Will Cowboys consider medical risks in ’24 Draft?

The clock is ticking until the 2024 NFL Draft and the Cowboys’ draft strategy is still a mystery.

While we can assume with who they’ve visited and what their needs are which guys will be options, but if you know anything about Dallas’s recent drafting, we really don’t know yet.

They are a unique drafting team, and their trends change consistently.

One major question with the Cowboys’ draft strategy is whether or not they will target “medical risk” players.

We’ve seen them do it before.

In 2019, it was Leighton Vander Esch, who recently medically retired from the same chronic neck problem he had heading into the draft.

Back in 2016, Jaylon Smith was drafted with the 34th pick despite being in the early rehab stages of a catastrophic knee injury.

We’ve also seen them pass on these kinds of players in recent years.

Guys like Keenan Allen, Josh Sweat, Myles Jack, and Mauricie Hurst all saw significant drops due to health with the Cowboys having no interest.

The truth is, it depends on the guy and his specific medical issue, diagnosis, and recovery.

With such an important season on the horizon, we have to ask ourselves if Dallas will go back to the medical risk well this time around.

It is a risk, but there are a few guys who might just be worth it.

Let’s talk about them.

NC State LB, Payton Wilson

Let’s check off some boxes.

The Cowboys need linebackers and NC State’s Payton Wilson is coming off a season where he had 138 total tackles and took home the Butkus Trophy and the Bednarik award.

Those two awards are given to the best linebacker in college football and the defensive player of the year in college football.

I’d say that’s a pretty good season from Wilson.

This 23-year-old linebacker also ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at the combine.

Payton Wilson is a LB prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored a 9.88 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 35 out of 2800 LB from 1987 to 2024.https://t.co/DbavM34tKd pic.twitter.com/hmp7q2rOER

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 3, 2024

Needless to say, the talent and athletic ability are off the charts with Wilson, so why is he not being touted as a first-round pick?

The answer comes down to this: his injury history is terrifying.

Two ACL tears, one in high school and one in college, and a season-ending shoulder injury.

Injuries have bitten Wilson badly over his football career, and considering he is turning 24 in a few days, the medical report and age factor surely have teams questioning if he is worth the big risk early in the draft.

This fact could become huge for the Cowboys.

If a linebacker with the talent of Wilson fell to them with the 56th pick, would they jump on it as they did with a similarly talented, second round, medical red-flag linebacker in Smith in 2016?

Dallas has visited with Wilson multiple times and is even a part of their top-30 visit list.

So, it seems the answer to that question might be yes.

Texas RB, Jonathon Brooks

Cowboys fans are definitely familiar with this name by now.

Former Longhorn Running Back and Hallettsville, TX native, Jonathon Brooks, might be the best at his position in this draft class.

Generally speaking, this year’s running back draft is not strong, but Brooks has the potential to make it strong all on his own.

He is my 37th-ranked player and first running back.

Jonathon Brooks glides with the ball in his hands. pic.twitter.com/gzJrpGqaJK

— Nick Penticoff (@NickPenticoff) April 9, 2024

And, indications are that Dallas might be thinking similarly.

The team has visited with Brooks on multiple occasions, including as a top-30 visit and at his Pro Day.

Mock drafts are showing a Cowboys-Brooks pairing from the first round to the third.

The issue is, as you may know by now, Brooks tore his ACL in November, ending a great season for him and inserting many medical questions into his draft stock.

For a running back, these kinds of injuries are always concerning.

Considering their short-lived shelf life, a blown-out knee to recover from can speed up the regression process.

Dallas needs a running back, however, and Brooks is intriguing them despite the knee.

His talent is unquestioned, it will just be a matter of if the Cowboys trust his medical report enough to put a star on the side of his helmet.

Oregon C, Jackson Powers-Johnson

Here’s another name you are probably quite familiar with by now.

But, did you know there are increasing medical concerns around Jackson Powers-Johnson?

This former Oregon Duck was being touted as a sure-fire top-20 pick just a few months ago, but behind the scenes, teams have cooled off tremendously on him.

Powers-Johnson is now looking like a second-round guy.

Mel Kiper Jr. had #Oregon C Jackson Powers-Johnson falling to pick No. 47 in his latest mock draft.

His average ranking has fallen by five spots over the last month on the consensus board.

— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) April 10, 2024

It’s because of some mysterious medical red flags teams are pinning on him.

This draft stock fall from grace may also be attributed to teams not liking his ability as much as the media does and the overabundance of offensive linemen in this class.

However, it seems the Cowboys are still interested.

They’ve brought Powers-Johnson in on a top-30 visit and they met with him a couple of times throughout the draft process.

Some are arguing the Cowboys have to target an offensive lineman with their first pick.

“JPJ” is still in contention to be that guy.

The specific medical concerns are still private for teams, but he did not suffer any major breaks or tears during his time in Oregon.

Whether or not the Cowboys target any of these three players is completely dependent on how they view the medicals.

However, they could end up with great value if they trust these guys will stay healthy.