards 16 touchdowns in three seasons) was a big-play threat for Kent State, especially vertically. He plays faster than his pro day times of 4.58 and 4.62 in the 40. He can return kicks, giving him more value to a team seeking depth at wideout. The Cowboys have interest as a possible Day 3 pick.

Peter Werner, LB, Ohio State: The Cowboys conducted a virtual call with this inside linebacker who played the weakside at Ohio State. Werner is projected as a Day 2 pick with the potential to go late in the first round depending on the needs of the team. Werner had a strong pro day with comparable numbers to current Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch. Werner measure 6-2, 238 pounds with 33 ¼ arms (Vander Esch, 33 7/8th); his three-cone drill time was 6.95 (Vander Esch, 6.88); and each player produced vertical jumps of 39.5.

Milton Williams, DT, Louisiana Tech: The Crowley native saw his stock rise at his pro day where he had 34 reps on the bench press (225 pounds). He has the size (6-3, 284 pounds) to fit Dan Quinn’s defensive scheme as an interior lineman. Williams is versatile and athletic. Dallas officials met with Williams at his pro day and assistant defensive line coach Leon Lett conducted the position drills. Williams, while playing inside, produced 10 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and 21 solo tackles in 2020.

Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami: He wasn’t happy with his pro day 40 time of 4.6 or his vertical jump of 34 inches, yet the Cowboys like him. “I talked to Dallas a lot,” Jordan said. Jordan compared himself to Michael Irvin saying, “I think I’m Playmaker Jr.” Jordan had 38 receptions for 579 yards with seven touchdowns last season and produced a season-high eight catches vs. Oklahoma State in the Cheez-It Bowl. Jordan could become a Day 3 selection.

Zac Thomas, QB, Appalachian State: The Cowboys didn’t attend his pro day but there were at least 20 scouts present. Thomas is one of those small school quarterbacks Dallas could take a chance on late or as an undrafted free agent. Thomas displayed some speed, 4.56 in the 40, and made all the necessary throws NFL teams are looking for. Thomas went 32-6 as a starter but his 11 INTs in 2020 raises some concerns. He did complete a career-high 64 percent of his passes in 2020.

Mock drafts

Who do the experts project the Cowboys taking with the 10th overall pick? We’re keeping track for you in our 2021 NFL mock draft roundup. As of now, the clear leader is Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II. Click here or on the headline below to find the latest on who SportsDay insider Calvin Watkins and other top draft experts see Dallas selecting in the first round.