The 2023 NFL Draft will be crucial for the Dallas Cowboys, who are vying to stay in contention in a tough NFC East division. These prospects at the 2023 NFL Combine should be near the top of the Cowboys’ list when it comes to prospective interest.
Cowboys Draft Prospects To Target at 2023 NFL Combine
The calls to let it all collapse and rebuild have been premature for the Cowboys. Yes, Dallas has some soul-searching to do after another empty playoff trip, but there appears to be a path to success with Dak Prescott and Mike McCarthy.
That said, there are needs to address both philosophically and materially, on offense and defense. Luckily for the Cowboys, a strong 2023 NFL Draft class at positions of need should help them move forward. These prospects headline the list of available choices.
CB Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State
Cornerback is arguably the Cowboys’ biggest need. With Anthony Brown hitting free agency and other options across from Trevon Diggs underwhelming, Dallas needs to make the most of the strong 2023 CB group. In Round 1, a name the Cowboys could target is Emmanuel Forbes — if he backs up his tape at the Combine.
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Forbes has been a late-first, early-second-round projection all offseason. The Combine is where he needs to shore up his first-round odds and become an option for Dallas at No. 26 overall.
Forbes has the explosiveness and twitch. The numbers to watch for him will be his weight and arm length measurements. If he’s over 180 and in the 32″ range, he’ll be in a good spot.
RB Israel Abanikanda, Pittsburgh
It’s always tough to let a good thing go, but let’s face it: Ezekiel Elliott is far past his prime. His Cowboys star is fading, and after hearing talk that his agents will assess his value at the Combine, there’s a scenario where Elliott is traded or released this offseason.
One very exciting potential replacement for Elliott in the 2023 NFL Draft is Pittsburgh’s Israel Abanikanda. At 5’11”, 215 pounds, Abanikanda has the size and ability between the tackles, but he’s also a freak athlete. He was a track standout in high school, who also logged a near-40″ vertical out of high school. On tape, that game-breaking speed and explosiveness is a clear bonus to his size and physicality.
WR Tyler Scott, Cincinnati
Dallas doesn’t have the talent to be discriminant when it comes to WR additions this offseason. But if there’s something the Cowboys really need more than anything at WR, it’s speed. A dynamic speed threat alongside CeeDee Lamb could truly open things up, and Tyler Scott could be that guy.
On his school site, Scott has been rumored to run a 4.29 40-yard dash. We’ll see for ourselves if that’s true at the Combine, but that ability to test defenses downfield shows up on tape. Not only is he a supremely explosive and twitchy athlete, but Scott’s catching instincts are of the highest tier as well.
G Steve Avila, TCU
The Cowboys might need to replace Connor McGovern at guard this offseason. And not far into the future, they may have a hole to fill at center, if Tyler Biadasz leaves upon the conclusion of his rookie deal. With so much change coming on the interior, Dallas should keep an eye on in-state prospect Steve Avila.
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Avila was an all-league offensive lineman for two seasons with the Horned Frogs, first dominating at center and then guard. At 6’3″, 330 pounds, he’s essentially a block of rock between the A and B-gaps, but his athleticism has been questioned at times. If Avila can put up respectable numbers at his size, he should pique the Cowboys’ interest.
TE Luke Schoonmaker, Michigan
It seems unlikely that the Cowboys will match the demands for Dalton Schultz this offseason, leaving the former Stanford product to test the free agency market. To replace Schultz, Dallas could follow a similar blueprint to the one that brought him in as a fourth-round pick.
At 6’5″, 244 pounds, Schultz was a tall, lean prospect — a stellar athlete with good blocking ability, but whose receiving upside was more of a projection. There’s one prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft who matches that description as well: Michigan’s Luke Schoomaker. In a deep TE class, Schoomaker could be a similar value investment on Day 3, with exciting potential returns.