FRISCO, Texas — A year ago, the Dallas Cowboys were able to hide their affection for Tulsa offensive tackle Tyler Smith, whom they ended up taking at No. 24 overall. He was not a Dallas Day visitor and they did not put him on their top-30 national visitors list.
Normally, history says the Cowboys’ top selection will be among those who have made their way to their facility before the draft.
Since 2005, the Cowboys have used their first pick on a player who was one of the top-30 visitors or a Dallas Day participant all but four times: DeMarcus Ware in 2005, Morris Claiborne in 2012, CeeDee Lamb in 2020 (when no visitors were allowed because of the pandemic), and Smith.
With that historical tendency as the backdrop, and not the selection of Smith last year, let’s look at prospects who were Dallas Day or top-30 visitors as possible picks at No. 26 overall.
Wide receiver
Zay Flowers, Boston College
He is a dynamic player and put up numbers with less-than-stellar quarterback play, especially last season when he caught 78 passes for 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns. He can change direction in an instant. He can run by defenders. He plays bigger than his 5-foot-9, 182-pound frame suggests. He could even do some punt returning if necessary.
Cowboys question: Is he big enough for Mike McCarthy? The head coach’s history with the Green Bay Packers suggests Flowers is not (think 6-1 James Jones, 6-0 Greg Jennings, 6-3 Jordy Nelson, 6-1 Davante Adams), but he did have success with 5-10 Randall Cobb, a second-round pick in 2011.
ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid on potential fit with Cowboys: I think they already have him on the roster in Brandin Cooks. Very similar to what he brings to the table, but if you want to clone Cooks and get a younger option, I think he would be a great fit. It’s just a matter of whether the Cowboys want to have both of them when they play the same role. It’s kind of oversaturating the position a little.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
Since he grew up in Rockwall, Texas, Smith-Njigba counted as a Dallas Day visit. His final year at Ohio State was essentially wiped out by a hamstring injury, but his sophomore year was magical: 95 catches, 1,606 yards, 9 touchdowns. He had 347 receiving yards in the Rose Bowl. The Buckeyes have developed several recent productive NFL receivers (e.g., Terry McLaurin, Michael Thomas, Garrett Wilson), and Smith-Njigba appears to be the next one.
Cowboys question: Will he be available at No. 26? The wide receiver class is not considered the strongest, and Smith-Njigba is viewed as the best or at least one of the best, so he could easily be gone by the time the Cowboys pick. He was gone long before No. 26 in Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay’s most recent mock.
Reid on Cowboys fit: He’ll probably be on a flight to the city that has already taken him by the time the Cowboys are on the clock, but he’d be a home run selection if he’s still available. Michael Gallup looked a little slow recovering from his torn left ACL, and I can see them being in the market. I know they traded for Cooks, but Smith-Njigba would add firepower. He has that inside/outside versatility that McCarthy is looking for.
Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee
Big-play ability. He caught 67 passes for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns last season after recording 41 catches for 502 yards and four touchdowns in his first two seasons. He had five touchdowns versus Alabama. He is slight at 6-foot, 176 pounds.
Cowboys question: See the question about Flowers. McCarthy doesn’t typically want one-dimensional receivers.
ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller on potential fit with Cowboys: Even after adding Cooks this offseason, the Cowboys have a need for a young (and inexpensive) vertical threat to work in concert with the bigger, possession-style Lamb. Hyatt is a certified deep threat (4.4 seconds in 40-yard dash at combine, sixth-fastest among receivers) with poise and body control.
Quentin Johnston, TCU
Like Smith-Njigba, he was a Dallas Day invite. He is big (6-2, 208) but can operate well in tight spaces. He caught 60 passes for 1,069 yards and six touchdowns last season in TCU’s run to the college football playoff championship game, and his level of play improved in each of his three seasons. He can out-run defenders and his height makes him a difficult matchup. An issue: he drops seemingly easy passes.
Cowboys question: A little like Flowers and Hyatt, can he play multiple receiver spots but in a different way — outside to inside?
Miller on Cowboys fit: A vertical threat who can win 50/50 passes would absolutely be welcomed in Dallas and would open up the middle of the field for Lamb and Tony Pollard. Johnston, at 6-3 with 4.4 speed, gives the Cowboys’ offense something it currently doesn’t have from a talent perspective.
Tight end
Darnell Washington, Georgia
At 6-6, 264 pounds, he has the size to be the blocker the Cowboys want out of their tight ends, but he did not produce much as a receiver, although some of that was due to the play of fellow tight end Brock Bowers. With the loss of Dalton Schultz in free agency, the Cowboys have a need at tight end that Washington could fill. In 2008, the Cowboys selected Martellus Bennett in the second round. At one point, owner/general manager Jerry Jones wondered if Bennett could be a top-end offensive tackle. Could he think the same with Washington?
Cowboys question: While he can handle the in-line work, does he do enough to be spread out in the formation like some of the other tight ends who could be available, like Michael Mayer and Dalton Kincaid?
Reid on Cowboys fit: No. 26 is good value for him. He’d be the second or third tight end if Michael Mayer or Dalton Kincaid are 1-2. He reminds me a lot of Bennett, and we saw the career he had. He can give you plenty as a receiver and he’s a dominant blocker.
Defensive end
Will McDonald, Iowa State
He had back-to-back seasons with double-digit sacks before trailing off to five in 2022. He is physically gifted. He can run. He can bend around the corner. He finishes plays. He is only 240 pounds, which might be a little too slight. Quinn worked McDonald out at his pro day. Just something to remember.
Cowboys question: Do the Cowboys need another pass-rusher? With Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong, Sam Williams and Dante Fowler Jr., the Cowboys are deep, but coaches will always find room for more.
Miller on Cowboys fit: A dynamic edge rusher who operates from 2- and 3-point stances, McDonald’s juice off the edge opposite Parsons would be a treat for Dallas and a threat for opposing offenses. At under 240 pounds, McDonald isn’t for everyone, but his size and first-step quickness would play well in Dallas’ defense.
Cornerback
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Emmanuel Forbes’ NFL draft profile
Check out the highlights from Mississippi States’s impressive corner Emmanuel Forbes.
Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State
The first thing that stands out: ball skills. He had six interceptions last season and returned three for touchdowns. Does that sound like Trevon Diggs? Quinn loves length in corners. Forbes is 6-1 and has a 79-inch wingspan. And he can run (4.3 40). The second thing that stands out: weight. He’s 166 pounds.
Cowboys question: Can he hold up outside against the run? The Cowboys ask a lot of their corners in the run game. Forbes showed he was willing in college but the NFL is different.
Reid on Cowboys fit: He’s probably in that second tier of this corner class. I think No. 26 would be a little early for him, especially since I don’t think their need is pressing after trading for Stephon Gilmore. But Forbes is a terrific player, just a little lean. He definitely has a feel for the ball in the air, and he not only catches passes but turns them into points (six defensive scores in three seasons).
Defensive tackle
Mazi Smith, Michigan
The biggest question is the value of selecting a defensive tackle with a first-round pick. If Rod Marinelli were still the defensive coordinator, this likely wouldn’t be a possibility. With Quinn, maybe. Smith has the size (323 pounds), he is terrific against the run, and the Cowboys need big bodies up front, even though they re-signed Johnathan Hankins. Smith did not record a full sack in his career but had 25 pressures last season.
Cowboys question: Does he have three-down versatility to make a selection worth it at No. 26? Using a first-round asset on a two-down player might not make the most sense.
Miller on Cowboys fit: A prototypical nose tackle body at 323 pounds, Smith can be an anchor in the middle of the field, while giving the Cowboys size that is currently lacking on the interior. He would be a natural replacement for Johnathan Hankins. Smith didn’t have jaw-dropping production (49 tackles, 1 sack in 2022) at Michigan but is a big upside player with natural physical gifts.
Offensive line
Steve Avila, TCU
Position flex is a term the Cowboys throw around a lot. Avila can play guard, tackle or center. To the Cowboys, he is likely a guard/center. Now look at their roster and you can see the need. They lost left guard Connor McGovern in free agency. Center Tyler Biadasz is entering the final year of his contract. Avila was TCU’s starting center in 2021 and their starting guard in 2022, when he did not give up a sack.
Cowboys question: Is No. 26 too high for him? He might not make it to the Cowboys’ pick in the second round, like how things played out in Kiper and McShay’s three-round mock draft.
Reid on Cowboys fit: I love his fit here. They have a clear need at interior offensive line, and I think he can play center or guard. He played both positions at TCU. I don’t think No. 26 is too soon because a lot of people are projecting him in the second round, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to me to see him in the tail end of the first. That’s prime value.
Darnell Wright, Tennessee
His work against Alabama pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr. was astounding, and he did not allow a sack last season. If Avila is a guard/center, Wright’s position flex is tackle/guard. Like Tyler Smith, Wright has natural strength and can get on the move in the run game. With Tyler Smith, Tyron Smith and Terence Steele, tackle might not be viewed as a big need, but Tyron Smith and Steele are set to be free agents after 2023.
Cowboys question: Does he make it to No. 26? Seems unlikely at the moment, but they did not expect Lamb to fall to No. 17 in 2020 either.
Miller on Cowboys fit: The top right tackle in the class, Wright has experience at both tackle spots but saw his draft stock soar in 2022 after moving sides. He’s a powerful run defender but is poised and balanced in space when pass protecting. And he is the only tackle in this class who has shut down Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr.