FRISCO — Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones will enter Dallas draft headquarters at The Star in Frisco on Thursday with the pending mega-contracts due to Dak Prescott, Cee Dee Lamb and Micah Parsons looming large on his mind.
Jones says not a moment goes by that he isn’t pondering the possible $600 million cumulative payout to those three players he knows he will make in the not-too-distant future. In fact, this year alone, Prescott and Lamb are entering the final year of their current contracts which count a combined $73 million (29%) against the team’s $255 million salary cap.
Despite all of that, back in January, Jones said, “You will see us this coming year not building for the future. I would anticipate, looking at our key contracts that we’d like to address, that we’ll be all in at the end of this year.”
The “all in” comment has been misinterpreted by some fans and media members, who became critical of Jones for not being “all in” on the free agent market this spring.
Jones has only signed two free agents from other teams – LB Eric Kendricks and RB Royce Freeman – while letting nine starters walk away:
- OT Tyron Smith – NY Jets
- C Tyler Biadasz – Washington
- RB Tony Pollard – Tennessee
- WR Michael Gallup – unsigned
- CB Stephon Gilmore – unsigned
- S Jayron Kearse – unsigned
- DT Johnathan Hankins – Seattle
- DE Dorance Armstrong – Washington
- LB Leighton Vander Esch – retired
But here’s the truth. Owner Jerry can’t afford to be “all in” on current free agents if he’s going to be “all in” on humongous future deals for Dak, Cee Dee and Micah.
That’s why GM Jerry must strike it rich and be “all in” on this year’s NFL Draft, which starts Thursday night.
One big problem for GM Jerry is the fact the team currently only has seven draft picks:
- First round (No. 24)
- Second round (No. 56)
- Third round (No. 87)
- Fifth round (No. 174)
- Sixth round (No. 216)
- Seventh round (No. 233)
- Seventh round (No. 244)
So, in order to fill all the needs on this roster, Jones might be best served to trade down and try to pick up a couple of extra draft picks in the third and fourth rounds.
If the Cowboys stay at pick No. 24 in the first round, there is speculation they could draft an offensive lineman. The good news for Dallas is this looks like a very deep class of offensive tackles and centers. Here are some first round possibilities for Dallas:
Graham Barton – C – Duke
Barton is a 4-year starter who made 34 starts at left tackle the last three years after starting five games at center his freshman season. He’s a 6-foot-5, 313-pounder who’s athletic and very bright. He’s a walk-on starter who projects as a center due to his 32-inch arms, which are deemed too short to play on the edge but he’s a prototype center who can handle all the line calls as a rookie.
J.C. Latham – OT – Alabama
A 21-year-old, 6-foot-6, 342-pounder with 11-inch hands, 35-inch arms and 85-inch wingspan, Latham made 27 starts at right tackle. Latham is the No. 1 offensive tackle recruit in the nation out of IMG Academy in 2021. He’s rock solid with great balance but will need to convert to left tackle with the Cowboys, who will run to the podium to select him if he’s still available at pick No. 24. That would be a dream scenario since Latham is projected by some to be a top 10 pick. But if he starts to slide, Latham is one player the Cowboys might consider trading up for.
Amarius Mims – OT – Georgia
A 21-year-old, 6-foot-8, 340-pounder with 11.25-inch hands, 36-inch arms and 87-inch wingspan, Mims is cut from the same cloth as J.C. Latham. He was the No. 2 rated OT in the nation in 2021, battled an injury and only started eight games at right tackle the last two seasons, but he’s projected as a top 20 pick due to his great athleticism for a man his size. Mims is unlikely to be available at pick No. 24, too.
So, what if the most coveted offensive linemen are not available?
Well, the Cowboys have urgent needs in the defensive trenches as well. Among the first round possibilities on the defensive line include a local standout, who will also likely be long gone by the time Dallas picks:
Byron Murphy – DT – Texas
This DeSoto High School product could be the first defensive player drafted. At a shade under 6-foot-1 and 297 pounds, Murphy is the same size and has some of the same traits as recently retired future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald. The Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year has a disruptive play style with polished penetration abilities and is likely to be drafted as early as No. 8 to Atlanta or somewhere in the middle of the 1st round.
Jared Verse – DE – Florida State
Two-time first team All-American strong-side defensive end who can rush from inside and be the heir apparent to Demarcus Lawrence on the outside. The 6-foot-4, 254-pounder with 4.58 speed, explosion (10-7 broad jump), and strength (31 bench reps) was a late bloomer who began his career at Albany University before transferring to Florida State University in 2022. He’s an overpowering bull rusher, mature and smart (he was an engineering major). You haven’t seen Verse linked to the Cowboys since he’s widely considered a mid-first round pick, but new Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer probably sees some Everson Griffen in this player. Griffen was a four-time Pro Bowler in his six seasons playing for Zimmer in Minnesota.
Darius Robinson – DL – Missouri
Robinson is a two-time team captain who became a first-team All-SEC defensive end his senior year after starting at defensive tackle previously. He’s a 6-foot-5, 285-pounder who can play all along the defensive line. Robinson had 8.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss in 2023. He’s strong (28 bench reps) and explosive (35-inch vertical), and an eager, high achiever with a great work ethic. Robinson is also an Academic All-American, the Arthur Ashe Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and one who will be a vocal team leader, who is devoted to community service as well. He might be available in a “trade back” scenario late in the first round or early in the second round.
More good news for Dallas is that this draft is deep enough on the offensive line that the Cowboys could find an offensive tackle or center in the second or thirdround and, thus, select a player at another position of need late in the first round. With the release of Michael Gallup, the Cowboys could also draft a wide receiver with their first pick:
Brian Thomas Jr. – WR – LSU
Along with projected Top 10 pick Malik Nabers, Thomas was part of a highly productive receiving corps for Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels. Thomas had a breakout season as a junior in 2023 with 68 catches for 1,177 yards and an NCAA FBS-high 17 touchdowns. He’s inexperienced as a route runner but at 6-foot-3, 209 pounds, Thomas ran a blazing 4.33 forty at the combine. An All-State basketball player in Louisiana, he posted a 38.5-inch vertical and 10-6 broad jump – Cowboys receivers coach Robert Prince attended LSU’s Pro Day.
Keon Coleman – WR – Florida State
My favorite player in this draft: This 20-year-old 6-foot-3, 213-pounder is an explosive all-around athlete with a competitive drive and high football IQ. Coleman is a two-sport athlete who was All-State in football and basketball in Opelousas, Louisiana, the same hometown as Cee Dee Lamb. In fact, Coleman is Cee Dee’s cousin. Coleman averaged 33 points per game in high school basketball and played both football and basketball at Michigan State before transferring to Florida State University last year. In his first game for the unbeaten Seminoles, he scored three TDs in a season-opening 45-24 win over LSU. You can make the case Coleman was the best receiver on the field that night, which is a mouthful since LSU’s first round prospects Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. were also on that field that night. The knock on Coleman is that he only ran a 4.61 forty at the combine, but he also recorded the fastest gauntlet drill among wideouts, clocking over 20 mph. An insider with the FSU program says Coleman is “the real deal, and he played hurt the last seven games of the season.”
The Cowboys likely have a second-round grade on Coleman, but they usually have first round grades on only 16-18 players in any given draft. So, if their first-rounders are off the board, they could satisfy an obvious need at wide receiver with a freak athlete with loads of potential and still draft a starting-quality offensive lineman in the second round.
Clearly, another position of need is at running back. The Cowboys are very familiar with the best of the bunch:
Jonathon Brooks – RB – Texas
If a running back is selected in the first round, the Cowboys taking Brooks would be the most likely scenario. The main issue for Brooks is that he had ACL surgery in November. If any team knows about the condition of Brooks’ injured knee, it would be the Cowboys since their team physician, Dr. Dan Cooper, performed the surgery. At only 20 years old, the 6-foot, 216-pound Brooks ran for 1,139 yards and 10 TDs, averaging 6.1 yards per carry, in 11 games for the Longhorns last season. He also caught 25 passes for 286 yards and a TD. Due to the injury, it will be a surprise to see Brooks drafted in the 1st round, but if the Cowboys run out of
other options, they could do it. Otherwise, Brooks may be gone by the time Dallas picks at No. 56 in the second round.
So, those are nine day one prospects GM Jerry should be “all in” on as he tries to fill no less than nine vacancies on a Dallas depth chart that looks very depleted right now.
The draft kicks off on Thursday, April 25 and continues through Saturday, April 27. Round 1 takes place April 25 at 7 p.m.; Rounds 2 and 3 take place on April 26 at 6 p.m.; and Rounds 4 through 7 take place on April 27 at 11 a.m.
Find more NFL Draft coverage from Bill Jones here.
