This time next week, we will know what the Cowboys draft class looks like.
We all know how important those first couple of picks will be, considering how much the team lost in free agency.
They need to hit on their three top-100 picks if they want to see success in 2024.
At the same time, however, Dallas’s lack of draft capital and roster weaknesses make their late-round selections just as important.
In 2023, the Cowboys draft class saw limited success from any of their draftees.
In the later rounds, Running Back Deuce Vaughn was the guy who saw the most playing time, and he only averaged 1.7 yards per carry.
With so many roster holes and so much on the line in 2024, the Cowboys have to get better production from the back end of their draft class.
In previous seasons Dallas has done well in the later rounds.
DaRon Bland, Damone Clark, Jake Ferguson, and Tyler Biadasz were all drafted in the 4th round or later since 2020.
The Cowboys have to get back to that kind of drafting success.
Lucky for them, this draft has a ton of good late-round talent, and the team seems to have taken notice of that.
Let’s take a look at a couple of those prospects as we head into “Draft Week”.
Marshall RB, Rasheen Ali
It is safe to say the Cowboys running back situation is dire.
Jerry Jones may think signing Royce Freeman is the answer to this problem.
But the facts are they will have no running game if they don’t draft at least one guy in the 2024 draft, and it seems the scouts at least know that.
Of the 25 known players on the Cowboys’ top-30 visit list, seven are running backs.
That list includes Marshall’s Rasheen Ali, who could very well become a Cowboy later this week.
Ali, a Cleveland, Ohio native, has been on Dallas’s radar since the Senior Bowl.
It was there that he showed off his impressive receiving skills out of the backfield, which could prove valuable if the Cowboys were to take him.
With Marshall, Ali reeled in 45 receptions in 2021 and 28 in 2023.
His 75 career receptions are second in the history of the program for a running back, only behind long-time New York Giant, Ahmad Bradshaw.
Ali is impressive in the running game as well.
He ran for 1,135 yards and 15 touchdowns last season.
Every draft produces late-round running backs that end up being great starters, and Ali could be next in line.
This big-play, receiving-threat running back is a guy to watch in the late rounds for the Cowboys draft class.
British Columbia OT, Giovanni Manu
If you’ve never heard of the 6’8″, 350 lb, Giovanni Manu, it’s because he has not played a lick of football in America his entire life.
Born in Tonga, an island country in the South Pacific, Manu eventually played his college ball in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Manu’s basketball skills initially brought him into sports.
His switchover into the football world is what will make him his money, however.
At the British Columbia University pro-day, Manu shocked scouts and fans on social media.
He ran a staggering 4.96 40-yard dash after weighing in at 352 lbs and produced a 33.5″ vertical jump.
Since then, Manu’s been getting a ton of interest from NFL teams, and the Cowboys are at the very top of that list.
They were the first team to hold a top-30 visit with Manu.
His combination of size, freak athleticism, and sky-high potential that is just waiting to be tapped into makes him a fascinating late-round candidate for Dallas.
The team’s weakness on the offensive line is huge.
It is also true that few teams develop offensive linemen better than the Cowboys.
If Manu is sitting there late, expect Dallas to swoop in and try to make a star out of this Canadian project.
Temple LB, Jordan Magee
Behind running back and the offensive line, linebacker is clearly the Cowboys’ third biggest need.
The issue is they may not be able to address it until later in the draft.
As I mentioned, Dallas has very limited draft capital.
In the first 174 picks, the Cowboys will only get a chance to draft three times.
This means they need to be very selective on who their first three picks will be, and if we assume running back and the offensive line are addressed, they could opt for a wide receiver instead of linebacker if one falls in their lap.
In that scenario, Temple Linebacker, Jordan Magee would be a steal for Dallas late.
Magee, a three-year starter and team captain with Temple, tallied 235 tackles, 8 sacks, and 31 tackles for loss in 40 career games.
As much as his production is impressive, his athleticism may be even more remarkable.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, Magee ran a 4.55 40-yard dash and a 1.54 10-yard split; both of those times are elite.
His vertical jump was over 35″ as well, which shows just how explosive he is.
Magee is undersized which will knock him down the board some, but beggars can’t be choosers.
If Dallas wants a late-round linebacker, Magee is the way to go.
The Cowboys have to hit on their late-round picks, and if they go with these three guys, they might just do that.