It is customary for the Dallas Cowboys to continue searching for talent after the end of the NFL Draft. Dallas has become known for finding gems among undrafted free agents after the final selections.
Last year, for example, running back Malik Davis and tight end Peyton Hendershot were both signed post-draft.
On Friday night, Jerry Jones told media members that he expected to “come out of here with 30 players.” He was counting both the players they would draft and the ones they intended to sign.
The Cowboys’ front office is still working on reaching that 30-player benchmark. But so far, one of the signees that stands out is Isaiah Land, a linebacker from Florida A&M.
MEET ISAIAH LAND
Leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft, Isaiah Land topped multiple lists as the best HBCU prospect. He was mentioned by ESPN, the Athletic, NFL.com and Sports Illustrated.
In February, Land was the 33rd pick of the USFL Draft.
Instead of joining the Pittsburgh Maulers, however, he decided to continue pursuing a career in the NFL.
Things played out quite differently for Land in the NFL draft. Contrary to expectations, his name was never called during the seven rounds of player selection.
His collegiate accomplishments garnered media attention but didn’t seem to place him quite high enough on any team’s draft board.
Still, it’s hard to look at his list of achievements and not be a little excited (or at least curious) about what he could do for the Dallas Cowboys.
The most notable of those achievements include:
- 19 sacks, 43 tackles, and 25.5 tackles for loss in 2021
- Buck Buchanan Award winner (2021)
- First Team AP FCS All-American (2021)
- SWAC Defensive Player of the Year (2021)
- First Team All SWAC (2021, 2022)
One can’t help but wonder what might have been added to the list above if not for injuries that limited Land to only eight games in 2022.
As a Cowboy, Land will be reunited with his former teammate, Markquese Bell, who was signed last year by the Dallas Cowboys.
HBCU PROSPECTS WENT MOSTLY UNDRAFTED
In this year’s NFL Draft, only one HBCU prospect was selected. Isaiah Bolden, a cornerback from Jackson State University, was selected by the New England Patriots with the 28th pick of the seventh round.
That number is a dip from last year. In 2022, four HBCU prospects were selected in the draft.
Legendary Cowboys cornerback Deion Sanders said via Twitter that he is “ashamed of the 31 other [NFL] teams that couldn’t find draft value in ALL of the talented HBCU players.”
Sanders added, “We had [three] more draft worthy players at JSU.”
Deion Sanders was the head coach of the Jackson State University football team from 2020 to 2022.
Toward the end of the 2022 season, it was announced that he would be leaving Jackson State to continue his coaching career at the University of Colorado.
His son, Shedeur, also left Jackson State to become the quarterback at the University of Colorado.
While he didn’t specifically name any players, it is assumed that Sanders was referring to three players from Jackson State University that agreed to terms with NFL teams almost immediately after the draft.
Those players were linebacker Aubrey Miller Jr. (Miami Dolphins), defensive back De’Jahn Warren (Chicago Bears), and wide receiver Dallas Daniels (Denver Broncos).
ISAIAH’S OPPORTUNITY
Recently, Isaiah Land told NFL Network that attending an HBCU was important for his character development.
He acknowledged the “trials and tribulations” he faced by attending a university that didn’t have many of the amenities and other benefits that bigger schools have.
Land retweeted a post from one of his coaches who congratulated him on his signing but also stated “It’s not the outcome you wanted, but it’s an opportunity.”
If Land is disappointed in the low draft numbers of HBCU players, he now has an opportunity to not only prove his value as a professional athlete but to possibly improve the perception of future HBCU prospects.