**2023 Cowboys Pre-Draft Thread**
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Chocolate Lab
Kuato Lives
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Wasn't Dak a big Tolbert fan before last year's draft? 
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I believe he was. He also took a shine to Dennis Houston. Hopefully this is just to make him appear involved.Wasn't Dak a big Tolbert fan before last year's draft?
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Eh just makes for a cute story if we draft that WR. The scouts did the work.
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Cowboys’ final NFL Draft big board: 60 players who make sense all 3 days for Dallas
By Jon Machota
Apr 21, 2023
19
With the NFL Draft less than a week away, we’ve updated our Cowboys big board with 60 players, broken down by the three days of the draft. It’s 20 players who make sense on Day 1 (first round), 20 players on Day 2 (Rounds 2-3) and 20 players on Day 3 (Rounds 4-7).
This group has been compiled based on fit for the Cowboys and also interest shown by the team. For example, all of the team’s official 30 predraft visitors are included.
Also, most of the top projected picks have been left off because it’s unlikely that Dallas will be trading up to land any of them. That means we did not include any of the top quarterbacks, Alabama DE Will Anderson, Georgia DT Jalen Carter, Texas Tech DE Tyree Wilson, Northwestern OL Peter Skoronski, Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez and Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon.
Cowboys’ 2023 draft picks
Day 1
Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas. Unlikely that he falls to Pick 26, but it’s difficult to see Jerry Jones passing if Robinson is there.
Jaxon Smith Njigba, WR, Ohio State. Most believe he will be the first wide receiver drafted.
Jordan Addison, WR, USC. Wide receiver isn’t Dallas’ biggest need, but it could end up being the best value when the Cowboys go on the clock.
Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee. Most mock drafts have him going somewhere between the Cowboys’ pick to early in the second round.
Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College. It would be somewhat surprising to see Dallas draft a 5-9 wide receiver in the first round, but he was a top-30 visitor.
Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU. Like the other wide receivers listed above him, if the Cowboys are interested, it’s very unlikely any of them will be available in the second round.
Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame. Most believe he is the most complete tight end in this class.
Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah. A big-time receiving option who still needs to develop as a blocker.
Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State. A good all-around tight end who could compete with Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot for the top spot on Dallas’ TE depth chart.
Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia. Still needs to develop as a receiver, but he has the size and athletic ability to develop into an excellent NFL player.
Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee. The value could be too good for the Cowboys to pass up, likely beginning his career as their left guard
O’Cyrus Torrence, OG, Florida. Another player who would be expected to immediately step into the starting left guard spot.
Nolan Smith, DE, Georgia. Smith probably won’t be available at Pick 26, but if he’s there, an outstanding talent to pair with Micah Parsons.
Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson. Teams can never have enough pass rush. Dane Brugler has Murphy as the fifth-best edge rusher in this class behind Anderson, Wilson, Lukas Van Ness and Smith.
Will McDonald, DE, Iowa State. A 30 visitor and a player Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn watched closely at Iowa State’s pro day.
Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson. Defensive tackle is a position of need, but Dallas hasn’t shown much interest in drafting one in the first round.
Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh. Like Bresee, Kancey would add a young disruptor in the middle to pair with Osa Odighizuwa, Quinton Bohanna, Johnathan Hankins and Neville Gallimore.
Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas. Most consider him to be the top off-the-ball linebacker in this class. Could be an interesting option to pair with Leighton Vander Esch, Damone Clark and Jabril Cox.
Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland. Trading for Stephone Gilmore doesn’t prevent Dallas from taking a cornerback in Round 1.
Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State. Drafting a CB here would set the Cowboys up with a future starter to pair with Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland.
Day 2
Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama. He’s a player who might be too rich for Pick 26 but also might not still be there at 58. He’s probably more of a candidate for the Cowboys if they trade back in Round 1 or trade up in Round 2.
Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA. His physical running style would pair well with Tony Pollard.
Roschon Johnson, RB, Texas. It’s difficult to see the Cowboys getting through this draft without addressing the running back spot at some point.
Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina. Trading for Brandin Cooks immediately upgraded Dallas’ WR group, but it shouldn’t surprise anyone if the franchise uses a first- or second-round pick on the position.
Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee. At 6-3, 213 pounds, Tillman would add some great size to the Cowboys’ outside WR position.
Jonathan Mingo, WR, Ole Miss. Brugler has him ranked as the 12th wide receiver on his board, so probably more of an option in the third round.
Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State. Tight end was the first position Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones mentioned when talking about the draft this week on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “We feel good about that position,” he said. “But certainly … the draft is heavy (at tight end). There are quite a few players in those top 3-4 rounds that we think can be like Ferguson or Hendershot and come in and really help us.”
Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa. Like Kraft, a possible Day 2 option at the position if they don’t address it in Round 1.
Steve Avila, OG, TCU. A perfect fit to step in immediately at left guard. He would also add quality depth at center.
Cody Mauch, OG, North Dakota State. If the season started today, Dallas’ starting left guard would probably be veteran Chuma Edoga. Another left guard option is needed.
Keion White, DE, Georgia Tech. The Cowboys would probably be fortunate for White to still be there at Pick 58. Most mocks have him going early in the second round.
BJ Ojulari, DE, LSU. Another player who probably won’t be there at 58, so a candidate for the Cowboys if they traded back from 26 or traded up in Round 2.
Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan. At 6-3, 323, Smith would be an ideal candidate to pair with Odighizuwa.
Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin. Drafting Trysten Hill in the second round didn’t work out for the Cowboys in 2019, but that doesn’t mean they should stop trying to improve the interior of their defense early in the draft.
Gervon Dexter, DT, Florida. Brugler has Smith, Dexter and Benton ranked as the fourth-, fifth- and sixth-best defensive tackles on his board.
Adetomiwa Adebawore, DT, Northwestern. A player who has been climbing up draft boards over the last month.
Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson. If the season started today, the Cowboys’ starting linebackers would be Vander Esch and Clark, but they still need help at the position.
Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa. Simpson and Campbell are second and third on Brugler’s linebacker board behind Sanders. All three could end up being top 50 picks.
Darius Rush, CB, South Carolina. At almost 6-2 with over 33-inch arms, he has the ideal size the Cowboys prefer at the position.
Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami. There should be some quality cornerback options in the second and third rounds. Georgia’s Kelee Ringo could also potentially fall out of the first round. Somehow Dallas landed Diggs with Pick 51 in 2020.
Day 3
Aidan O’Connell, QB, Purdue. The Cowboys are interested in adding a QB on Day 3. For a player like O’Connell, that might have to be as early as the fourth round.
Clayton Tune, QB, Houston. Brugler has Tune as a fifth- or sixth-round option.
Max Duggan, QB, TCU. He’d probably be an option in one of the final two rounds or maybe even as an undrafted free agent.
Zach Evans, RB, Ole Miss. Perhaps an option if the Cowboys have not drafted a running back in one of the first three rounds.
Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia. A quality receiver out of the backfield.
Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU. A difficult prospect to project his NFL success, but he has the ability to potentially be a steal later in the draft.
Cameron Latu, TE, Alabama. The Cowboys have had success finding tight ends in the fourth round with Ferguson last year and Dalton Schultz in 2018.
Brayden Willis, TE, Oklahoma. Another potential TE option if Dallas hasn’t picked one during the first two days.
Raiqwon O’Neal, OT, UCLA. A late-round player Dallas has shown some interest in.
Andrew Vorhees, OG, USC. Injury history could cause him to fall in the draft and potentially become a bargain for a team.
https://theathletic.com/4406845/2023/04/13/cowboys-mailbag-nfl-draft/
Byron Young, DE, Tennessee. Some possible pass-rush help in the fourth round.
Tyler Lacy, DE, Oklahoma State. Some possible pass-rush help in the fifth or sixth rounds.
Jaquelin Roy, DT, LSU. If a premium pick isn’t spent on defensive tackle, it seems like a good bet that a later one will.
DeMarvion Overshown, LB, Texas. Brugler ranks him as his 10th-best linebacker with a third- to fourth-round grade.
Durrell Johnson, LB, Liberty. A seventh-round pick or priority free agent that the Cowboys have shown some interest in.
Cory Trice, CB, Purdue. Brugler has a third-round grade on Trice, but another player who fits the size the Cowboys are looking for at the position.
Eric Scott, CB, Southern Mississippi. A seventh-round pick or priority free agent.
Marte Mapu, S, Sacramento State. A big safety to potentially add depth behind Donovan Wilson.
Tanner McCalister, S, Ohio State. A seventh-round pick or priority free agent.
Jake Moody, K, Michigan. If the Cowboys are trying to find their next kicker in the draft, many believe Moody is the best in this class. Brugler has a fourth- or fifth-round grade on him.
By Jon Machota
Apr 21, 2023
19
With the NFL Draft less than a week away, we’ve updated our Cowboys big board with 60 players, broken down by the three days of the draft. It’s 20 players who make sense on Day 1 (first round), 20 players on Day 2 (Rounds 2-3) and 20 players on Day 3 (Rounds 4-7).
This group has been compiled based on fit for the Cowboys and also interest shown by the team. For example, all of the team’s official 30 predraft visitors are included.
Also, most of the top projected picks have been left off because it’s unlikely that Dallas will be trading up to land any of them. That means we did not include any of the top quarterbacks, Alabama DE Will Anderson, Georgia DT Jalen Carter, Texas Tech DE Tyree Wilson, Northwestern OL Peter Skoronski, Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez and Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon.
Cowboys’ 2023 draft picks
| ROUND | PICK | OVERALL | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 | 26 | |
| 2 | 27 | 58 | |
| 3 | 27 | 90 | |
| 4 | 27 | 129 | |
| 5 | 34 | 176 | Compensatory |
| 6 | 35 | 212 | Compensatory |
| 7 | 27 | 244 |
Day 1
Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas. Unlikely that he falls to Pick 26, but it’s difficult to see Jerry Jones passing if Robinson is there.
Jaxon Smith Njigba, WR, Ohio State. Most believe he will be the first wide receiver drafted.
Jordan Addison, WR, USC. Wide receiver isn’t Dallas’ biggest need, but it could end up being the best value when the Cowboys go on the clock.
Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee. Most mock drafts have him going somewhere between the Cowboys’ pick to early in the second round.
Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College. It would be somewhat surprising to see Dallas draft a 5-9 wide receiver in the first round, but he was a top-30 visitor.
Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU. Like the other wide receivers listed above him, if the Cowboys are interested, it’s very unlikely any of them will be available in the second round.
Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame. Most believe he is the most complete tight end in this class.
Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah. A big-time receiving option who still needs to develop as a blocker.
Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State. A good all-around tight end who could compete with Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot for the top spot on Dallas’ TE depth chart.
Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia. Still needs to develop as a receiver, but he has the size and athletic ability to develop into an excellent NFL player.
Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee. The value could be too good for the Cowboys to pass up, likely beginning his career as their left guard
O’Cyrus Torrence, OG, Florida. Another player who would be expected to immediately step into the starting left guard spot.
Nolan Smith, DE, Georgia. Smith probably won’t be available at Pick 26, but if he’s there, an outstanding talent to pair with Micah Parsons.
Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson. Teams can never have enough pass rush. Dane Brugler has Murphy as the fifth-best edge rusher in this class behind Anderson, Wilson, Lukas Van Ness and Smith.
Will McDonald, DE, Iowa State. A 30 visitor and a player Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn watched closely at Iowa State’s pro day.
Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson. Defensive tackle is a position of need, but Dallas hasn’t shown much interest in drafting one in the first round.
Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh. Like Bresee, Kancey would add a young disruptor in the middle to pair with Osa Odighizuwa, Quinton Bohanna, Johnathan Hankins and Neville Gallimore.
Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas. Most consider him to be the top off-the-ball linebacker in this class. Could be an interesting option to pair with Leighton Vander Esch, Damone Clark and Jabril Cox.
Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland. Trading for Stephone Gilmore doesn’t prevent Dallas from taking a cornerback in Round 1.
Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State. Drafting a CB here would set the Cowboys up with a future starter to pair with Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland.
Day 2
Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama. He’s a player who might be too rich for Pick 26 but also might not still be there at 58. He’s probably more of a candidate for the Cowboys if they trade back in Round 1 or trade up in Round 2.
Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA. His physical running style would pair well with Tony Pollard.
Roschon Johnson, RB, Texas. It’s difficult to see the Cowboys getting through this draft without addressing the running back spot at some point.
Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina. Trading for Brandin Cooks immediately upgraded Dallas’ WR group, but it shouldn’t surprise anyone if the franchise uses a first- or second-round pick on the position.
Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee. At 6-3, 213 pounds, Tillman would add some great size to the Cowboys’ outside WR position.
Jonathan Mingo, WR, Ole Miss. Brugler has him ranked as the 12th wide receiver on his board, so probably more of an option in the third round.
Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State. Tight end was the first position Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones mentioned when talking about the draft this week on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “We feel good about that position,” he said. “But certainly … the draft is heavy (at tight end). There are quite a few players in those top 3-4 rounds that we think can be like Ferguson or Hendershot and come in and really help us.”
Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa. Like Kraft, a possible Day 2 option at the position if they don’t address it in Round 1.
Steve Avila, OG, TCU. A perfect fit to step in immediately at left guard. He would also add quality depth at center.
Cody Mauch, OG, North Dakota State. If the season started today, Dallas’ starting left guard would probably be veteran Chuma Edoga. Another left guard option is needed.
Keion White, DE, Georgia Tech. The Cowboys would probably be fortunate for White to still be there at Pick 58. Most mocks have him going early in the second round.
BJ Ojulari, DE, LSU. Another player who probably won’t be there at 58, so a candidate for the Cowboys if they traded back from 26 or traded up in Round 2.
Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan. At 6-3, 323, Smith would be an ideal candidate to pair with Odighizuwa.
Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin. Drafting Trysten Hill in the second round didn’t work out for the Cowboys in 2019, but that doesn’t mean they should stop trying to improve the interior of their defense early in the draft.
Gervon Dexter, DT, Florida. Brugler has Smith, Dexter and Benton ranked as the fourth-, fifth- and sixth-best defensive tackles on his board.
Adetomiwa Adebawore, DT, Northwestern. A player who has been climbing up draft boards over the last month.
Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson. If the season started today, the Cowboys’ starting linebackers would be Vander Esch and Clark, but they still need help at the position.
Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa. Simpson and Campbell are second and third on Brugler’s linebacker board behind Sanders. All three could end up being top 50 picks.
Darius Rush, CB, South Carolina. At almost 6-2 with over 33-inch arms, he has the ideal size the Cowboys prefer at the position.
Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami. There should be some quality cornerback options in the second and third rounds. Georgia’s Kelee Ringo could also potentially fall out of the first round. Somehow Dallas landed Diggs with Pick 51 in 2020.
Day 3
Aidan O’Connell, QB, Purdue. The Cowboys are interested in adding a QB on Day 3. For a player like O’Connell, that might have to be as early as the fourth round.
Clayton Tune, QB, Houston. Brugler has Tune as a fifth- or sixth-round option.
Max Duggan, QB, TCU. He’d probably be an option in one of the final two rounds or maybe even as an undrafted free agent.
Zach Evans, RB, Ole Miss. Perhaps an option if the Cowboys have not drafted a running back in one of the first three rounds.
Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia. A quality receiver out of the backfield.
Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU. A difficult prospect to project his NFL success, but he has the ability to potentially be a steal later in the draft.
Cameron Latu, TE, Alabama. The Cowboys have had success finding tight ends in the fourth round with Ferguson last year and Dalton Schultz in 2018.
Brayden Willis, TE, Oklahoma. Another potential TE option if Dallas hasn’t picked one during the first two days.
Raiqwon O’Neal, OT, UCLA. A late-round player Dallas has shown some interest in.
Andrew Vorhees, OG, USC. Injury history could cause him to fall in the draft and potentially become a bargain for a team.
https://theathletic.com/4406845/2023/04/13/cowboys-mailbag-nfl-draft/
Byron Young, DE, Tennessee. Some possible pass-rush help in the fourth round.
Tyler Lacy, DE, Oklahoma State. Some possible pass-rush help in the fifth or sixth rounds.
Jaquelin Roy, DT, LSU. If a premium pick isn’t spent on defensive tackle, it seems like a good bet that a later one will.
DeMarvion Overshown, LB, Texas. Brugler ranks him as his 10th-best linebacker with a third- to fourth-round grade.
Durrell Johnson, LB, Liberty. A seventh-round pick or priority free agent that the Cowboys have shown some interest in.
Cory Trice, CB, Purdue. Brugler has a third-round grade on Trice, but another player who fits the size the Cowboys are looking for at the position.
Eric Scott, CB, Southern Mississippi. A seventh-round pick or priority free agent.
Marte Mapu, S, Sacramento State. A big safety to potentially add depth behind Donovan Wilson.
Tanner McCalister, S, Ohio State. A seventh-round pick or priority free agent.
Jake Moody, K, Michigan. If the Cowboys are trying to find their next kicker in the draft, many believe Moody is the best in this class. Brugler has a fourth- or fifth-round grade on him.
Chocolate Lab
Kuato Lives
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Yep, let's draft Musgrave in the first round so he "could compete with" Ferg and Hendershot.
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I have to tell you that if they do as Machota expects here, I would lose all faith that we finally have sustained the act of not sticking our head up our own ass in the draft.
Yep, let's draft Musgrave in the first round so he "could compete with" Ferg and Hendershot.
Simpleton
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We'll be a Super Bowl contender if we just add some random RB in the 3rd or 4th too.
ravidubey
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Lookit, you can’t manipulate Jerry Jones by talking about some random 3-4th rounder.
These jackasses just want to make a splash somehow so they throw big names around
And honestly, if we had Robinson we beat San Francisco hands down.
Simpleton
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Maybe, although I definitely think a lot of this media hype around Bijan and the Cowboys is just trying to generate clicks/interest, with a far-flung hope of it turning into a self fulfilling prophecy so that it generates more clicks and interest after it happens.
I think there's a chance he falls to us but we aren't trading up more than maybe 4-5 spots at most.
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Also true. Especially if you can combine Darnell Wright and some third or fourth round RB. Dominant run games start up front.
ravidubey
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That they do, but you need talent at the RB position to take advantage and make yards no one was expecting, or better yet, anticipate and fear.
Gibbs has that potential, but you won’t find him in the 3rd or 4th. NFL rushing champs have been coming from the first and second rounds lately, though a Kareem Hunt or Demarco Murray occasionally show up and once in a blue moon an Arian Foster defies all logic undrafted.
Sure one can say they want a running game just good enough to set up the passing game, but great offenses can do that and the reverse.
I don’t think Dak can lead the Cowboys without a great running game. I don’t think Tony Pollard can lead a great running game without getting injured. I don’t think we have time to build an all-timer OL either.
Bottom line you need a great RB to replace the role Zeke filled for Dak the first four years of his career and to keep Tony Pollard the fresh change of pace guy who destroys you 10-12 rushes per game
son of deadrise
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McCarthy says he wants to "run the damn ball." To do that you need hosses up front and a rotation of running backs.
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Yeah so was Gavin Escobar. It's not a perfect science.
Simpleton
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Escobar was a stupid flail at finding a jumbo slot WR/TE type (he couldn't block) to continue Garrett's ill-fated dream of a 2 TE offense. Mayer is a very different prospect, much more well rounded as a blocker and physically as a receiver.
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He is but at the time they thought he was exactly what they wanted too.
I also take a little offense to concept that because a lot of teams have Mayer tops on their board that it makes him this significantly better prospect at TE then everyone else. These are the same NFL teams that screw up the TE rankings annually. I think there is a very good chance that Mayer isn't the best TE in this class ultimately. But I guess that's the fun of the unpredictability of the draft.
Simpleton
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To the first point, that's like equating us taking Joey Porter Jr. if he were to fall and disparaging the choice by saying "well they thought Kelvin Joseph was what they wanted at CB too".
At least that comparison would be tied to a recent pick and the current coaching staff, and not one from 10 years ago and a different staff, but it's a ridiculous comparison either way.
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