When Daniel Jeremiah started talking about the Cowboys at pick 12 on 105.3 The Fan, I think he gave us the clearest clue yet about how this board might actually fall for Dallas.
And if you’re a Cowboys fan who has been dreaming about drafting Mansoor Delane, the interview would not be something you would love to hear.
Daniel Jeremiah did not leave much room for hope there. He said, “The Mansoor Delane plane has taken off.” Then followed up with, “It’s not landing anytime soon in DFW.”
I think that is about as direct as it gets, and to me, that sounded like Jeremiah basically telling Cowboys fans to stop counting on Delane being there at 12.
I’d rather hear that now than spend the next few weeks building up a draft fantasy that might already be dead.
Mansoor Delane Feels More Like the Dream Scenario Now
I understand why fans want to keep talking themselves into Mansoor Delane. I have done the same thing, but the way Daniel Jermiah talked about him, I just don’t see the optimistic side of it now.
Delane is climbing fast and once corners start getting big momentum like this, they normally don’t start dropping back down.
We see it every year, teams talk themselves into traits, upside, ball skills, and versatility. Before you know it, a player, like Delane, who fans were hoping would be there is gone earlier than expected.
So, Dallas shouldn’t stop liking Mansoor Delane, but Cowboys fans probably need to stop expecting him.
Daniel Jeremiah Feels Caleb Downs Is the Name Cowboys Fans Should Be Watching
Now this is where I think it gets interesting.
I didn’t hear Daniel Jeremiah shut the door on Caleb Downs at all. In fact, I thought he sounded pretty open to the idea that Downs could still be in play for the Cowboys 12th pick, and when he started explaining why, it made sense.
First, he made it clear he believes in the player by saying, “Downs is legit.” I think this matters and not many can argue that about Caleb Downs.
This is not some “well, if the top options are, I guess he’ll do” kind of discussion. I didn’t feel like that was the tone Jeremiah had. He sounded like a person who sees Downs as a real difference-maker, even if the draft gets weird enough to push him down the board.
Daniel Jeremiah talked about how safeties slide in the draft. We have all seen it before with players like Derwin James, because teams started prioritizing other positions when players were coming off the board.
Daniel Jeremiah flat-out said, “Safeties historically drop.”
And that is the scenario Cowboys fans should be paying attention to.
This Is Why Caleb Downs Makes So Much Sense for Dallas
What I liked about Daniel Jeremiah’s comments was that he was not just selling Downs as an athlete.
He talked about communication, leadership, and the way one smart, steady, instinctive player can lift everybody else around him. He said some players are “greater than the individual parts.”
That line really stuck with me because that is the kind of player I want Dallas to be looking for if Delane is already off the board, which he will be.
Don’t get me wrong, I love traits just as much as the next guy. What team doesn’t want a long, explosive, freaky athlete with ridiculous upside, but sometimes the better pick is the guy who settles down the whole defense.
For this team that struggled so much last season, I think that matters a lot, and if Dallas is really trying to build something better on defense, then a player like Caleb Downs feels like the correct answer. Not some backup plan.
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