National Football League

Five potential Cowboys picks to track at the NFL Draft Combine

Updated Feb. 29, 2024 12:28 p.m. ET

NFL Draft Combine week always strikes me as being a bit backward.

The draft cycle is now fully in swing, signified by this year's top talent meeting with teams and working out in Indianapolis. Prospects who were relative unknowns last week will be coveted by fanbases all over the league, at every level of the draft.

The irony is that no one has a clear idea of what their draft needs are right now, with the heavy lifting of free agency still two weeks away.

March mock drafts feel a bit like looking at the dessert menu before you've ordered the main course. But looking at the dessert menu is fun.

As we wait to see which positions and players the Cowboys target in free agency, I want look at some players they could end up drafting in April. I am going to highlight specific players, but this also serves as a thought exercise about what they need to address and how it could change.

Here are five prospects who I think would fit the Cowboys nicely.

Georgia OT Amarius Mims

Let's start here: if I had to bet today what position the Cowboys' first-round selection will play, I'd say offensive tackle. Regardless of what happens with Tyron Smith, they'll need long-term stability at tackle, and this is a great year to need that.

This tackle class has historic potential, according to people who know these things. Our friend Rob Rang has eight guys with first-round grades, so Dallas has a chance at top-notch talent even with the No. 24 overall pick.

[2024 NFL Draft OT rankings: Scouting the best tackle class in 20-plus years]

I opted for Mims purely because of upside — a strategy that worked well when the Cowboys selected Tyler Smith two years ago. Mims started just eight games during his college career, but he's also just 21 years old with an absurd 6-7, 330-pound frame. He could develop into a force.

The knock against Mims is that he played his college career at right tackle, whereas the Cowboys currently need help on the left side. No matter. I'm trusting the evaluators who say Mims has the athleticism to play both sides. And in a perfect world, Tyron Smith returns for 2024 and keeps the rookie from having to shoulder the load immediately.

Joel Klatt's mock draft, version 1.0

Oregon C Jackson Powers-Johnson

I shouldn't have to sell the Cowboys on the value of a great center, since Travis Frederick was the linchpin of their best offensive lines in the last 20 years.

Fans started falling in love with Powers-Johnson back during the Senior Bowl, and I'd guess that won't taper off. At 6-3, 334 pounds, he has the size Dallas covets and clearly plays with physicality and nastiness.

The variable here is what they do in free agency. Center is not coveted like tackle is, and there's no way the Cowboys would use a first-round pick on a center if they re-sign Tyler Biadasz — or bring in outside help at the position.

It would be surprising to see this front office pigeonhole themselves at the position by not addressing center in free agency. But at the same time, this is a great year to need one. Powers-Johnson is currently everyone's favorite, but Duke's Graham Barton and West Virginia's Zach Frazier are also widely regarded as top-tier prospects.

Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Cooper

Count me among the many who have become smitten with A&M's do-everything disrupter.

I mean "do-everything" quite literally. The guy led the Aggies in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks during an otherwise dismal season. He looks equally adept at fitting the run as he does creating pressure, as he managed an impressive 10 sacks for an off-ball linebacker.

Modern defense requires versatility, and Cooper clearly has that. I keep hearing people say this linebacker class is a poor one, and Cooper is generally projected as a second-round pick. But I'd guess he will be in high demand.

The Cowboys will be getting DeMarvion Overshown back from injury this year, and Damone Clark is still hanging around. If they don't add to the linebacker group in free agency, Cooper could be their best bet to make a splash at this spot.

Missouri DL Darius Robinson

I have a hard time believing the Cowboys will draft a defensive tackle in the first round of back-to-back drafts. But I have no problem believing they might look for some extra beef for new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer to work with in his first year.

Robinson's name has been all over the place since the Senior Bowl, where he turned heads. What makes him interesting to me is the number of different things Zimmer could ask him to do.

Robinson broke out in 2023 as an edge rusher. He tallied 8.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss playing outside, so hopefully any team's long-term vision includes him doing more of that. That said, the dude is 6-5, 296 pounds and has experience playing inside. You could put him in a variety of spots depending on the front and the call and my guess is he'd hold up fine.

Beyond the immediate future, DeMarcus Lawrence will soon be 32 and is in the final year of his deal. Robinson has the size and strength to step into the left end job in time.

LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr.

Brandin Cooks came on admirably after the Dallas offense started slowly last year. But Cooks is also turning 31 and entering a contract year. Since the still-perplexing decision to jettison Amari Cooper, the Cowboys are still hunting for a potent second option to partner with CeeDee Lamb.

That's not a knock on Lamb, who has blossomed into a top-five NFL receiver. Still, it's probably best not to ask as much of him as the Cowboys did in 2023, when he was the most-targeted receiver in the league.

Enter Thomas Jr., whose skillset complements Lamb in the most beautiful way. Thomas broke out at LSU to the tune of 1,177 yards and 17 touchdowns last year. More intriguing than that is how Thomas was getting those yards. Jayden Daniels targeted him 20-plus yards downfield on 24% of his targets, and he caught 77.8% of those balls for an average of 45 yards per reception and 11 touchdowns.

The 21-year-old is a great deep threat, and that's an element that's been either lacking or inconsistent in the Dallas offense since Cooper left town. Thomas Jr., working mainly outside, would be the perfect way to open the field for Lamb and Jake Ferguson — in addition to being a threat to get behind his coverage on any given snap.

The only issue is that everyone else in the NFL is aware of this, too. It shouldn't be surprising if Thomas Jr. hears his name called before Dallas is on the clock with the 24th pick. With that in mind, familiarize yourself with names like Texas' Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Worthy, and Oregon's Troy Franklin.

David Helman covers the Dallas Cowboys for FOX Sports and hosts the NFL on FOX podcast. He previously spent nine seasons covering the Cowboys for the team's official website. In 2018, he won a regional Emmy for his role in producing "Dak Prescott: A Family Reunion" about the quarterback's time at Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter at @davidhelman_.