Cowboys news: Cowboys pre-draft news, notes & nuggets

Jaycee Horn vs. Patrick Surtain, Jerry Jones’ interest in Kyle Pitts: 20 Cowboys pre-draft notes – Jon Machota, The Athletic

A run-down of news before tonight’s draft for the Cowboys.

3. Pre-draft visits. NFL teams are not having their normal in-person pre-draft visits with prospects because of the COVID-19 pandemic. There also wasn’t the normal scouting combine in Indianapolis in February. So those prospect interviews are taking place virtually. Highlights from a few have been posted on the Cowboys’ team website. In-person visits seem like they would be preferred by the teams, but Jerry Jones says the virtual discussions have been better for him.

“I’ve gotten to know these guys better, Zoom calling,” Jones said. “Somehow, if you’re looking at each other in there, somehow you’re working out, you’re expressing yourself maybe a little more candidly than you would otherwise. I thought between last year and this year, this is the best I’ve understood these players, from my perspective.” Mike McCarthy said he agreed.

“I think really, learning from last year, it’s much better this year,” he added. “You’re able to talk to more players in this format. Now, it’s untraditional. When you are looking for Sean Lee, the standard and those type of intangibles, I can’t say enough about our scouting department and the way they’ve teed everything up with the virtual meetings. We’ve been able to get through, from my personal platform as a head coach, a lot more players. I’ve been impressed with the process.”

3 Cowboys trade opportunities in the NFL draft, plus the pros and cons of moving back from No. 10 - John Owning, Dallas Morning News

If the Cowboys decide to trade back from 10 or back up into round one, there are some intriguing possibilities.

Trade back into R1 (or very early R2). While trading back from 10th overall is a possibility, so too is trading back into the top-32 to acquire another first-round caliber prospect.

If the Cowboys don’t select a CB at No. 10 and instead opt to take someone like Slater with their first pick, then I think Dallas could be aggressive in trying to trade up to secure a first-round caliber CB, such as Northwestern’s Greg Newsome or Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley (both of whom have concerning medical histories that could cause them to fall further than their talent suggests) in the mid-to-late 20s or early 30s, which would likely cost Dallas’ second-round pick (No. 44) and one of their third-round picks (Nos. 75 or 99) based upon on the NFL trade value chart.

Even if Dallas does select a CB with their first pick, they could potentially even trade up to select another defender they covet, such as Moehrig or Collins. While I don’t think that’d be the best move, the Cowboys don’t care what I think and could still pull the trigger if they covet a certain prospect enough in the latter third of the first round.

Calvin Watkins’ seven-round Cowboys mock draft: Kyle Pitts is still on the board at No. 10, but will Dallas take the bait? - Calvin Watkins, Dallas Morning News

How would you feel if Kyle Pitts was still on the board and the Cowboys passed on him?

Round 2 (44 overall). Best available: WR Elijah Moore (Mississippi), T Walker Little (Stanford), S Elijah Molden (Washington) and T Dillon Radunz (North Dakota State).

Pick: ILB Jamin Davis, Kentucky

Why: If the Cowboys find a future inside linebacker in the draft, and we don’t mean in Rounds 5- 7 but rather within the top 100 picks, then Leighton Vander Esch’s days are in question. Davis is the possible replacement, maybe even for Jaylon Smith, too. Elijah Molden was a nice consideration but Davis’ fall out of the first round was too good to pass up.

2021 NFL Draft-Day Trades We’d Love to See Happen - Chris Roling, BleacherReport.com

A trade up for Kyle Pitts won’t happen, but it is one of the most interesting potential draft-day deals.

Dallas Trades Up for Kyle Pitts. Jerry Jones could always up the fun factor of the draft by making a splash. Jones has a defense that needs some serious love, of course, but it’s also worth pointing out he is apparently very enthralled with Florida tight end Kyle Pitts.

And who wouldn’t be? Pitts is an elite pass-catching weapon who can line up all over the place and put up 17 touchdowns over the last two seasons, even averaging 17.9 yards per catch last year. Let’s just say he’d be fun in an offense with Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb with Dak Prescott back under center.

Dallas drafting Pitts would require a move up from No. 10, though. Targeting a team like Miami, which sits at No. 6 and is comfortable with passer Tua Tagovailoa, is the way to go. Since Miami won’t get first dibs on an elite prospect for the offense while moving back, Dallas could dangle a huge-upside player like wideout Michael Gallup, plus a mid-round pick to make the move more appealing.

Rank'Em: Draft Show’s Big Board of Top 50 Players - Staff, DallasCowboys.com

Taking a look at the top 50 players in this year’s draft.

This year's Draft Show was unlike any other. Not only did it start before the end of the 2020 regular season, but consisted of seven different personalities, rotating each week to offer a wide range of opinions. But as we get to the NFL Draft here on Thursday, it's time to reveal the Top 50 players.

The Draft Show Top 50 is a consensus of the co-hosts that did a Big Board, including Kyle Youmans, Bryan Broaddus, Dane Brugler, Jeff Cavanaugh and Kevin "KT" Turner. The list also has added input from the other co-hosts Bucky Brooks and David Helman.

While they don't always agree in their assessments, we compiled their individual lists to create a Top 50 ranking. The Cowboys currently hold the No. 10 and No. 44 overall picks, which should seemingly get them two of these players. The following descriptions are from Kyle Youmans, the host of every Draft Show of the offseason.

Calls From Jerry Picked Sean Lee “Off The Floor” - Nick Eatman, DallasCowboys.com

Looking back on The General’s career.

Lee missed a total of 58 games in his career, including five different seasons where he missed five or more games, including this past season. "I took pride in being able to handle any injuries," said Lee, who joked that he actually had 11 years of injuries, but focused more on three specific year where he had toe, neck and knee injuries. "I was in the dumps and wanted to quit on myself in some ways and then I'd get a call from teammates and then I would get a call from Mr. Jones and he picked me up off the floor."

Lee wondered just how many NFL owners would take the time to be that positive year after year.

"I'm saying three times in a row would call me being so positive," Lee said. What type of owner calls you when you need it the most? That motivated me so much. It made me say 'I can come back from anything and play through anything' I wanted to pay back that support. He would give me a pep talk. I'm coming back better than I ever was. I can't tell you how much that helped.

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