DALLAS — It’s been a quiet stretch for the Dallas Cowboys in free agency recently, which is a bit of rarity for a team that hits their stride in the second and third wave of the open market. Usually when all the big-name free agents are gone, the Cowboys get to work filling holes on the roster with lower tier options.
After another offseason of focusing on bringing back their own players, it would be surprising if the Cowboys made a big splash in free agency now as the attention turns towards the draft later this month. Dallas, armed with nine picks, will fill out the majority of roster needs with rookies.
To allow for due diligence, NFL teams are permitted 30 meetings with potential draftees and most of the players that are on the radar for the Cowboys have been identified.
For some teams, the draft visits are fairly ambiguous and might be used as a smokescreen as to their draft plans. For the Cowboys, the process usually provides clues as to who they like. In recent years, Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Byron Jones, Taco Charlton, Connor Williams, and Leighton Vander Esch, among others, were all pre-draft visitors with the Cowboys.
The list might not mean that Dallas will draft a player, but it’s a solid sign that they are interested. Even if the Cowboys don’t wind up selecting a player who visited, some conclusions can be made about what positions they are looking into.
For example, three of the top wide receivers in the draft will be in for a visit. Drake London out of USC is doubtful to make it to the Cowboys at pick No. 24, but if he slips or if the Cowboys trade up, they want to take a closer look. The other WRs, Chris Olave and Treylon Burks, have been mocked to Dallas and are expected to go in the range of where the Cowboys pick. Both would be welcomed additions to the receiver room after Dallas traded Amari Cooper.
There are also seven offensive linemen who will visit Dallas, confirming Jerry Jones’ claim that his team will likely select an offensive lineman early in the draft. All three spots on the line are represented on the list, which gives the Cowboys a varied look at what’s available.
Kenyon Green, Zion Johnson and Bernhard Raimann are the three most intriguing names. Green and Johnson in particular have been popular picks for the Cowboys in industry mock drafts.
Six defensive linemen are included, which is an area where Dallas could use some help. Edge rushers Myjai Sanders and Sam Williams are interesting among the group and Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn did some extensive work with Williams at the Ole Miss pro day.
The Cowboys also look to be interested in adding a tight end, as there are four expected to visit before the draft. Virginia tight end Jelani Woods is a name to watch as he offers the best set of skills on the list. Local product Jalen Wydermyer from Texas A&M is also slated for a visit but he’s expected to be selected in the later rounds.
Four linebackers appear on the list, headlined by Georgia’s Quay Walker and Utah’s Devin Lloyd. The Cowboys won’t be meeting the other heralded Georgia LB, Nakobe Dean, who might be the best LB in the draft. That could mean the team doesn’t believe he’ll be available at pick 24, or they’re trying to hide their interest in Dean.
None of these positions should be a shock. The Cowboys have needs at all of these spots on their roster. And none of the visits guarantee that the Cowboys will select any of these players if they’re on the board with any draft pick. In the 2020 draft, the Cowboys never met with eventual first round selection WR CeeDee Lamb, for example.
However, the Cowboys likely want to get a better look at players of interest as they solidify their draft board, and this is an easy way to do it. Odds are, when the Cowboys are on the clock in any round of the 2022 NFL draft, they’ll pick someone that they’ve met with during the draft process.
Do you have a favorite from the pre-draft visits that you hope the Cowboys will take? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.
