In the last three drafts, the Cowboys have added at least three players from that year's Senior Bowl roster. Dallas added six Senior Bowl alums to the team in the 2022 draft class alone.
The numbers, especially in the Mike McCarthy era, show that Dallas takes Senior Bowl evaluations very seriously come draft day.
Dallas has 19 players set to hit free agency, and they will not bring all of them back.
There will be position groups that need new talent heading into such a critical 2024 season, and the Senior Bowl is the Cowboys' first in-person look at their options.
With Senior Bowl week kicking off with practice this Tuesday, let's take a look at the three players the Cowboys will be watching throughout the week.
Duke Tackle, Graham Barton
If you are looking to see a potential Dallas first-round pick next week, look no further than Duke Offensive Lineman, Graham Barton.
With experience and skill at both tackle and guard, Barton is expected to be taken near the backend of the first round.
Duke LT Graham Barton vs FSU ED Jared Verse…physicality 💪🏼
We see you Graham! pic.twitter.com/qAdAMssGqD
— The Draft Network (@TheDraftNetwork) October 22, 2023
He is perfectly in range for Dallas who will be picking 24th.
The Cowboys are facing free agency with both Tyron Smith and Tyler Biadasz, and Zack Martin will turn 34 in the middle of the 2024 season.
The offensive line has been a sneaky need for Dallas the last few seasons, but with two starters having their contracts up, it has become a huge focus for the team this off-season.
ESPN lists Barton as 6'5 and 314 lbs, and he showcases all 314 lbs with the kind of power you see from elite run blockers in the NFL.
As I mentioned, perhaps the biggest selling point for Barton is his positional versatility, and according to Senior Bowl President Jim Nagy, that versatility will be on full display this week.
Nagy commented that Barton is expected to primarily take his reps at center during both the Senior Bowl practices and games.
With almost all his experience coming at left tackle in his career at Duke, Barton moving to center for Senior Bowl week is essentially a play to show teams he can play multiple spots at a high level.
Dallas could very well lose their starting left tackle and center this off-season, so you can see how this might just be a perfect fit in the first round.
Western Kentucky WR, Malachi Corley
As dynamic as the Cowboys' passing offense was this season, they could end up cutting both Brandin Cooks and Michael Gallup to save money.
This would leave Dallas with essentially, CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Tolbert, and KaVontae Turpin.
In other words, you can expect Dallas to address wide receiver early in the 2024 draft.
There are a couple of prospects at the position to watch this coming week, but the toughest is easily Western Kentucky's Malachi Corley.
Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley is unlike most that play his position for one reason: Brute physicality. More on him as a prospect:
✍️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Mjf89dukBm
— Rob G (@NFL_Rob) January 26, 2024
Corley is incredibly physical; he makes every reception look like his life depends on getting the most out of it.
His 5'11, 210 lbs build is pure muscle. Corley looks like a running back at receiver, which is exactly what I thought of 49ers All-Pro, Deebo Samuel, a few years ago.
We have seen the impact of 2nd-4th round receivers in the last few years. Think of Tank Dell, Jayden Reed, and Rashee Rice from the 2023 draft.
That is the kind of immediate impact I could see Corley having.
Coming from a small school, this is his first opportunity on a big stage, and he is the kind of guy who will not let that opportunity pass.
Texas DT, Byron Murphy III
The Cowboys have not had a top-10 run defense since 2018, and their weakness there shows up in the biggest moments.
Whether it be in the postseason or against a good running team in the regular season, it has been years since a Dallas run defense has put up a fighting chance. That has to change.
In the first round of last year's draft, they invested at defensive tackle with Mazi Smith; then they had him lose 30 lbs in order to rush the passer more.
It is long overdue for a real investment in the run defense, and former Longhorn, Byron Murphy III, could be a perfect fit.
Early indications are Murphy could be the first defensive tackle off the board, but with Dallas picking 24th, they might still be close enough to have a chance at him.
Murphy is as explosive as an interior defensive lineman gets. He is in the backfield constantly with his strength and quickness.
Byron Murphy, IDL, Texas
Murphy's combination of quickness and power allow him to disrupt all kinds of plays. He hasn't hit his ceiling either. pic.twitter.com/7G2WbbbdP6
— Dante Collinelli (@DanteCollinelli) January 19, 2024
Think of him more as a weapon on the inside of the line rather than as a regular defensive tackle.
Some would say with Smith heading into his second year and Osa Odighizuwa emerging as one of the better defensive tackles in the league that this is no longer a need.
You have to think ahead here, however. Smith has yet to show he can contribute in a major way and Odighizuwa has just one year left on his rookie contract.
There may not be enough money around to keep Odighizuwa in-house.
This position could become a huge weakness in 2025. Murphy III prevents that from happening, and he will show why this coming week at the Senior Bowl.
Expect his name to be one of the most talked about after the week concludes.
