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By Kevin Turner Apr 22, 2019
I remember Day 3 of the 2017 NFL Draft like it was yesterday. The Cowboys had selected Taco Charlton in the first round, with Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis supplementing their ranks on Day 2. Bryan Broaddus, Dane Brugler, Dave Helman, Jeff Cavanaugh and I were covering the draft pick-by-pick in Frisco. As part of our radio coverage, we have the privilege of interviewing players and coaches throughout the draft. With the Cowboys taking two cornerbacks in the second and third rounds, then-defensive backs coach Joe Baker came on the show to discuss the team’s selections.
As the interview came to an end and Baker took his headset off, headed to the war room, Cavanaugh told him, “make sure to go pound the table for us and make Xavier Woods a Cowboy.” Baker laughed, and none of us really thought much of it. After all, I had a third-round grade on Woods and loved his tape. When Woods somehow slipped to the sixth round and the Cowboys took him off the board, the celebration began! We didn’t personally draft Xavier Woods, but we’d studied the tape, loved the player and had as large a sense of fulfillment as anyone not associated with the Cowboys or Woods himself. It was a familiar feeling, because we’d experienced a similar rush the year before.
In 2016, our group had a third-round grade on Purdue cornerback Anthony Brown. When the Cowboys selected him in the sixth round, Cavanaugh and I yelled “YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH” at the first syllable of the word Anthony, leading to an email from our boss about not talking over the pick. We couldn’t help it; we were excited. He was our guy. The diamond in the rough who had somehow slipped past all 32 teams multiple times.
I’ve had my share of misses. But when the sixth- or seventh-round player you liked more than the rest of the world works out, you’ve earned the right to stick your chest out a little bit. With that in mind, I wanted to examine the potential Browns and Woods in this draft. Disclaimer: it’s really hard to predict who will slide or who will rise on draft day, but I’ve made a list of players who are solid and who I probably value more than the rest of the world. Call them what you want — sleepers, steals, undervalued — these are a group of players I’ll pull for the Cowboys to add on the draft’s final day.
Dax Raymond — TE, Utah State
I love this prospect. Raymond is 6’5 and 255 pounds, and he ran a 4.73-second 40-yard dash at the combine. He will be 25 before the end of his rookie season, which makes him a relatively old prospect. He went on a two-year church mission in Russia straight out of high school, and after a five-game freshman season in 2015 in which he only caught four passes, his college career was stunted after he missed the 2016 season with a back injury. He used his redshirt in 2016 after deciding to have surgery. While he wasn’t highly productive, catching 68 passes over the last two seasons, you can absolutely see his traits and ability to get open on tape.
In a 2017 article in the Salt Lake Tribune, Utah State tight ends coach Luke Wells described Raymond. “The thing you see at first is just how athletic he is. He was a high school receiver, he was a quarterback at one point and he’s a guy that is just dynamic as far as running around-he’s really, really hard to cover.” Those sentiments are exactly what you see on tape from Dax Raymond. I would love to see the Cowboys select him with one of their fourth-round picks. This year’s tight end class is loaded, so there is a chance he falls to the fifth round. I have a third-round grade on Raymond and am a huge proponent of his ability to stretch the field while also being a serviceable in-line blocker.
Josh Oliver — TE, San Diego State
Oliver will probably be selected before Raymond, but is another potential Cowboys target. Oliver looks more comfortable playing as a big wide receiver than an actual tight end. Blocking is not yet his forte, but going up and catching the football is. He’s a jacked 6’5 and 249 pounds, and he ran a swift 4.63-second 40-yard dash at the combine. Speed is his best trait, which makes him a mismatch machine when you combine his speed with his size. He’s also, as Jason Garrett likes to say, “the right kind of guy.” Check out this quote from his head coach Brent Brennan in Dane Brugler’s “Meet The Prospect” series on The Athletic.
“This year he really emerged as a leader of the football team. He was voted a team captain and was one of the guys who kept our team together even though the record didn’t go like we wanted. He has the absolute respect of everyone on that team.” Wow; I can see Jason Garrett’s smile from here. I don’t believe he’ll be on the board for either of the Cowboys’ fourth-round selections, but the draft has a funny way of working itself out sometimes. He’d be a steal at either slot; I believe he’s a third-round player. Keep an eye on Josh Oliver.
Renell Wren — DT, Arizona State
Wren is 6’5” 318 pounds, and has everything you want in terms of size and length at the defensive tackle position. He’s a good fit for the 1-technique defensive tackle position in the Cowboys system. Early on in the draft process he was a very popular mock draft pick for the Cowboys as early as their second-round pick, but I would be pretty surprised if he went in the Top 75. Wren is a very inconsistent player, and just isn’t disruptive enough to take that early. Given that this is a fairly deep draft in terms of defensive tackle depth, Wren could fall a little bit. While the Cowboys haven’t shown much interest in drafting 1-technique defensive tackles, Wren is a fourth-round talent who could provide too much value to pass up on Day 3.
Daylon Mack — DT, Texas A&M
Another player who generated heavy buzz early in the draft process, Daylon Mack’s stock has fallen as the event has approached. Like Wren, Mack would be a 1-technique defensive tackle candidate for the Cowboys, but the Aggie has about 20 pounds on Wren. When I watched Mack on tape, the immediate comparison I made in my mind was to Antwaun Woods. Mack is strong, but he’s not quick, although he sometimes would flash moving laterally on tape. The greatest factor limiting Mack’s draft stock is that most teams will probably just view him as a two-down player who won’t play in obvious passing situations. On tape, he didn’t push the pocket as much as I’d like to see for a guy of his mass. All of that being said, the upside is still there, and Daylon Mack would be a great value in the fourth or fifth round.
Penny Hart — WR, Georgia State
Despite being a small target, Penny Hart is impossible to cover in short areas. Hart’s 5’8, 180-pound frame is the opposite of imposing, but he has incredible footwork and start/stop ability. Hart is a pure slot receiver, but you simply can’t confidently cover him because of his short-area quickness. His long speed isn’t great, with a 4.58 40-yard dash time, but his quickness in and out of routes makes him a tantalizing prospect.
Hart did have a problem with drops and that’s something that he’ll have to fix if he’s going to last in the NFL, but he could provide immense value as a third-down chain mover out of the slot and as a punt returner. I’d grade him as a fourth-round talent. With Randall Cobb on a one-year deal, adding Hart as a long-term option makes a lot of sense for the Cowboys. If you don’t believe me, I’ll leave you with Hart beating likely first-round safety Nasir Adderly.
Stanley Morgan — WR, Nebraska
Morgan isn’t the most exciting prospect, but there’s a reason he caught a pass in 38 straight games. Morgan was a very productive Cornhusker, with 131 receptions combined over the last two seasons. He is 6’0, 202 pounds and ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash at the combine. I liked his ability to win down the field by tracking the ball and showing off good hands, but I severely question his ability to create separation deep. I think he’s a fifth-round prospect; Morgan’s track record shows a productive player worthy of a late-round selection. I think he may be available in the seventh round and make the Week 1 roster in his rookie season.
Hunter Renfrow — WR, Clemson
Renfrow is probably one of the most well-known Day 3 prospects just because of how many times he was on the biggest stage at Clemson. His testing numbers didn’t blow anybody away, as he ran a 4.59-second 40-yard dash, but Renfrow’s route-running skills are reminiscent of some of the NFL’s best slot receivers. He catches everything and gets open, yet NFL teams will overthink what he’s capable of. I see the fifth round as a good area for him. He’s tough, has a knack for big moments and gets the defense’s attention with teams knowing he will likely win most one-on-one matchups in the short areas of the field. Renfrow is the most “he is what he is” prospect I’ve ever scouted, as the film study matched up with everything I saw from him in college football’s biggest games over the last few years. Great hands, toughness, after the catch ability, and separation skills. If you want to replace Cole Beasley, Randall Cobb is a good way to go, but if Cobb’s injury history lingers, then Renfrow would provide a great backup plan. I don’t know if the Cowboys are interested, but Renfrow would be a great Day 3 pickup.
By Kevin Turner Apr 22, 2019
I remember Day 3 of the 2017 NFL Draft like it was yesterday. The Cowboys had selected Taco Charlton in the first round, with Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis supplementing their ranks on Day 2. Bryan Broaddus, Dane Brugler, Dave Helman, Jeff Cavanaugh and I were covering the draft pick-by-pick in Frisco. As part of our radio coverage, we have the privilege of interviewing players and coaches throughout the draft. With the Cowboys taking two cornerbacks in the second and third rounds, then-defensive backs coach Joe Baker came on the show to discuss the team’s selections.
As the interview came to an end and Baker took his headset off, headed to the war room, Cavanaugh told him, “make sure to go pound the table for us and make Xavier Woods a Cowboy.” Baker laughed, and none of us really thought much of it. After all, I had a third-round grade on Woods and loved his tape. When Woods somehow slipped to the sixth round and the Cowboys took him off the board, the celebration began! We didn’t personally draft Xavier Woods, but we’d studied the tape, loved the player and had as large a sense of fulfillment as anyone not associated with the Cowboys or Woods himself. It was a familiar feeling, because we’d experienced a similar rush the year before.
In 2016, our group had a third-round grade on Purdue cornerback Anthony Brown. When the Cowboys selected him in the sixth round, Cavanaugh and I yelled “YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH” at the first syllable of the word Anthony, leading to an email from our boss about not talking over the pick. We couldn’t help it; we were excited. He was our guy. The diamond in the rough who had somehow slipped past all 32 teams multiple times.
I’ve had my share of misses. But when the sixth- or seventh-round player you liked more than the rest of the world works out, you’ve earned the right to stick your chest out a little bit. With that in mind, I wanted to examine the potential Browns and Woods in this draft. Disclaimer: it’s really hard to predict who will slide or who will rise on draft day, but I’ve made a list of players who are solid and who I probably value more than the rest of the world. Call them what you want — sleepers, steals, undervalued — these are a group of players I’ll pull for the Cowboys to add on the draft’s final day.
Dax Raymond — TE, Utah State
I love this prospect. Raymond is 6’5 and 255 pounds, and he ran a 4.73-second 40-yard dash at the combine. He will be 25 before the end of his rookie season, which makes him a relatively old prospect. He went on a two-year church mission in Russia straight out of high school, and after a five-game freshman season in 2015 in which he only caught four passes, his college career was stunted after he missed the 2016 season with a back injury. He used his redshirt in 2016 after deciding to have surgery. While he wasn’t highly productive, catching 68 passes over the last two seasons, you can absolutely see his traits and ability to get open on tape.
In a 2017 article in the Salt Lake Tribune, Utah State tight ends coach Luke Wells described Raymond. “The thing you see at first is just how athletic he is. He was a high school receiver, he was a quarterback at one point and he’s a guy that is just dynamic as far as running around-he’s really, really hard to cover.” Those sentiments are exactly what you see on tape from Dax Raymond. I would love to see the Cowboys select him with one of their fourth-round picks. This year’s tight end class is loaded, so there is a chance he falls to the fifth round. I have a third-round grade on Raymond and am a huge proponent of his ability to stretch the field while also being a serviceable in-line blocker.
Josh Oliver — TE, San Diego State
Oliver will probably be selected before Raymond, but is another potential Cowboys target. Oliver looks more comfortable playing as a big wide receiver than an actual tight end. Blocking is not yet his forte, but going up and catching the football is. He’s a jacked 6’5 and 249 pounds, and he ran a swift 4.63-second 40-yard dash at the combine. Speed is his best trait, which makes him a mismatch machine when you combine his speed with his size. He’s also, as Jason Garrett likes to say, “the right kind of guy.” Check out this quote from his head coach Brent Brennan in Dane Brugler’s “Meet The Prospect” series on The Athletic.
“This year he really emerged as a leader of the football team. He was voted a team captain and was one of the guys who kept our team together even though the record didn’t go like we wanted. He has the absolute respect of everyone on that team.” Wow; I can see Jason Garrett’s smile from here. I don’t believe he’ll be on the board for either of the Cowboys’ fourth-round selections, but the draft has a funny way of working itself out sometimes. He’d be a steal at either slot; I believe he’s a third-round player. Keep an eye on Josh Oliver.
Renell Wren — DT, Arizona State
Wren is 6’5” 318 pounds, and has everything you want in terms of size and length at the defensive tackle position. He’s a good fit for the 1-technique defensive tackle position in the Cowboys system. Early on in the draft process he was a very popular mock draft pick for the Cowboys as early as their second-round pick, but I would be pretty surprised if he went in the Top 75. Wren is a very inconsistent player, and just isn’t disruptive enough to take that early. Given that this is a fairly deep draft in terms of defensive tackle depth, Wren could fall a little bit. While the Cowboys haven’t shown much interest in drafting 1-technique defensive tackles, Wren is a fourth-round talent who could provide too much value to pass up on Day 3.
Daylon Mack — DT, Texas A&M
Another player who generated heavy buzz early in the draft process, Daylon Mack’s stock has fallen as the event has approached. Like Wren, Mack would be a 1-technique defensive tackle candidate for the Cowboys, but the Aggie has about 20 pounds on Wren. When I watched Mack on tape, the immediate comparison I made in my mind was to Antwaun Woods. Mack is strong, but he’s not quick, although he sometimes would flash moving laterally on tape. The greatest factor limiting Mack’s draft stock is that most teams will probably just view him as a two-down player who won’t play in obvious passing situations. On tape, he didn’t push the pocket as much as I’d like to see for a guy of his mass. All of that being said, the upside is still there, and Daylon Mack would be a great value in the fourth or fifth round.
Penny Hart — WR, Georgia State
Despite being a small target, Penny Hart is impossible to cover in short areas. Hart’s 5’8, 180-pound frame is the opposite of imposing, but he has incredible footwork and start/stop ability. Hart is a pure slot receiver, but you simply can’t confidently cover him because of his short-area quickness. His long speed isn’t great, with a 4.58 40-yard dash time, but his quickness in and out of routes makes him a tantalizing prospect.
Hart did have a problem with drops and that’s something that he’ll have to fix if he’s going to last in the NFL, but he could provide immense value as a third-down chain mover out of the slot and as a punt returner. I’d grade him as a fourth-round talent. With Randall Cobb on a one-year deal, adding Hart as a long-term option makes a lot of sense for the Cowboys. If you don’t believe me, I’ll leave you with Hart beating likely first-round safety Nasir Adderly.
Stanley Morgan — WR, Nebraska
Morgan isn’t the most exciting prospect, but there’s a reason he caught a pass in 38 straight games. Morgan was a very productive Cornhusker, with 131 receptions combined over the last two seasons. He is 6’0, 202 pounds and ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash at the combine. I liked his ability to win down the field by tracking the ball and showing off good hands, but I severely question his ability to create separation deep. I think he’s a fifth-round prospect; Morgan’s track record shows a productive player worthy of a late-round selection. I think he may be available in the seventh round and make the Week 1 roster in his rookie season.
Hunter Renfrow — WR, Clemson
Renfrow is probably one of the most well-known Day 3 prospects just because of how many times he was on the biggest stage at Clemson. His testing numbers didn’t blow anybody away, as he ran a 4.59-second 40-yard dash, but Renfrow’s route-running skills are reminiscent of some of the NFL’s best slot receivers. He catches everything and gets open, yet NFL teams will overthink what he’s capable of. I see the fifth round as a good area for him. He’s tough, has a knack for big moments and gets the defense’s attention with teams knowing he will likely win most one-on-one matchups in the short areas of the field. Renfrow is the most “he is what he is” prospect I’ve ever scouted, as the film study matched up with everything I saw from him in college football’s biggest games over the last few years. Great hands, toughness, after the catch ability, and separation skills. If you want to replace Cole Beasley, Randall Cobb is a good way to go, but if Cobb’s injury history lingers, then Renfrow would provide a great backup plan. I don’t know if the Cowboys are interested, but Renfrow would be a great Day 3 pickup.
