When the Dallas Cowboys drafted former Texas Longhorn, DeMarvion Overshown in last year’s draft, it was their first in-state draftee since 2019.
Straying from Texas colleges is a new trend for the Dallas front office.
They previously used picks on in-state prospects in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019.
Is there a reason the Cowboys have changed that trend? It’s tough to say for certain.
One thing is clear, however.
Dallas would be smart to go back to their old ways when it comes to the 2024 NFL Draft.
It is hard to overstate just how stacked this year’s draft class is for colleges in Texas, and it seems the Cowboys have taken notice of that fact.
Of the known players on Dallas’s top-30 visit list, five are from in-state schools.
That number could also grow as the rest of the list gets leaked.
Between the top-30 list and the Cowboys’ annual “Dallas Day” workout, where the team invites local prospects into the facility, there is quite a bit of Texas talent coming through the door heading into the draft.
It seems unlikely the team won’t hit the Texas well of talent at least once with their seven draft picks.
So, let’s take a look at the five best in-state options for the Cowboys in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Texas DT, Byron Murphy II
You can hear the groans already from Cowboys fans who hate the idea of drafting a defensive tackle in the first round in back-to-back drafts.
However, if Dallas goes that route by picking former Longhorn, Byron Murphy II, it could be a worthwhile pick for the long-term success of the defense.
Murphy is one of the top two defensive tackles in this draft class, and he is a top-30 visit for the Cowboys.
It is rare to get a chance on that high of a prospect all the way down to 24th overall.
It seemed impossible just a few months ago when Murphy dominated the NFL Scouting Combine that he would get even close to the Cowboys pick, but it seems likely now.
Murphy is an elite athlete; running a 4.87 40-yard dash at 300 lbs puts him in rare company.
When you combine his speed and quickness with nearly 30 bench press reps of 225 lbs, you’ve got yourself a rare talent on the inside of the defensive line.
He is an All-American, First-team All-Big 12 player, coming off an 8.5 tackles for-loss season with the Longhorns.
If Dallas gets an improved Mazi Smith in his sophomore season with a talent like Murphy complementing veteran Osa Odighizuwa, they might have a true force on the interior.
Texas A&M LB, Edgerrin Cooper
Former Aggie Edgerrin Cooper is perhaps the most well-circulated name in Cowboys draft circles over the last few months.
It is not just the need for a young linebacker that is causing this hype either.
Cooper might be the best linebacker in the entire draft, and the Cowboys seem to have taken a liking to him.
Dallas met with Cooper as a top-30 visit in the facility and as a formal visit at the combine.
He is the most likely candidate to be the Cowboys’ first pick if the team trades back, and he could even be a trade-up candidate in the second round.
This means there is more than one way for Cooper to find himself staying in-state.
If Dallas does pull the trigger on this kid, fans would get to see true sideline-to-sideline ability, pass-rush potential, reliable tackling skills, and the kind of athleticism teams are looking for in linebackers right now.
Cooper managed to put up 205 total tackles, 30.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, and 2 interceptions in his four-year career with Texas A&M.
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